Why Does the Wall Street Journal Dislike the Seattle Seahawks So Much?

There were two articles featuring the Seattle Seahawks on the sports page of the WSJ the past two weeks.

The first article focused on the continual pass interference committed by the vaunted defensive backs of the team.  The argument was that the refs aren’t going to call pass interference on every pass play, even if pass interference happens on every play.  They’ll call it once, but not ten times in a row.  The Seahawks know this and have made it their strategy to smother the opponent’s receivers.

The intended readers of this article weren’t you and me, it was the NFL refs.  The refs were being called out.  “Come on, guys,” is the WSJ’s message. “Do your job, call more pass interference on the Seahawks.”

The second article featured the trash-talking of the Seahawks.  The Seahawks, according to the Journal, are very good at taunting opponents into committing personal fouls and not retaliating themselves.  More personal fouls are called on the opponent than on the Hawks.  Again, the Journal argues this is a deliberate and disciplined strategy.  The intended readers of this article weren’t you and me, it was the San Francisco Fortyniners.  The article was intended to be taped to 49er lockers.  “Be disciplined, guys,” is the message.  “They’ll taunt you, they’re good at it, and will try to get you to take a swing at them.  Don’t do it.”

The Seahawks must have gotten under the Journal’s skin at some point this year.  Maybe it’s just that they don’t believe a team from up there in that obscure corner of the country, the land of plaid shirts and pinecone eaters, could be that good, and must have cheated.  Or could it have been the Seahawks-Giants game this year?  The Seahawks humiliated the Giants in their own house, allowing the offense three points.  Sounds like a grudge to me, Wall Street Journal.