Russell Wilson | Larry Brown Sports

Russell Wilson taken by Rangers in Rule 5 baseball draft

December 12, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

If Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson has a sudden change of heart and decides playing quarterback for one of the best teams in the NFL just isn’t for him, he has a nice future lined up with the Texas Rangers. On Thursday, the Rangers selected Wilson in baseball’s Rule 5 draft.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, the Rule 5 draft allows teams to take minor leaguers who are not currently on 40-man rosters from other teams. Since Wilson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2010 and spent parts of two seasons in Class-A, he had the necessary amount of service time in the minor leagues to be eligible for the Rule 5 draft.

As Deadspin pointed out, the Rangers now owe the Rockies $12,000 and can keep Wilson on their Triple-A reserve list. Should he ever decide the pursuit of a Super Bowl is no longer the thrill he is looking for, Wilson can return to baseball and join the Rangers farm system.

Wilson played college baseball at NC State for three seasons and was taken in the fourth round of the MLB draft, so his baseball talent is obviously no joke. That being said, the Rangers likely selected him in the Rule 5 draft to get people like us to talk about it. If nothing else, they can now say Russell Wilson is connected to their organization.

Filed Under: Baseball, Featured Stories, Football, Headlines Tagged With: Russell Wilson, Texas Rangers

Michael Bennett poses as Russell Wilson to get table at restaurant

December 6, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

Russell Wilson is one of the most popular people in Seattle, and he showed us why on Monday when he lit up the stat sheet with 310 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout win over the New Orleans Saints. Earlier this week, Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett used Wilson’s popularity to get something for himself.

During an interview with 710 ESPN radio, Bennett said he called a restaurant looking to get a table and let the hostess know that he was a defensive end for the Seahawks. He was told the restaurant was “all booked up.” That’s when Bennett decided to call back and pretend to be Wilson, again asking if there were any tables available.

“And she was like, ‘Yes! We can make a table for you! You were 22-for-30 the other night, 130 quarterback rating!’” Bennett recalled the hostess saying. “She knew every stat.”

Bennett is much larger than Wilson, has a beard and really doesn’t look anything like him. When he arrived at the restaurant with his family, there was no fooling anyone.

“I got to the restaurant with my wife and kids,” Bennett said. “I said, ‘Oh, thank you. I’m Russell Wilson.’ She was like, ‘Good joke.’ I said, ‘Gotcha.’”

Bennett said he and his family got the star treatment anyway with a roped-off table and sparkling water. Of course, the fancy ropes and fizzy water were for Wilson. I’m sure Bennett didn’t mind. After all, he did return a fumble for a touchdown against the Saints. He deserved some star treatment, too.

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Football Tagged With: Michael Bennett, Russell Wilson

Colin Kaepernick shaved eyebrow in great EA Sports marketing ploy

September 16, 2013 By Larry Brown 1 Comment

Colin Kaepernick “shaved” off one of his eyebrows after losing a bet to Russell Wilson over the Seattle Seahawks-San Francisco 49ers game on Sunday night, but it was all done as part of a brilliant marketing scheme by EA Sports.

Kaepernick and Wilson starred in a commercial over the offseason promoting EA Sports’ NFL video game Madden 25. While they made the commercial, they also recorded a bit where they bet each other an eyebrow on the outcome of the big NFC West game between their teams. The bet got tons of publicity during the week, but Wilson admitted on Softy Mahler’s radio show in Seattle that the bet wasn’t real. That didn’t stop EA Sports from releasing a video following the game of Kaepernick shaving off his eyebrow.

For those unfamiliar with how this sort of thing works, a company like EA will film two versions of the commercial — one with Kaepernick shaving the eyebrow and the other with Wilson doing it. Then they release the appropriate video based on the outcome of the game. You may recall that Reebok did the same thing with its Perfectville commercial after the New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl in 2008. Here’s the alternate commercial.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Colin Kaepernick, commercials, Russell Wilson

Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson bet: Loser shaves an eyebrow on Sunday

September 10, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are facing off on Sunday in what should be a great game between two Super Bowl contenders. The question is, will more be on the line than early-season playoff position in the NFC West?

Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson recently starred in a commercial for Madden 25 together in which they make a friendly wager that the losing quarterback on Sunday has to shave an eyebrow off. My initial reaction is that it’s just a commercial and the two young stars would never do it, but then the message at the end of the 15-second clip popped up.

“See who loses an eyebrow after Sunday’s game.”

This is the NFL we’re talking about and one of the most popular video games of all time. You don’t have to create false wagers to get people to tune into the Seahawks-Niners game or buy a copy of the latest Madden, so could this be for real? I think I speak for everyone when I say that would be pretty lame if not.

