Transcript
Tristan Amundson: Miles, tell me... how this sounds to you. travis Trayvon Diggs. Tyrion Arnold. Tristan Amundsen. I feel as though.
Tristan Amundson: with my first name almost camouflaging me. I could just... kind of slip right into the waiver wire. Do you think old man Schneider would even notice? my name amongst those two gentlemen. and And just, you know, for a little while, at least I could be a Seahawk. Do you think I got a plan here or is just, is it going to shoot me down?
M dub: Tristan, there's a lot of names coming in and out of that training camp. I think as long as you're chasing edges. Every snap that you're out there. I think a day or two could go by and you could be You can be on the field with everybody.
Tristan Amundson: I think I could. I could commit to chasing one edge and I would chase one edge to my best ability. And then I have a feeling that that edge would.
Tristan Amundson: just absolutely demolished me. And in agony, writhing on the ground, I think I would at that point tell coach. that i'm i don't want to chase edges and i would rather Um,
Tristan Amundson: be on the broom and just watch other people chase edges because Chasing edges sounds fun, but I bet it's not nearly as fun for. gentlemen such as ourselves. than it is for the Adonises that we get to watch. the Seahawks on the field.
M dub: ah was gonna You could last a day or two as long as it's a walk -through day.
Tristan Amundson: Walkthrough.
M dub: which I don't think really exists. These guys are slamming into each other all day, every day for six weeks. And then the actual competition starts.
Tristan Amundson: What?
M dub: It's pretty amazing what they do year in and out on these football fields.
Tristan Amundson: Walking edges, coach. um ah i can I can do a walkthrough and I'll just, I can walk at an edge pretty well. I can walk an edge as good as. as good as anybody. But yeah, the chasing, I guess it's the pace of the edge is what we just learned is probably what differentiates um elite athletes from.
Tristan Amundson: from you know normal joes like me but miles it's nice to hear your voice man nice to nice to be back on the airwaves as we uh um just get set up for this season love loved last uh episode by the way that was really good
M dub: oh Thank you. great Great to be back with you, though. It feels now this plane is being flown as it should be by two pilots.
Tristan Amundson: Here we go, man. I mean... We're back in the saddle and and really. what an interesting feeling it it feels as though i i don't know how it's felt for you but I can't believe it's already.
Tristan Amundson: football season. I mean, I can't believe we're already here. It just it feel it feels like the offseason flew by. um you know we go through training camp obviously um You go through. free agency and and and the draft and all these different things and it's like you blink and here we are we're one game in into the preseason and there's tape that we can talk about if we want there's obviously this gift of hard knocks is incredible like
Tristan Amundson: i don't know has it just like flown by for you it's flown by for me
M dub: It did kind of fly by because this offseason, more than the others, there was some pretty major stuff happening in May, June, early July, which... tends to be a pretty slow part that really crawls across but There was some major stuff happening with the ownership, the Miles Garrett incoming move.
M dub: um Yeah, did you have any thoughts about those those major moments shaping up both the... the Super Bowl chase, and the future of the Seahawks franchise.
Tristan Amundson: Well, you know i just read an article this morning by michael bumpus that i thought was interesting He's talking about his concern with the cornerback room. um And if I'm being honest, I haven't really thought about it that way. I've kind of just been like, all right, you know.
Tristan Amundson: we We were great last year. We'll be great this year and and kind of had a. maybe a simplistic look. ah and and thought on how our cornerback room is is shaping up. But it it is like the the point of.
Tristan Amundson: of what he was saying was basically like There's a reason why. Tyrion Arnold. is being looked at. There's a reason why. Trayvon Diggs is now a Seahawk.
Tristan Amundson: um And it's not because the cornerback room is totally healthy and ready to go. um So that's that's an interesting. I'll say like up until ah legitimately up until like. 10 15 minutes ago i had no worries about the seahawks and then i read that article and i was like That's a good point. Like, you know, obviously we got Spoon. So, you know, we got we got the top end talent in the room and we love Josh Jobe. So, OK, check, check.
Tristan Amundson: um But I guess it does get a little thin after those two guys.
M dub: Yeah, it sounds like Julian Neal, the third round draft pick, who I had a lot of trust in, I suppose, based on the great vibes alone that he had. during that week he was drafted really bringing in uh an a -plus level of enthusiasm even for draft picks he really felt like the right Felt like a Seahawk. ah It sounds like he's been dealing with a lot of health issues throughout training camp, hasn't been healthy the entire time. and so
M dub: That's not a guarantee, and that's probably what has instigated John Schneider taking a look around the league. and the very few number of players who are still available. I still feel... i do still I'm not that concerned, I guess. We had...
M dub: um You know, is she... question marks that came up last season and those questions were totally answered with the Seahawks ability to just replenish from within. You would not have anticipated at this time last year that.
M dub: Drake Thomas and Tai Okada would. essentially be starters for most of the regular season and they would have done an amazing job doing it they Just didn't have the resumes at this point last year to.
M dub: feel trustworthy in them so with With all those stories we had last year of guys coming up from the... The practice squad, the ready squad, and... Just a really strong development. I'm not too concerned about it. I think there's always going to be...
M dub: One position. This is one position across the entire football team that we're feeling some question marks about. It's never going to be 100%. I don't feel too concerned about it. I do feel concerned about, and we can get to this maybe later with Hard Knocks. I do feel concerned about just culturally.
