Three Seahawks - Kearse, ADB and Russ

Silver Hawk · Mar 6, 2016

With all the continued chatter about these three, I thought that I would share a quick story about a night when I saw all 3 up close.

It was after the GB NFC Championship last year. My 16 year old son and I were standing just inside the doors of the Metropolitan Grill. We were waiting on a table but I also suspected that some Seahawks would come there to celebrate. I was hopeful that maybe my son could get a quick picture with someone, anyone. We used to live in Seattle and my son is now a hard core Seahawks fan. We had flown to Seattle for this game.

Anyway, it turned out that we had waited so long for a table that nobody else was hanging around that area just inside the front door. Then, Jermaine Kearse comes in. The Jermaine that had just caught possibly the most important pass in Seahawks' history. He could not have been nicer to my son. He also took 5 seconds to pose for a picture.

Then, ADB came in. We somehow kind of missed him initially (we had moved further inside) and then he made a quick beeline for the behind the bar area. Where he led several cheers with everyone in the bar. He was having a great moment with everyone. Have a picture of that too.

Finally, Russ comes in. My son was right in front of him (nobody else was close; no mob scene at all) and asked him for a quick picture. Russ tells him something like "not now kid" in a completely brusque/terse manner and heads to the back rooms, where I think Schneider and others had gathered. I also have a picture of Russ pretty much blowing him off and "big timing" him. So, make what you want of that but for me, that seemed completely at odds with the public image that I have read about for Russ.

Jerhawk · Mar 6, 2016

So you're saying you won't be buying Eat the Ball bread anytime soon?

SmokinHawk · Mar 6, 2016

Jermaine Kearse probably doesn't have people hitting him up for autographs and pictures everywhere he goes. I don't blame Russell one bit for his response. You take a picture with a guy and his kid, then suddenly everyone in the restaurant wants to do the same, when in reality all you wanted to do was enjoy a nice steak and a beer.

Put yourself in his shoes. The kid has people and cameras in his face every minute of every day that he spends in public.

I saw Earl Thomas at a gas station in Bellevue once. Know what I said to him? Nothing, because the dude should be afforded the opportunity to not be hassled for pics and autographs.

Silver Hawk · Mar 6, 2016

Eh, it was a 16 year old kid wanting a picture. Not his 50 year old dad (me).

I don't know. Maybe he was about to pee his pants or something.

SomersetHawk · Mar 6, 2016

Maybe it was an iphone, Russ is contracted to microsoft you know.

In honesty I hate these threads, remember the ADB one a while back? There's a sense of entitlement among some fans with these things. I got blown off loads (not like that) by sports stars when I was a kid, I didn't think twice about it, just appreciated the guys who took time out all the more.

Seymour · Mar 6, 2016

Only thing I find surprising about that story is why wait over a year after the fact to tell it?

The bigger the star, the more they get continually hounded. So which of the 3 players deals with this daily EVERY PLACE he goes?

Silver Hawk · Mar 6, 2016

There is no entitlement here. I'm just telling you what happened with two guys who were gracious and one who certainly appeared not to be. Given all the talk about Good Man and Eat the Ball, I thought it was kind of relevant. Otherwise, I never would have brought it up.

BTW, since I don't live in Seattle, I don't have all the data points but it seems to me that RW is quite comfortable in the public eye. Kissing babies, visiting sick children, going into Nordstrom to launch his clothes line. He's hardly some shrinking violet trying to avoid publicity or fans.

SomersetHawk":364457cr said:
Maybe it was an iphone, Russ is contracted to microsoft you know.

In honesty I hate these threads, remember the ADB one a while back? There's a sense of entitlement among some fans with these things. I got blown off loads (not like that) by sports stars when I was a kid, I didn't think twice about it, just appreciated the guys who took time out all the more.

Silver Hawk · Mar 6, 2016

Simply because I would tend to give him the benefit of the doubt and didn't really want to post something negative. It was just one data point that made me scratch my head. However, the Good Man saga prompted me to tell it.

