STLsport: Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter has gone completely insane

SI writer Jim Trotter has lost his mind, diving head first into the Pete Carroll love fest.

When the discussion of the NFC West comes up, concerning the 2010 season, most rational football fans agree that the clear-cut favorite in the division is the San Fransisco 49ers. No one really disputes that, given that the reigning NFC West champion's, the Arizona Cardinals, lost some key players this past off-season (Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Karlos Dansby, among others).

Most realistic people would probably have the Arizona Cardinals finishing in 2nd place. They won't have the same pop as they did in '09, obviously, but they still have the best WR in the game (Larry Fitzgerald), and they also have a duo of solid running-backs that can carry the load (Beanie Wells, Tim Hightower). No one expects great things from Arizona, but they are the favorite to finish in 2nd place, and rightfully so.

The only real dispute in the NFC West is- who will finish in 3rd place? A rationale argument could be made for either the St.Louis Rams, or the Seattle Seahawks. Personally, I don't even think it is close, I think that the Rams clearly have a superior team in every way.

But in Sports Illustrated's 2010 NFL Preview edition- SI writer Jim Trotter not only put Seattle ahead of St.Louis, he put them ahead of Arizona as well. He had the Seattle Seahawks finishing in 2nd place in the NFC West, and in the process he made it clear to all of his readers that he is 100% completely insane.

It would be one thing if I could see where he is coming from, but I can't. The Seahawks do not have one single star player. The Rams have Steven Jackson, and the Cardinals have Larry Fitzgerald. Who do the Seahawks have? Deion Branch? Give me a break.

Seattle has a 35-year-old, ineffective, washed-up QB in Matt Hasselbeck. They have a sub-par RB in Julius Jones. Their best WR is TJ Houshmandzadeh, who is a number 2 at best, and is pretty useless with Hasselbeck at QB. On the defensive side, they have LB Lofa Tatupu, and that's about it. They have the potential of Aaron Curry and Earl Thomas, but that doesn't mean much.

The only possible explanations for Trotter's decision is 1) It was a shot in the dark, a random pick, because he wanted to throw a curve-ball and make things interesting. Or (most likely) 2) The National media's inexplicable love affair with head coach Pete Carroll continues.

I know that Carroll was a big shot at USC, and coached a great team there. But, he hasn't had a lot of success in the NFL. His combined record as an NFL head coach is 33-31. It is not a terrible record, but it certainly doesn't warrant the hype, and expectations, that the media has built up for him. He coached the Trojans, which is a school in a large market (L.A.), and it is on a coast; combine both of those facts, and it is a recipe for a love fest with the national media. That is why his Seahawks were picked to finish 2nd; because he came from a large market, and a coast team, so Jim Trotter and the rest of the national media refuses to make a rational opinion, and decide to kiss Carroll's feet instead.

Have fun Seattle... Because your SI preseason ranking will be the highlight of your season.