M dub: What, Terryon Arnold? may mean to the team. and It's really a roll of the dice, and there's not too many rolls of the dice up and down this roster, so I do feel concerned about that.
M dub: <unk>m Not a big fan of the team's involvement. in this active legal issue, but... as far as when it comes to actually on the football field i'm not too concerned about it
Tristan Amundson: interesting Yeah, I mean... There is a lot of training. Well, I guess not training camp at this point, but. to your point, maybe a lot of preseason to go, a lot of um putting some of this stuff together. So um you've calmed me down a little bit. Michael Bumpus got me all.
Tristan Amundson: all worried there for a second, but but you've calmed me down. um Yeah, man, it's it's ah it's an interesting it's it's been fun like. yeah Can we talk hard knocks here a little bit?
Tristan Amundson: Do you mind if we do?
M dub: i I can't wait for it. Let's let's get into it.
Tristan Amundson: God. So of the three episodes. I think my favorite moment. If I was, it I mean, so. I think first of all, I think, and we all do this, like we have to take hard knocks with.
Tristan Amundson: you know maybe more than a grain of salt maybe like a tablespoon of salt because It's reality television. We're we're being shown what we want what they want to show us, right? I'm sure the Seahawks have final say. I'm sure there's conversations that happen. so you know, caveat on top of caveat But I think a real moment.
Tristan Amundson: And because I just don't know how this could be faked in any other way. was I think it was the first episode where it's just the interaction.
Tristan Amundson: of Derek Hall. And. Uh, and d law and big cat. And it's those three guys just. interacting together. And then with this is what I love about it, man. They start.
Tristan Amundson: talking about how like D Hall's like a little brother and they start making fun of him. They're like, hey, you know, he didn't have big brothers. So now we're we're playing that role. And. um I thought it was so cool. Like Big Cat grabs him. And I don't know if you can picture any in your mind, but he like has his arm around. around um around his neck and he's just kind of giving him a hard time and he remains in that posture for a while with the arm around the neck And Derek Hall's good with it. Like he's.
Tristan Amundson: He's not like... You know, like I was trying to put myself in in in his position, like if one of my peers, one of my good friends like. did that and was kind of being demonstrative a little bit with me like Even like some of my best friends, and I'm not an aggressive guy, like I would probably be like, man, like get your arm off me.
Tristan Amundson: And. I guess my takeaway was like, there, there seems to be like truly. Like I think the only person that can get away with doing that. is someone who obviously you respect a lot but and and you love a lot, but you also kind of consider. that big brother kind of role.
Tristan Amundson: And. i don't know man like i i maybe i'm over reading it a little bit but like the body language I was instantly. Like at ease with.
Tristan Amundson: a couple of things like to me that shows that there is kind of a hierarchy within that defensive lineman room. And that D Hall kind of knows like, yeah, these guys are legitimately like I'm learning from them. These are my big brothers.
Tristan Amundson: Um, And they and like this is the pecking order. And I'm good with it. Like pride isn't an issue. Like I'm not, I'm not worried about someone kind of hanging all over me. It's just.
Tristan Amundson: it's all love and and also like yeah I think D Hall can be a little bit, and we saw that in the episode, like a little bit of wild card. And it's good to have.
Tristan Amundson: Big brothers around a wild card to be able to say like stop when when that's the appropriate thing to do. And I don't know, I was just kind of taken by. the dynamic of those three specifically and and i don't know like how I think probably how unique that is. And if you're John Schneider and you're putting all these personalities together, you don't really know how it's going to work out. Like you can be like, oh, yeah, all three of these are are good dudes.
Tristan Amundson: But you don't really know how that's going to come out in the wash. and And I don't know, that was a moment specifically. that I think just kind of spoke to. The depth. of personalities and leadership on the team.
Tristan Amundson: And. and how they interact together so that was i don't know that's my first like Had to get it off my chest. I absolutely loved that moment.
M dub: That is an outstanding read of Hard Knocks. What's funny is that scene really stood out to me too, although for completely different reasons. I really love what you've read into it. I do remember that scene.
M dub: And I remember thinking just throughout this whole experience, we just see Leonard Williams being really happy to be a football player I think this is a guy who enjoys the entire process
Tristan Amundson: Yeah.
M dub: Williams and D -Law have been around for... a very long time and you see these guys part of that you see these guys are super actively engaged with everything that's going on.
M dub: In the dog days of July. these days of training camp are not made for these guys they're made for the young guys but You you see, when whenever you cut to to Williams or D -Law.
M dub: There's a lot of enthusiasm, and they just really appreciate whatever's going on. I think it's it's really cool to see those guys just... I can tell they really enjoy their football careers is what I got from that scene.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, no, 100%. Yeah, to your point, just the the joy. The uniqueness of Big Cat, the the uniqueness of Leo Williams to. I don't know, the the the way that he seems to approach life.
Tristan Amundson: He just seems like a very atypical defensive lineman. and ah And ah man, I even loved kind of his. his takeaway of like Living in and around New York and what that did for his like.
Tristan Amundson: his uh his mental health and the way he was perceiving the world versus Seattle offering him kind of a um a slower pace than kind of the solitude and stuff like that he was looking for.
Tristan Amundson: um Even that is kind of fascinating. Like it it does make you. I don't know. i mean we We've known this in sports forever, but. Like. The right city, the right fit, the right team.