As for the hounding, I think it's pretty clear that RW doesn't have a problem putting himself in those situations. Again, this is the guy that rolls into Nordstrom to sell $165 hoodies and glad hand the people snapping them up.

Seymour":2zawxrbt said:
Only thing I find surprising about that story is why wait over a year after the fact to tell it?

The bigger the star, the more they get continually hounded. So which of the 3 players deals with this daily EVERY PLACE he goes?

Silver Hawk · Mar 6, 2016

I'm just suggesting that what he did was not consistent with what I have perceived his public persona to be. And yes, without extenuating circumstances (pee problem, doesn't like iPhone cameras) I do generally think that not stopping for 5 seconds for some kid, in that particular situation, is kind of boorish. However, He absolutely does NOT have to do it. It's his prerogative.

FlyHawksFly":2p7pac2c said:
Silver Hawk":2p7pac2c said:

There is no entitlement here. I'm just telling you what happened with two guys who were gracious and one who certainly appeared not to be. Given all the talk about Good Man and Eat the Ball, I thought it was kind of relevant. Otherwise, I never would have brought it up.

BTW, since I don't live in Seattle, I don't have all the data points but it seems to me that RW is quite comfortable in the public eye. Kissing babies, visiting sick children, going into Nordstrom to launch his clothes line. He's hardly some shrinking violet trying to avoid publicity or fans.

SomersetHawk":2p7pac2c said:

Maybe it was an iphone, Russ is contracted to microsoft you know.

In honesty I hate these threads, remember the ADB one a while back? There's a sense of entitlement among some fans with these things. I got blown off loads (not like that) by sports stars when I was a kid, I didn't think twice about it, just appreciated the guys who took time out all the more.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Just because Russ makes a lot of time for charity events DOES NOT mean he should stop for every picture that was asked of him. Not that I think it was rude to ask, but even a 16 year old kid should realize these athletes are human and don't want to be hassled every 5 seconds.

Anonymous · Mar 6, 2016

SmokinHawk":2ghc27fo said:
Jermaine Kearse probably doesn't have people hitting him up for autographs and pictures everywhere he goes. I don't blame Russell one bit for his response. You take a picture with a guy and his kid, then suddenly everyone in the restaurant wants to do the same, when in reality all you wanted to do was enjoy a nice steak and a beer.

Put yourself in his shoes. The kid has people and cameras in his face every minute of every day that he spends in public.

I saw Earl Thomas at a gas station in Bellevue once. Know what I said to him? Nothing, because the dude should be afforded the opportunity to not be hassled for pics and autographs.

I'm going to go out on a limb to say you kept a glance until he looked your way, maybe offered a wink or a nod (so he knew you recognized him), then only a smile. That way the "I'm not gonna bug you" scenario occurred for him in his mind.

Am I right?

Otherwise, if he thinks he's not recognized, he does not get the silent "I know who you are but I'm leavin you alone bro" vibe you're proud of.

Just sayin.

TeamoftheCentury · Mar 6, 2016

Ok, I'll chime in. Silver Hawk, you and I are probably similar in age. In any case, we have at least one kid in the same age bracket.

Perhaps the term "entitled" sounds harsh. But, from outside perspective reading this, I think one needs to remember that while any popular public figure is fair game for requests when seen in public and that goes with the territory, they are just that... requests. Otherwise, it's an "expectation." Maybe that word is more palatable. Too, you admitted part of your motivation for even going there. That's not stalking, but it's a distant, friendly cousin.

Because Russ is seen doing charitable work, there's the expectation that he would not turn down a 16 year old kid. Yeah, it would be disappointing, and I can understand that. But, there's no reason to question his general willingness to connect with fans. It does seem a bit out of character because of the lofty view with that charity work, etc. But, you really don't know what was going on in his mind. He's not perfect and perhaps he even regretted not taking the time with your son or felt bad he could not take the time to explain. It was an important time in his life and he was probably held up with all the interviews, etc. Maybe he just needed some time to himself at that moment. Given the circumstances, seems reasonable to me.

