This isn’t going to be column so much as an semi-organized collection of thoughts.

First, I want to talk about Cam Newton.

Cam has been getting a ton of hate from fans across the country, and it’s been especially noticeable here in Seattle. Listen, I get it. The Panthers beat us, twice, and we’re all a little salty about it.

What I don’t get is stupid petitions like this one. Really guys? Has it really come to this? So Cam Newton threw a “12” flag to the turf. Here’s an idea: don’t wave it in his (expletive) face! We call him a poor sport and classless, but we’re taunting him with a flag? Really?

Secondly, allow me to direct your attention to Richard Sherman. Sherman, as you may recall, has developed quite a reputation for being loud, boisterous and as someone who isn’t afraid to take shots and talk some trash. Fans across the country hated him for it, but we here in Seattle immediately jumped to his defense. I guess what I’m getting at here is this: there is a massive double standard here.

Now, this probably isn’t exclusive to Seattle. However, growing up a Seattle sports fan, I feel obligated to complain about it. Nobody likes to lose, but I implore you all to remember how ungracious the Seahawks were in victory at times.

Something constantly overlooked, is the majority of these athletes are “kids.” Things can get intense on the field, and at times the raw emotions of the game can take over. I highly doubt that Newton has any vitriol towards Seattle fans. He had just survived a massive comeback by the Seahawks, and led his team to the NFC Championship. If any of us were in his shoes, we would probably be full of emotion also.

The point is: Stop with the stupid petitions and learn how to lose with a little grace. We can’t win every super bowl. Be happy Seattle made it as far as it did and be thankful for the success the Seahawks have had lately.

Second, I want to touch on the NFL Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl kicks off this weekend, and most fans are pretty indifferent towards it.

For starters, it’s not really a competitive game. These players just got done with the grind of a 16 game season, and some of them are coming off of a game of two in the playoffs. Their bodies are beat up, and the will to put their body on the line for a meaningless game often times isn’t there.
As a result, you usually see a few players dropping out of the pro bowl. Of the ones that do play, it’s more of a glorified scrimmage than an actual game. The members of the winning team do get $60,000, and the losers get $20,000, but these are athletes that make millions of dollars every year. 60k isn’t exactly a huge motivating factor to go and ball out.

Pro Bowl viewership has been in decline, and the NFL has been trying to drive up the interest level in it. That hasn’t been working, and certainly isn’t helped by the fact that 33 players have had to be replaced so far this year.

To be fair, 14 of these players are playing in this little thing called the Super Bowl, so they are excused from participating in the pro bowl. Others though, don’t necessarily have an excuse other than “Nah, I’m good.”

Some players do enjoy it. If you’ve been following the Seahawk’s snap chat account, you’ll certainly notice that Seahawks Russell Wilson and rookie Tyler Lockett certainly seem to be making the most of it. But for many, it’s simply not worth the risk of injury.

Either way, I’ll be tuning in. Because it may be football that is a little bit “Soft,” but hey, it’s still football.