Tristan Amundson: like all of those things make such a massive difference for these guys and i mean i guess sam darnold right would be in the exact same boat like the fit is so important and that's i don't know that I do think there's a few things you can take away from Hard Knocks that are sincere and interesting. And I think that's that's probably. Like, I don't know.
Tristan Amundson: He stands out. I mean, he's he's an absolute star and and really stands out. The other thing that stands out is what we talked about all last year, which is how in the world did the Rams let Cooper Cup go?
Tristan Amundson: what What were they thinking?
M dub: it's It's really crazy. you really You see this guy everywhere. I noticed that um In the last episode, we have a scene where Jason Garrett... is talking to everybody and they don't really announce why he's there what he's doing there
Tristan Amundson: Thank you. It's just random, yeah.
M dub: Or why, i and a similar moment happened in episode two. But I thought everybody in that quarterback room was being very generous about listening to this guy and giving him the time. Because this is ah an unchanged room.
M dub: from the team that won the Super Bowl last year. And Jason Garrett had a lot of years as the Cowboys head coach. And he did not get close to that. So the fact that everybody really took the time to listen to what he was saying, I did think it was at first I was like, what's Jason Garrett doing here? I did think he had good advice, but I was still like.
M dub: I... The team does not need to listen to Jason Garrett. What's he doing out here? he did I was wondering, did he fly out to Seattle for hard knocks? But all to say... one of the folks in that quarterback room just.
M dub: Very casually. They don't even. They don't even mention it in the show, but Cooper Cup is still in that quarterback room.
Tristan Amundson: So weird.
M dub: as he does, just making things happen, just an agent. he I wonder what his schedule is like because he's he's just all around the facility. You'll see him in the background of all sorts of shots.
Tristan Amundson: It is. Yeah, it is funny to see him just sitting there in his his torn up T -shirt just. just with the quarterbacks, like just, just shooting the breeze. He, um man, he is so unique in like his, his communication style. And and it just kind of seems like the way.
Tristan Amundson: That. that like his openness, I was really taken aback. by um an interview I heard but from JSN. He joined... um Uh... the the brock and salk show last week i think it was and or maybe it was earlier this week But.
Tristan Amundson: it was such an interesting kind of take they talked a lot on the show about his relationship. with Cooper Copp. and And really like... It's interesting to me that Jackson is so willing again, this man speaks to the layering of leadership. and the kinds of personalities they have on this team.
Tristan Amundson: Jackson Smith Njigba is the Offensive Player of the Year. He. had Absolutely one of the greatest seasons of all time last year. He was on fire. He's undisputed our number one wide receiver.
Tristan Amundson: And like the the deference he shows Cooper Cup and like, oh, yeah, like Cooper Cup is the guy like he. like i'm learning from him every day and he like he helps all of us and it's like it's incredible I mean, the only way I can describe it is like the lack of ego that you see like throughout this organization, um at least on the outside. But the way they talk about it, it has to be sincere because like.
Tristan Amundson: It would be too easy for Jackson to be like. Yeah, Cooper is awesome, man, but I'm also like the offensive player of the year. Like he doesn't. He doesn't seem to feel the need to. remind us of the credentials. He's just willing to talk about how important Cooper is to like his own development and the rest of the team's development.
Tristan Amundson: um I don't know. I think it's a fascinating. It's a fascinating thing to have Coop like right in the middle of this group.
M dub: ah In episode three, they really get into JSN's play style. And I thought did some. and I've noticed episode two, episode three, episode two, they get into the Sam Darnold spin rate.
M dub: which I thought was an absolutely fascinating segment. I loved it. Episode three, they also dive into... Pretty deep into football analysis with JSN and the segment about the route trees.
M dub: I really appreciated that segment. I thought it was really cool. and What stood out to me the most from the episode is what Julian loved. said about jsn i i wrote down the exact quote because i was stunned by it i was like okay julian might have a future here on the microphone after the game He said some more stuff, but he said about JSN.
M dub: His style is very unassuming if you're watching from the sidelines. He has no indicators. And I thought that was just so cool because the whole point of the segment was showing that.
M dub: JSN. There is. It's almost like a pitcher in baseball where you... you The pitchers want the exact same, you know, the arm to look exactly the same no matter what pitch is coming.
M dub: And it's the same thing with JSN. He can break in every direction and there's just no anticipation. about what he's going to do. And I think that's why he has kind of... avoid it being.
M dub: one of the NFL's most famous players. Despite being one of the best players, it's because there's not really a lot of highlights. It's because he has this. Unassuming style. and he just gets open, and it's a 15 - to 20 -yard gain that's not really like a...
M dub: ah See, he's done all the work by the time the... the camera scoots over to him off the line of scrimmage, I guess. So you're not really seeing like a Randy Moss type of like. athletic thing but i just thought it was really cool that everybody in the building really understood the very high level and and very easy to miss stuff that JSN does when he plays wide receiver.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, I mean... I love. Julian specifically mentioned how he's able to keep his. I guess like kind of like the the height of his. um
M dub: yeah
Tristan Amundson: Of his route, like that, like kind of the I don't know, I guess it's kind of has to do with his knee bend and that it just it's consistent the entire time. It never changes. So like he stays the same height as he's doing all these different routes.
Tristan Amundson: And. Yeah, I mean. It is. What's interesting about JSN is since he's... He's absolutely not the fastest wide receiver out there. But the smoothness of his transitions from like one part of the route to the next part, you know, when he does those breaking parts of the route. So he gets to the top of the tree and then, you know. the branch actually comes out.