So, why did you post this if you didn't want to have at least some of us question if Russ is actually that good boy persona? You're laying it out there. Perhaps you're giving Kearse props, etc.

As far as the Earl Thomas sighting... I would have totally said hello and express appreciation without being overbearing. I've done so with Michael Jordan, Ken Griffey Jr. (had a long conversation with him, no autograph, no pic. Just convo... mostly about the Seahawks, actually. It was great. I forgot who the guy was in chatting about the team.) You might think they don't need that affirmation, but they're human as well. There's lots of critics in life, so it's always nice to hear the pleasantries. I think when one comes across like they're worshipping a public figure that it comes across as tiring and all that. Not that Silver Hawk's son was doing that. I would just be grateful that you even SAW Russ in person after that game. That's pretty cool. Pat the guy on the back.

Hey, it's life. Enjoy what you get, try not to fret about what you don't. And, maybe don't post something that insinuates something about an All-World Classy QB that leaves it out there for speculation he doesn't deserve. ?????

unno: :twocents:

Silver Hawk · Mar 6, 2016

Well, I thought you had a decent post, other than your 'stalking" nonsense, up until your last paragraph. You want to tell me what to post?

I was there. I saw what happened. At face value, it WAS boorish behavior. I'll agree that there could have been other factors at work but we'll never know. It seems that many of you have a problem with questioning anything RW does. Just like the Good Man dialogue earlier this week.

From all that I've heard the last few years, the RW image that has been created, perhaps unfairly, has been one of connecting with fans and the public routinely. The 12s. The charity work is just one component.

So, again, I can tell you of this one example that just didn't seem to fit that image, at all. No more. No less.

TeamoftheCentury":3h63ktod said:
Ok, I'll chime in. Silver Hawk, you and I are probably similar in age. In any case, we have at least one kid in the same age bracket.

Perhaps the term "entitled" sounds harsh. But, from outside perspective reading this, I think one needs to remember that while any popular public figure is fair game for requests when seen in public and that goes with the territory, they are just that... requests. Otherwise, it's an "expectation." Maybe that word is more palatable. Too, you admitted part of your motivation for even going there. That's not stalking, but it's a distant, friendly cousin.

Because Russ is seen doing charitable work, there's the expectation that he would not turn down a 16 year old kid. Yeah, it would be disappointing, and I can understand that. But, there's no reason to question his general willingness to connect with fans. It does seem a bit out of character because of the lofty view with that charity work, etc. But, you really don't know what was going on in his mind. He's not perfect and perhaps he even regretted not taking the time with your son or felt bad he could not take the time to explain. It was an important time in his life and he was probably held up with all the interviews, etc. Maybe he just needed some time to himself at that moment. Given the circumstances, seems reasonable to me.

So, why did you post this if you didn't want to have at least some of us question if Russ is actually that good boy persona? You're laying it out there. Perhaps you're giving Kearse props, etc.

As far as the Earl Thomas sighting... I would have totally said hello and express appreciation without being overbearing. I've done so with Michael Jordan, Ken Griffey Jr. (had a long conversation with him, no autograph, no pic. Just convo... mostly about the Seahawks, actually. It was great. I forgot who the guy was in chatting about the team.) You might think they don't need that affirmation, but they're human as well. There's lots of critics in life, so it's always nice to hear the pleasantries. I think when one comes across like they're worshipping a public figure that it comes across as tiring and all that. Not that Silver Hawk's son was doing that. I would just be grateful that you even SAW Russ in person after that game. That's pretty cool. Pat the guy on the back.

Hey, it's life. Enjoy what you get, try not to fret about what you don't. And, maybe don't post something that insinuates something about an All-World Classy QB that leaves it out there for speculation he doesn't deserve. ????? unno: :twocents:

theincrediblesok · Mar 6, 2016

I believe your story and you know Russ has a right to say no. Your pretty much telling him that he can't feel a certain way, that he can't say no and he should of token that photo with your son.

