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Thiel: Seahawks' Road To The Super Bowl Began With Miserable 2009 Season

How did the Seahawks end up in Super Bowl? Thank the team’s abysmal 2009 season, says KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel.

Art says that miserable season led the Seahawks to fire both their general manager Tim Ruskell and first-year coach Jim Mora. The team, which had a short list of candidates for general manager, made Pete Carroll an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“He agreed to take the job and take the list of four that they provided him. Included in this four was John Schneider, the general manager who has been the architect of this team that’s going to be in the Super Bowl,” said Art.

“So they went from a miserable 5-and-11 season in 2009 to the Super Bowl in four year by making over 400 transactions to get where they are today. And it happened only because the Seahawks were miserable that season, allowing them to do something dramatic.”

You can find Art Thiel's work at Sportspress Northwest and Crosscut.com.

Kirsten Kendrick hosts Morning Edition on KNKX and the sports interview series "Going Deep," talking with folks tied to sports in our region about what drives them — as professionals and people.
Art Thiel is a co-founder and writer for the rising sports website Sportspress Northwest. In 2003 Thiel wrote the definitive book about the Seattle Mariners, “Out of Left Field,” which became a regional bestseller. In 2009, along with Steve Rudman and KJR 950 afternoon host Mike Gastineau, Thiel authored “The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists,” a cross between historylink.org and Mad Magazine that has become mandatory reading for any sports fan who has an indoor bathroom.