Tristan Amundson: It's. it Yeah, I mean, the the smoothness of it is so unique and so disruptive. But it also, because it's so unique and disruptive and in that way, because of its smoothness, to your point, it doesn't stand out the same way that like.
Tristan Amundson: Um, I'm trying to think of like a different wide receiver, like CD lamb. His like movement is disruptive and explosive, so it really like jumps off the screen when you're watching it.
Tristan Amundson: or like i'm just thinking of like terrell owens like demonstrative size and I'm making these crazy catches. And, you know, you got Odell Beckham Jr. I guess Odell maybe in some ways is kind of similar to him. But then Odell kind of became known for his crazy spectacular catches.
Tristan Amundson: And. And yeah, Jackson is just. It's an understated like poetry watching him move like the way his body moves out there it's yeah it's a it's a pretty cool thing to watch man we are we are doggone lucky to have that guy locked up as a Seahawk.
M dub: Speaking of, I mentioned Jason Garrett. Just me kind of reading between the lines. If I could step back into episode two. We saw some members from the San Antonio Spurs come with the Seattle connections. Really, the Seattle basketball connections are so strong, even without the team. so Mitch Johnson, head coach of the Spurs, Seattle guy.
M dub: He also brings along Brian Wright, the general manager. And I thought this was another case. And they're in Mike McDonald's office. I thought this was another case. of The Seahawks having a visitor and just showing them so much generosity.
M dub: I'm curious what else happened in their actual conversation. what what HBO cuts up for us. is everybody talking about the plan to draft Victor Wimbonyama. And you could kind of feel how proud the Spurs guys were about it.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, it's cool.
M dub: And I was sitting there going. Okay. Both of these teams just made their their championship round in earlier in 2026. The Seahawks completely dominated, mentally strong, and didn't really make it a contest. They they ran away with it.
M dub: The Spurs, meanwhile, absolutely had the talent to win the NBA Finals. I don't know if you watched her or not, but they absolutely had the talent. And they lost it in the fourth quarter of all these games due to lack of mental toughness. Straight up. they Had the talent to win the finals.
M dub: I just thought it was so bizarre. That. The Spurs guys weren't. Just... asking Mike McDonald for everything. I'm not sure why this wasn't.
M dub: 100 fact finding you don't need to tell him about the history of the spurs you need to learn from this guy if you're gonna make the trip i just thought it was a very bizarre moment and and i think it shows how nice these seahawks guys are that we have back -to -back episodes of them Very patiently listening to people who...
M dub: do not have as impressive a resume as the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks do. and It's just a funny moment to me.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, that is interesting. It was fun hearing about. Like ah when they were scouting him and like realizing like. And like this, like I wasn't, did they say it was the owner that was like in a gym and he's like, this is the best player I've ever seen in my life. Like we're, we're going to start taking, it's funny to hear them actually say like, yeah, at that point we decided to start taking the season so that we could be in position. to draft this guy and basically like.
Tristan Amundson: I mean. They they had a plan to draft him like two or three years before he was draft eligible, which is just it's wild to think like the. Um, I don't know, the conviction that it takes as an organization to be like, yeah, we're we're going to put everything in place because like everything is about getting this one guy um because we we believe in him that much.
Tristan Amundson: Um, Yeah, he seems like I really am impressed with Victor. Like I he's a guy I i would. I enjoyed the and NBA playoffs mostly because I loved. I don't know if we talked about this. I love the way he...
Tristan Amundson: approached the press conferences, like the the ownership he took. talking through their mistakes and like what they're doing wrong and stuff like that like He kind of did like the anti Kevin Durant, like.
Tristan Amundson: um To me, Kevin Durant is like very unimpressive during a press conference. like hanging his head you know i feel like he's one of those guys that will consistently have like the hoodie on not making eye contact like kind of that vibe and i feel like victor was the opposite or is the opposite like standing up, like sitting up straight.
Tristan Amundson: taking questions. being thoughtful and having like good thoughtful answers like interesting i mean I know this is not the the Spurs -only podcast, but I was super impressed just by Victor in general. during those that playoff run so i really did enjoy kind of hearing the background of how they got him. I thought that was pretty cool.
M dub: Look, there's there's a lot to like about Victor Weminyama, but I mean... He's he's not the champion, and the Seahawks are. at At this point in time, at this point in time, and this could sound, I mean, it could all change in five years for sure, but at this point in time.
M dub: I don't know. i It just really rubbed me the wrong way. and just but Hey, we got to remember who the actual champion is here. and you don't The potential doesn't matter. At a certain point. You are the champion or you aren't, and the Seahawks are the champions of their league.
Tristan Amundson: Are you concerned at all that... the director of Hard Knocks might not know the difference between an eagle and a hawk? Is that something that... you've been kind of toying with and and trying to understand.
Tristan Amundson: That concerns me, Miles.
M dub: that's That's a fair concern. i was as I would have loved to audition. to pull the blinds for a very long montage about pulling the blinds.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah.
M dub: is That's what I was thinking about. every Every so often you can see them just like... We... We're... We're getting to 50 minutes no matter what it takes. Oh. But um I haven't been as concerned about that just because they're showing off so many great lakeside shots of the facility.
Tristan Amundson: That's how.
M dub: but It's a great point. It sounds like it's high on your list of concerns.