Have you thought about maybe that after that big of a game that he was probably asked 100 times before he even stepped into that restaurant.

How about the media session after that game. It was an emotional game. Would it make any difference if he had already given many photo opts before he even got there? If you would have known that would this even matter or would it still matter?

I post graphic designs on my facebook alot, and you know what sucks I get people saying how nice it looks, then ask me if I can make them something, I use to do it for people for free and it snowballed and everyone wanted something from me. It got to the point where I didn't want to post anything anymore. As rude as a no would sound, sometimes things like that could get to you, I wasn't trying to be mean to anyone but it starts to annoy you after awhile, and I'm a pretty nice guy.

mrt144 · Mar 6, 2016

About 2 years ago I was in line at the Wendy's at Seatac early in the morning and Sherman RW and some big non descript OL guy (I seriously couldn't pick out JR Sweezy's face out of a lineup, that's probably good for him.) came up behind me. And while I was starstruck for 2.5 seconds I realized these dudes are just like me, going to a Wendy's at 7:30 AM to get fed first thing in the morning and the last thing I would want is someone to just start chopping it up with me in line. So I let them be and the world went on.

The point is, they're people too, sometimes they're grouchy and curt and have things to do. We'll never really know why they are the way they are at any particular moment but to assign some sort of character baseline from these interactions is silly. We are situational creatures, don't read too much into it.

Ozzy · Mar 6, 2016

I've heard multiple stories of RW being about as nice of a celebrity as you can be. I'm not faulting you for having your opinion because it was your experience but from talking to people who've met him and are around him I've heard the opposite. Sherman might get the most praise of any Seahawk though.

theincrediblesok · Mar 6, 2016

I can agree on Sherman, met him after his rookie year in the summer. My stepdad's landscaping business had a job in Renton and we ended up at Sherman's rental house at the time and was working on his yard. For a bit we didn't know it was him until I found a picture of his backyard on his twitter account to confirm it. He was coming out the house and my friend yelled "Richard Sherman" and he was like "Oh ey Yo" and we took a picture with him, I also got a chance to ask him about the Floyd comment he made and it was a great day. He said he appreciated us cleaning up his yard.

If my friend wouldn't have yelled his name, we would of never gotten the photo, because it looked like he was ready to go in his car. He could of blown us off at that time and I might of felt the same way as Silver just for a bit, but have to realize that they are human and not everyone is perfect and their time is their time.

UK_Seahawk · Mar 6, 2016

I saw Robin Wright today which was utterly surreal as I've been feasting on House of Cards season 4 for the last couple of days. She was talking to her male friend so I went with the I know who you are but I'm cool nod. Felt like a boss.

chris98251 · Mar 6, 2016

Russ tells him something like "not now kid" in a completely brusque/terse manner and heads to the back rooms

He said it as a matter of fact and one which he was in control and there would be no debate to a 16 year old, not now means maybe later also, he obviously had other things on his agenda. If your having to fend of requests every day and with practice and repetition I am sure you learn to cut it off and make it firm and move on. Other wise your time is spent in a debate or conflict etc.

No so unlike having a kid that's starts off wanting and asking for everything in the store and you having to say no, deal with the tantrum maybe and eventually you have it down to maybe a shake of the head and a look and the kid knows the answer. But that takes time and experience from you and your kid. I am sure Russell has had to learn a way to deal with fans on that same level, at least he spoke and wasn't overtly rude, just curt which you took offense to.

You may feel slighted but your one of thousands upon thousands he has dealt with in some way asking for his time.

Tech Worlds · Mar 6, 2016

I find out funny that people bug people for things.

Celebrities should be left alone when out in public

nategreat · Mar 6, 2016

Can we see these pictures?

Three Seahawks - Kearse, ADB and Russ

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