If you’re a Seattle Seahawks fan, then April was a good month for you.
First, the Seahawks signed quarterback Russell Wilson to a four-year extension that will keep him in Seattle until his 35th birthday. The $140 million contract, which makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL (at least temporarily), includes a whopping signing bonus of $65 million. Wilson immediately started spreading his wealth around, giving Amazon stock worth $12,000 to each of the 13 offensive linemen who helped protect him last year.
Second, Seahawks general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll pulled a white rabbit from a black top hat in the recent NFL draft. Entering the draft with a league-low four draft picks, they made numerous trades to wind up with a league-high 11 draft picks which were then used on blue-chippers who will strengthen the roster for years to come.
So what does the featured image have to do with the Seahawks? If you look carefully in the right half, you’ll see a reflection of the north end of CenturyLink Field, which is where the Seahawks have played their home games since the 2002 season (though it was originally named Qwest Field). The stadium – called “The Clink” by most Seahawks fans – was built on the site of the Kingdome. Time sure does fly by, as it has now been over 19 years since the Kingdome was demolished by implosion. (I photographed the spectacle from a downtown office building, and I still vividly remember how Elliott Bay was absolutely jam-packed with hundreds of small boats for the occasion.)
The south side of The Wave, a 26-story tower with luxury apartments, provides the backdrop for the reflection in the image. Rumor has it that Seahawks games can be watched from its expansive rooftop deck. While I’m sure it has killer views, my son and I have season tickets to the Seahawks – so I think I’ll keep going to The Clink.
We have a nice selection of Seattle images at our gallery on Bainbridge Island, including an excellent assortment of metal prints, canvas prints, custom-framed black-and-white prints, and fine art acrylic prints. If you happen to be on our side of the water, please stop by! For gallery hours, please consult our Contact page.
Ciao for now,
Andrew (“Andy”) Bergh