Tristan Amundson: Um, i also was like just taken aback by the blind scene there was a moment where i was like what what are we doing what am i watching it was a good like payoff like they i feel like it redeemed when you're like oh okay that's why i watch these people do all these blinds um but to me to your point the moment that i was like man we're kind of filling time was ah it was around the blind scene actually the slow motion
Tristan Amundson: um sprinkler scene where we saw the sprinkler erupt i was like listen slow motion shots are cool don't get me wrong and slow motion water we all know is cool um it's not quite as cool now to us because all of we can just get on our like pull out our iphones and do ultra slow motion i could go to my front yard and get that same shot so It's like the um the... The watering of the lawn shot, I felt like... to me, that was the moment when I realized.
Tristan Amundson: yeah we're ah This just maybe wasn't a super exciting week for hard knocks. And they were like, all right, um how many. How many sprinkler shots do we got? And can we super slow -mo those? But people love super slow -mo, right?
M dub: Yeah, by the way, HBO, I mean, we're not beholden to, like, you know, the TV time slots here. ah You could give us a tight 35 every week, and it would it would be probably better than than the 50 we're getting.
Tristan Amundson: It's yeah, it is Yeah. but yeah HBO giveth and and they taketh away, I guess. but Um, Yeah, all in all, though, man, this has been so fun to watch. i'm I... just like pete carroll for years like i was very much against us ever having hard knocks because
Tristan Amundson: you know, distraction and all that kind of stuff. But I got to say, just as a fan, it is unbelievably fun to to be able to have like this content right now and and be able to dig into this team a little bit, especially after winning the Super Bowl. um And I mean.
Tristan Amundson: just falling in love with Mike McDonald more and more every time you hear him, every time you kind of get the sense of how this guy works and operates. And we've said it 20 different times on this podcast. We're so lucky to have Mike. And it's like so impressive to watch just to watch like the culture that he's building.
Tristan Amundson: And and even. Dude, I don't know if you noticed this. I'm sure you did like when he was doing one of the um one of the team meetings, he talked about like. like his play calling at the beginning of last year.
Tristan Amundson: And like literally like his growth as a play caller last year. And like starting the year. playing like trying not to lose games and then realizing no like we need to We need to play to win the game instead of not trying to lose it. and Like. I don't know. ah get like it's it's a consistent theme with this team is like egoless and being like, not.
Tristan Amundson: Not feeling beholden to your own pride. And having to. project a certain image and just kind of that openness. And. Mike McDonald again, like.
Tristan Amundson: Best defensive coordinator and you know currently best head coach in the world telling us that last year during his most successful season. Like. he was doing something very wrong in the beginning of the year. And he's just willing to talk about it. like it's it's i mean honestly man like what a cool life lesson for all of us
M dub: It is cool. And I do think more than anything, maybe the innovation that Mike McDonald is bringing to football. I'm i'm very curious how many coaches ever in football history acted like this. but He is so willing to self examine. himself and improve himself. In front of the team. These are things he's talking about in front of a room of...
M dub: maybe 150 people all put together with you know the training camp roster and the coaching staff. He's really putting himself out there. and and showing that he's a work in progress and and showing his how he's evolving as a person on a...
M dub: a month to month basis. There can't be that many head coaches in NFL history who have been. Who have led by opening themselves up like that. Pete Carroll might have been one of the only other ones, maybe ever, who who was also willing to do that same thing.
M dub: I think it's a true innovation, to be honest, that I do. It does make me think that, yeah, I think I was talking about this last time, but. The Seahawks feel very post analytics. They're their team with the massive analytics staff, but, but they're.
M dub: They're really focusing on. on the the personal nature of of all being together on a football team.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, no, i post analytics is a really interesting. That's a very interesting. Term. i've never heard it before but i think That's really interesting because we like we've talked about in the past teams that you would call in this context, like pre analytics, like they're behind.
Tristan Amundson: And the idea that. okay like we've we understand the analytics we've taken that as far as we can like we know what what tools we have with the new data. But now like we need to.
Tristan Amundson: not be beholden to that and understand that we're actually working with with real people. Post analytics, that's a really interesting. kind of thesis, man. like that's that That'd be a fun thing to dig into more.
M dub: i really I really believe it with this team. It's pretty interesting because i do it feels appropriate to me because the analytics are important, but I think when you get too locked in, you you start letting Cooper Cup and Ernest Jones go.
M dub: you know Maybe you could be part of it.
Tristan Amundson: Wow. Yeah, no, list that's, again, like an insane insight. um That's a... Amen. That might be an episode right there, man. That actually. feels more like an article you should write. Like that's a crazy.
Tristan Amundson: Um, juxtaposition that you just did and it makes ah It makes a ton of sense, right? I mean, we can see. We can see it in both of those examples, guys, that, yeah, statistically maybe weren't exactly where you would want the prototypical. linebacker or wide receiver to be and like age and you know,
Tristan Amundson: et cetera, et cetera. And yet... Like, what intangibles are those guys bringing? along with like still having the juice to play at a high level but like maybe just playing a slightly different role um Yeah, that's that's fascinating. That's a really fascinating comparison, like looking at maybe how and and obviously both teams are great, right? I mean, the Rams are an unbelievable team. So it's it's not even necessarily like throwing shade at the Rams like.
Tristan Amundson: They're a great team. But. they do seem maybe to be a little bit more beholden to the analytics. um versus I don't know, having having kind of the flexibility that we're seeing with the Hawks. that's That's fascinating.