UPDATE: Wilson addressed the commercial during a radio appearance and basically admitted no one will be shaving an eyebrow. Pansies.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson denies asking Seahawks for new contract

January 22, 2013 By Larry Brown Leave a Comment

Russell Wilson is vehemently denying a report that said he asked the Seattle Seahawks for a new contract.

On Sunday, ESPN’s Chris Mortsenesen reported that a representative of Wilson told the Seahawks something had to be done about the rookie quarterback’s contract.

Wilson’s agent, Bus Cook, reportedly was “irate” over the report. He told NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport that the report was B.S.

Cook called the report B.S. because under the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, players cannot address/alter their contracts until they have completed their first three seasons.

Wilson understands the CBA rules, and he told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King that he has not and will not ask the Seahawks for a new deal.

“I speak for myself, and I never demanded or asked for a restructured contract … I have complete understanding and respect for the new CBA rules … Anyone who knows me knows I play for the love of the game. I play for the challenge of being the best one day and know I have a long way to go.

“I respect the NFL, respect the new CBA, respect my teammates, respect all of the other players across the league, and respect the Seattle Seahawks,” Wilson told King.

Wilson was drafted in the third round by Seattle. Per Rotoworld, he signed a four-year, $2.198 million contract in May. The deal included a $619,472 signing bonus. He is scheduled to earn $526,217 in 2013, $662,434 in 2014, and $798,651 in 2015.

Wilson tied an NFL rookie record with 26 touchdown passes and set a rookie mark with a 100.0 passer rating. He completed 64.1 percent of his passes and threw for 3,118 yards with 10 interceptions while also rushing for 489 yards and four touchdowns in leading Seattle to an 11-5 record and playoff berth. In the postseason he threw for 572 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 127 yards and a score in two games, including the Seahawks’ first road playoff win since 1983, beating Washington in the wild-card round. He likely will be one of the biggest bargains in the league the next two seasons.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Johnny Manziel: Success of RG3, Russell Wilson bodes well for my NFL prospects

December 12, 2012 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

If there is anything to worry about with Johnny Manziel following his Heisman Trophy-winning freshman season at Texas A&M, it could be his size. At only 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Manziel is a lot smaller than many successful NFL quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan and Andrew Luck. However, Manziel says a new breed of quarterbacks gives him confidence in his future.

“It’s not all about size anymore,” he told CBS News. “You don’t have to be 6-foot-5 and be a great pocket passer. You can be like (Robert Griffin III) and Russell Wilson and have some mobility and have some success.”

It should also be noted that some guy named Drew Brees is only 6-foot-1, and we all see what he has been able to accomplish at the NFL level. Manziel may not have the strongest arm in the country, but he has completed over 68% of his passes with the Aggies this year and thrown 24 touchdown passes.

One legitimate concern with quarterbacks like RG3 and Wilson is that they are at a higher risk for injuries, which we have had a first-hand look at this season with Griffin’s concussion and sprained knee. Manziel said being smart and knowing when to avoid contact helps offset some of those risks.

“There’s a time when you need to know to get what you can get and try to be as smart as possible,” the 20-year-old explained. “You can’t protect yourself every single time. If you look at Michael Vick, he takes a lot of shots and there’s probably times where he should just know when you cut your losses, you get what you can get and you get down.”

That may be easier said than done, but Manziel will be in better shape than Vick if he starts molding his style of play now. Let’s also remember that he’s only a freshman. The Heisman winner has time to become an even better quarterback, but the rest of the country also has time to learn more about his tendencies and how to defend him. In a way, any talk about Manziel’s NFL career is still premature.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson effect? Seahawks now favored Week 1 vs. Cardinals

August 27, 2012 By Larry Brown 1 Comment

The Arizona Cardinals opened as a 2.5-point favorite against the Seahawks for their Week 1 game, but the line has switched by five points — the most of any other Week 1 line — and Seattle is now favored in the game. The Seahawks are favored by 2.5 points most sports books, and favored by 2 points at other places. The line change can be attributed to factors related to each team.

Arizona has gone 1-3 in four preseason games, and their first-team offense has been unimpressive. Kevin Kolb and John Skelton are competing for the starting quarterback job and neither player has fared well. Their offensive line also seems porous, which is not making the job of the quarterbacks any easier.

Seattle has gone 3-0 in the preseason and looked impressive scoring 101 points. Third-round draft pick Russell Wilson (pictured) has played brilliantly and was named the starting quarterback after going 35-of-52 (67.3%) for 464 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. He’s also run for 150 yards and a touchdown and appears to be a dynamic playmaker.

Bettors are so high on Seattle and down on Arizona that they’ve flipped the line five points. Arizona (8-8) actually finished a game better than Seattle last season, but the sports books still thought Seattle was the better team entering this season. We know that based on the opening line that favored Arizona by 2.5 points; home field advantage is worth at least three points in NFL games.

H/T Covers

Filed Under: Football, Sports Betting Tagged With: Arizona Cardinals, Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks