Advice to all local sports fans? Take a playoff shot when you can get it

Lots of teeth-gnashing this morning about the Seahawks and their "bid" for an NFC West division championship next weekend when they take on the St. Louis Rams. Some fans here are saying they'd rather not have the Seahawks win and risk the embarrassment of them getting blown out on a national stage in the first playoff round. Look, I hear you. I've watched my share of good football teams over the years and this Seahawks squad doesn't immediately trigger comparisons. And no, I'm not trying to say they're going to win a Super Bowl. They just don't have the playmakers, the offensive line, or the "don't break" kind of defense for that. We won't get into the whole quarterback thing. But hey, this is professional sports. No jokes inserted. In pro sports, strange things can happen. And the first step towards winning anything that matters is to get into the playoffs. We as Mariners observers experienced a lot of similar feelings during the...