M dub: Tristan, can I bring up one more scene from Hard Knocks because it ties into some of the biggest news from the Seahawks this week. We saw... A man come to work.
M dub: One morning to the next, as if nothing had changed. but a lot had changed because it seemed like in the evening the previous night the man signed A four -year contract worth $132 million. Devin Witherspoon.
M dub: we We saw the tension, the anxiety a few weeks ago. It's all gone. You can see him happy. I was really stunned and ah loved how you saw how happy everybody else was for him. They were almost happier.
M dub: that he was But you can see, so this is a massive contract. A lot of guaranteed money. But you could see that it was just cause for celebration all around. On Devin's behalf.
M dub: the team's behalf. And even between Mike. And John. It's a long -term deal. but Let's not forget that. So this is year four of Devin's career.
M dub: And earlier this spring, the the team did exercise his fifth year option as a former first round draft pick. And that's still in place. That's not changing for 2027. This extension is starting. Starting. in the year 2028.
M dub: Devin Witherspoon is going to be a Seahawk for a long time. and this This was just a great moment, and I was really in awe of Witherspoon and how... it He did not let this change his training camp.
M dub: Again, he's a player where this training camp is not necessarily for him. But you could see he was a full participant in everything despite this uncertainty. And just really happy for the guy that it really all paid off.
Tristan Amundson: I love. I love his um something he said. i guess it was like week one or ah episode one of hard knocks where he basically said like We like.
Tristan Amundson: the The football season is going to start. Like and like no matter what happens, the football season is going to start and we're going to be playing football and I'm going to be playing football. And. Like if I'm not at training camp right now.
Tristan Amundson: Everyone else is getting better. while I would just be sitting around. He's like, so. Like. I'm here to play football and I don't want everyone to get better than me. So I'm i'm just going to keep working.
Tristan Amundson: like to me that was such an incredible um position for him to take and like obviously it's very unique we i'm i'm really good with the the sit -ins or the hold -ins right i think it's actually a really nice way to do it that the players have figured out like hey i'll be here I can be in the meeting rooms. I can be a part of the team.
Tristan Amundson: but I'm just not going to put my body on the line. I i have no problem with players doing that whatsoever. um It really does speak to you and it shows. it's the way that spoon plays right like he plays with kind of that same mentality and ferocity and yeah i'm just gonna like i'm here to play but i i love that thought You know, man, I'm glad you bring up spoon because I was thinking about.
Tristan Amundson: How unassuming, I mean, talk about unassuming players, right? Like Spoon. it has all the energy and all the juice that you want in a cornerback or or in you know a really great football player.
Tristan Amundson: But also kind of similar to JSN, right? like Spoon's highlight reel isn't. full of interceptions right like it's kind of weird to think about This is one of the best cornerbacks in the league, but he's not necessarily doing it.
Tristan Amundson: in that traditional like oh man best quarterback in the league with eight interceptions a year um And yet. I was thinking about like when we. his rookie year and our conversations weekly. And I was just kind of going back in my mind of all of those different games.
Tristan Amundson: And how basically every game. We just over and over it. We're like. Well, this this Witherspoon guy just jumps off the page like it's just like we have to talk about him. And it was just in like week after week of.
Tristan Amundson: Like. He just is playing like at a different. level or like a different speed or to to steal from john schneider he tilts the field and It was kind of fun to just reminisce about how good he is. and and how unique he is good because again we're used to A good quarterback equals. lots of interceptions.
Tristan Amundson: and that's not necessarily his game and yet it's obvious like how good he is and and how unique of a talent he is so um I don't know. I just I wanted to share that because I was just reminiscing.
Tristan Amundson: kind of spoon over the years and um yeah I mean, it was so obvious, right? Like the first game that he played that like he's different than everybody else. and excited to to have him locked up and and excited that like he was willing to do it the way the Seahawks want to do it with these extensions. right like jsn and spoon signing extensions as you school us in is is a massive value add to the team as far as how they want to structure these contracts so
Tristan Amundson: Really win -win. Everybody's happy.
M dub: It was a great moment. And and again, i was I was just shocked. to see you know It would be easy to be jealous about this or to not care, but... as his teammates, but you could see everybody was just.
M dub: Again, at least as excited as he was about it. That that was just so cool. That was another moment that felt very honest.
Tristan Amundson: Listen.
M dub: you you that was That was not, you know, a you know. but you You can't fake that as ah as a TV show.
Tristan Amundson: I did wonder. When when he's talking to Schneider and Schneider is like, what are you going to buy us? I just wonder if like there's a Seahawks lawyer that just cringed in that moment. Like, John, you can't. You can't say that. That that feels like collusion. I just wonder if there is some poor Seahawks lawyer that had like his stress pills or whatever, um you know, a Tums or something. where He's like, oh, man, my ulcer.
Tristan Amundson: Um, look Listen, Miles, we all want. Uso to make the team. We do. well we this is what hard knocks does hey here's the guy to fall in love with We got... Now everyone wants to, do so.
Tristan Amundson: i wish he showed us something that like made you think like oh man this guy's really really good um because we all want a hawaiian from molokai on the team it would be unbelievable His mom seems really nice.
Tristan Amundson: Like. The Aloha vibe is real. um the aloha spirit is ah i is something i very much believe in and it's obvious like how incredible the Hawaiian people are.
Tristan Amundson: Um, And so like, that would be nothing but goodness on the team. I i' sincerely, I'm not joking around. I sincerely believe that. But man, it looks like he has an uphill battle, man. I don't know what you think, but I... I'm worried for Russo.
