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MONDAY NIGHT NOTES
SEAHAWKS
SEEK TO CORRAL COWBOYS The Seattle Seahawks aim to solidify their first-place standing in the NFC West this Monday night when they welcome the Dallas Cowboys to town as ABC’s NFL Monday Night Football returns to the Emerald City for the first time since 2002. The 6-5 Seahawks make their 20th Monday night appearance, having compiled a 12-7 mark (.632) in that time. The 4-7 Cowboys enter the game on the heels of a 21-7 Thanksgiving Day win over Chicago, and they know all about success on Monday.
"Monday Night Football in Seattle -- it’s going to be good," says Seahawks head coach MIKE HOLMGREN. "We’ve waited for a game like this. We’re excited about the opportunity. I told the players that it’s different. The intensity is different, the atmosphere is different. I told the team to prepare accordingly because it’s going to be quite an evening." The Seahawks’ SHAUN ALEXANDER will play a key role. The fifth-year running back from Alabama has emerged as one of the premier talents in the NFL, leading the league with 1,190 yards on 237 attempts for a healthy 5.0 yards per carry average. "Our goal is to get to the Super Bowl," says Alexander. "To get to the Super Bowl, you need to get on a run. We are hoping to get started with that on Monday night." Alexander has been no stranger to the end zone, joining some of the greatest running backs in NFL history this year when he notched his fourth consecutive season with at least 10 touchdown runs. A look at the five players in history with four consecutive 10 rushing-touchdown seasons:
* Active streak In the opposite backfield, the emergence of rookie JULIUS JONES has made an immediate impact. The second-round pick from Notre Dame – named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for November – returned to action on November 14 against Baltimore after missing seven games due to a shoulder injury, and rushed for 81 yards against one of the NFL’s toughest defenses.
In addition to the interest in those running the ball, perhaps the NFL’s greatest wide receiver ever – Seattle’s JERRY RICE – will return to a Monday night stage he has excelled on throughout his career. Rice is the all-time Monday night record holder in touchdowns (35), TD receptions (33), catches (246) and receiving yards (3,884). He can also add to his legacy with yet another record. Rice has 23,324 combined yards gained and needs seven to pass BRIAN MITCHELL (23,330) for the most in NFL history. MONDAY NIGHT MUSINGS – DALLAS COWBOYS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS MAKING A STATEMENT :When Qwest Communications and the Seahawks linked up this spring to re-name the team’s stadium, the newly formed partnership sought to create a sense of community with the citizens of Washington. Result: "The State of Football" at Qwest Field. The monument, on permanent display inside the stadium entrance, features 331 football helmets representing every high school team in the state. The structure – made of a two-and-a-half ton piece of stainless steel – is in the shape of a football with the helmets mounted on a painted outline of the state of Washington. -- MNF -- GIVING BACK: Cowboys wide receiver KEYSHAWN JOHNSON has not forgotten where he came from. Johnson, through his company, Keyshawn Capital Development LLC, is a partner in Marlton Square, a $123 million mixed-used development in the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles that will include 140 single-family detached homes, 150 attached condominiums, housing for senior citizens and a large shopping center that will connect to a theatre complex via a pedestrian walkway. Construction for the project begins in the summer of 2005 with occupancy starting in late 2006.-- MNF -- RACE FOR PAT: Seahawks quarterback MATT HASSELBECK’s wife SARAH and 12 other player wives recently held a three-mile walk to benefit the Pat Tillman Foundation to honor the former Arizona Cardinals star who was killed in combat in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army Rangers last April. "The proceeds will also go to families of fallen soldiers," says Sarah. "There are similar events going on in every NFL city because wives wanted to do something to honor Pat. He was a man who made a difference in the world." -- MNF -- ALL-WORLD: With five weeks of the 2004 regular season remaining, the number of NFL Europe League veterans to have appeared on NFL rosters this year has risen to a record 259, surpassing the previous high of 257 in 2002. Two Cowboys in Monday’s game are NFLEL veterans – safety KEITH DAVIS and defensive tackle LA’ROI GLOVER. Davis played for the Berlin Thunder last season, finishing first on the team with four interceptions while helping the Thunder to the World Bowl XII Championship. Glover ranked third in the league with 6.5 sacks in 1997 with the Barcelona Dragons when they won World Bowl. -- MNF --
LET’S PARTY :Seahawks defensive end GRANT WISTROM and his foundation recently hosted a VIP party for pediatric cancer patients and siblings of Children’s Hospital and Camp Good Times. Over 60 youngsters at a local restaurant watched the Seahawks defeat Miami on November 21 and enjoyed activities that included painting pottery, video games and crafts, along with dinner and games. After the game, Wistrom and several teammates stopped by for autographs and pictures. Wistrom created his foundation in 2002 to provide fun and recreational activities for pediatric cancer patients. |