M dub: I totally agree with you. you know there's if you I wonder if you put a stopwatch timer, if we even were were're with Uso for five minutes of this episode. But in that short amount of time, you're absolutely in love with this guy and his family. and There's a thing about the NFL. I mean, there's there's more people. There's more than 53 people.
M dub: who want to be on each and every nfl team and uh you know if you were to add uso that would that would mean cutting somebody else who might have a story that we're also not familiar with that would have been Just as great. I mean, it's a tough situation all around. And that's why John makes a lot of money. It's a hard job to.
M dub: You got to make these calls and not let your heart get into it. um hopefully maybe a spot on the practice squad and we know with the Seahawks that's that's a place of real development that that's not a demotion but Yeah, at this point.
M dub: A lot of the names are established. It's hard to make the math work in Uso's favor, but... I mean... talk Talk about something I'll be looking for the next couple of preseason games. Just absolutely rooting for that guy and hopefully some more. production happens on the inside of the defensive line for him.
Tristan Amundson: And he was a... an undrafted free agent is that correct i i know he i know we didn't draft him right
M dub: Yes, it is. Yeah. Yep, yep, came out of Kansas State.
Tristan Amundson: um Yeah, so that's it's it's going to be tough. i'm just I'm looking at our list right now of of the draft picks. um You know a guy that I thought we would... Hopefully we see him in episode four a little bit.
Tristan Amundson: because everyone talks about how he's so similar to spoon and has a lot of energy ah why haven't we seen bud clark at all on hard knocks like let's get a little bud clark in our lives miles i feel like he from everything we've heard he seems like a really cool guy um and And like an interesting pick for the Seahawks, right? I mean, like.
Tristan Amundson: playing that role. I mean, the 64th pick in the draft second rounder like that's some prime real estate Everyone was very excited about him. Um,
Tristan Amundson: I... like coming out of the draft and so yeah that's a that's a name i'm just a little surprised three episodes in we haven't Tell me if I'm wrong, but I feel like we haven't seen anything from Bud Clark yet.
M dub: Not on the show. And and you know, what the thing about the Seahawks is there's literally like 20 guys you you could get into that. There's just not the time for it. We got to see those sprinklers. We got to see those blinds open.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah.
M dub: I'm just saying, Chen and Nwosu, you know, is is a pretty interesting guy. he's He's one of the more interesting guys in the NFL, I think. he really I was looking at his Instagram just to check, and sure enough, he's traveling all around the world in the offseason. He's got a lot of interesting stuff going on. but Feels unlikely that we were going to.
M dub: Well, I don't think we've seen him in the background of anything yet, you know?
Tristan Amundson: yeah it's Yeah, that is interesting. Yeah, I guess, I mean, I do. it is a tough job i guess because there is probably a lot of fun personalities um ah to ah to dig into. Do you have... Do do we know what's wrong with with Julian Neal? Do we know like what kind of an injury is nagging for him? Because that is another interesting...
Tristan Amundson: Like. Pretty important pick for us, like third rounder, 99th pick in the draft. filling that cornerback spot and hopefully helping to Backfill Reek. do you like i i tried to do some research i don't see Like what?
Tristan Amundson: that It's been undisclosed. Is is that correct?
M dub: I think that's correct, which is... is pretty unusual.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, I wonder what's going on there.
M dub: Maybe a leg injury.
Tristan Amundson: i mean that's a Yeah, it's an important and important pick for us. um bo stevens is another guy that i'd be kind of interested like i feel like i haven't I think I've seen him in a couple of shots maybe. um But I don't know if...
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, it'd be interesting to know kind of exactly how how he's doing. um do Do we even need to talk about? the game i don't feel like we need to talk about the game that much like It's, yeah I don't know, preseason game. I don't know how much.
Tristan Amundson: If any takeaways there really is for, for a game like that.
M dub: I think we should mention it because... um Well, I watched it. so Yeah, yeah.
Tristan Amundson: Okay, good.
M dub: The Seahawks lose to the Cowboys 17 -7. ah let's Let's say this. First drive worked beautifully. It's our first time seeing Brian Fleury call plays and...
M dub: i thought it really well we have a lot of just runs falling forward and and taking a lot of plays and and energy out of the Cowboys' defense. I thought George Helani did a really great job.
M dub: just getting one positive run after another nothing that broke loose but I think that's good football, and that's football that we like to see. And that was really just about it.
M dub: as far as the positives went, outside of special teams. I do think, I do think you see The difference with this is special teams unit that has mostly been together for four years.
Tristan Amundson: Yep.
M dub: And a lot of teams, it's guys who are coming together in the last few weeks. And you saw the Seahawks special teams take a lot of big bites out of the Cowboys. but Big thing for me. there were There were very few players who we would expect to get regular time who were in uniform for this game.
M dub: Bo Stevens was one of them. I thought it was a pretty up and down game for him. Bud Clark also did play a lot. He never really got a chance to feel his impact in the game. My main takeaway is.
M dub: Yeah. the The ones and twos. They make their money because they make their own energy. And even from the bench, they did a great job. I think it's pretty unusual in the NFL in a positive way.
M dub: Just how much these guys react when the guys on the field make a great play. Even special teams, special teams tackles. When Brady Russell made that tackle. The whole sideline is flooding out. I think it's great. but When it comes to on the field.
M dub: All our starters, all the guys making big money. They're making their own energy. That that doesn't... that you can You saw from this game. It doesn't just happen automatically.
M dub: um Even with a really great crowd in Lumen Field. it it just It doesn't just happen on its own. the These players who were in this game, I felt. really lost energy and lost confidence in themselves as the game went on, which is unfortunate. And I just saw such a big contrast to win.
M dub: Our starters are on the field. That just doesn't happen. They make their own energy. make their own confidence. and make stuff happen. When you're on the field, it's time to make stuff happen.
M dub: And our starters do that. And you saw. deep in the roster, that that's a skill. That's a skill just as much as any. individual technique or Pass rush move or something like that. and you You really saw the contrast in this game. It was what I took away from it.
Tristan Amundson: That's a really good takeaway, man. That's ah that's ah a solid takeaway from a preseason game where you have to kind of... find that. And I did love, you know, and in Hard Knocks, they showed um you know during halftime you know mike was encouraging the starters basically telling them hey yeah you're doing a great job of being cheerleaders here like Let's keep the energy up for these guys. Like, let's all, you know, we're trying to win this game together.
Tristan Amundson: um ah What one? one note from, I guess, from hard knocks from the game. I did love that, that moment where. Like Mike just looks over. He's like.
Tristan Amundson: wait she's going into labor right now and he's like the kind of like working through the problem a little bit with brady russell of like Well, you like do you need one of us to drive you like what's like where are you where are you at um i i just and kind of just the calmness of of Brady like, all right, got to get my socks on, got to like.
Tristan Amundson: of I've been in that moment when my child my first board was was coming and like. the the the the amount of things going through his brain and the fact that like he played a half of football. And then it's like, oh, okay, now um' I'm not playing the second half because my wife is about to have a baby. um pretty that was a that was a fun moment like that was some gold
M dub: It absolutely was. And I think you were also coming off of a ah preseason game when you're when your first was born. Is that is that right?
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, I was again, but I was walking edges, which is why my my career didn't last very long.
M dub: Yeah
Tristan Amundson: um but a apparently Yeah. Yeah. But. um you know got got got to the hospital in time or in and in brady's case going to going home to pick up my wife to take her to the hospital which um yeah hopefully hopefully they didn't live too far away Um, and excited. Hopefully we see a ah ah newborn um at some point on Hard Knocks, if if that's appropriate. That'd be kind of fun.
M dub: That would be fun.
Tristan Amundson: um I.
M dub: Last thing about the preseason game is I...
Tristan Amundson: Yeah.
M dub: Big ups to Mike Robinson, Mike Bennett, and Cliff Averill, keeping the spirit of the 2013 team alive.
Tristan Amundson: Yep.
M dub: These guys come to this preseason game ready to go. They're prepared. They care about the details. I think Kate Scott is a great addition to the team. She normally does 76ers basketball. I think she gets a lot of heat over in Philadelphia, and I think she loves to come out to Seattle.
M dub: And just kind of have a great time with these guys. as As you know, the... the preseason this kind of gently rolls on on the field it's a really cool situation to see and it and it makes the seahawks feel like a family to be honest even though we only give this broadcast team just once or twice a year.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, no, totally. and Like it was kind of funny, like so even seeing Sherm, like talking to Mike, um to your point, kind of that family atmosphere of. of um of mike being so welcoming of of the legion of boom and like and loving you know that.
Tristan Amundson: that era of Seahawks football. But I totally agree with you, man. having having mike rob having cliff having michael with with kate like
Tristan Amundson: I your notes are perfect. It's best case scenario. Like it's just it's great to to have their insights. They're all really smart, thoughtful guys. um And Kate does an incredible job of quarterbacking the three of those guys and like kind of corralling them, I think. So, yeah, totally agree. Like that's a it's a fun broadcast. When I heard their voices and specifically when I heard Kate, I was like.
Tristan Amundson: Okay. Yep. Like I know what time of year it is. Like it. it It's. Her voice is becoming synonymous for me of the beginning of the Seahawks football season, um which is it's always fun, I guess, when you have like those mental connections. So, yeah, I totally agree. That was it was great.
M dub: Yeah, I feel the same way. It means the real games are coming. and yeah it's a good it's a good It's part of the annual calendar, actually, for me, it feels like.
Tristan Amundson: yeah yeah and she's she's good i mean she really does have a good cadence for the game and and again imagine being in a room with michael bennett and mike robin cliff like like that they that talk about like three guys that would be hard to corral um
Tristan Amundson: i kind of assume during that time there's moments when like kate just looks at cliff for like support like all right hey help me kind of get these other two guys where i need them to go i don't know if that's true or not um because it just seems like cliff has that calm personality to be like all right guys come on we gotta like bring it back in. But though they all do just a ah fabulous job.
M dub: Absolutely. I really loved it.
Tristan Amundson: I love it. Any any other takeaways? is that Is that the episode, Miles? I don't know if there's any other things we need to dig into.
M dub: A lot of things happening. I think we covered them all. I feel pretty complete here. How about you?
Tristan Amundson: um You know, I'm feeling good. but you know there's one thing i'd really like to see on this next episode of hard k knocks um There's a phrase, actually, I'd really like to hear yelled um very loudly. And I don't care if it's the director saying it. I don't care if it's a cameraman saying it.
Tristan Amundson: um i just would really like to see you know one of these folks from hbo Just look at the camera. And say, Go Hawks!
M dub: Go Hawks.
