Posted Monday/October 30, 2000; 3:05 p.m. PDT

O.G. Hawk QB

There’s a strange irony in football sometimes. Call it “NFL Karma” if you want, but the Seattle Seahawks are SMACK DAB in the middle of it. It’s ironic the team is playing two seasons in Husky Stadium despite a quarterback curse on it called the “Husky Hex.” A curse that has cost this team severely over the years. It was karmic that on the Sunday before Halloween, there on the sideline for the LAST TIME EVER, was Warren Moon. The one quarterback the Seahawks, “SHOULDA, COULDA, WOULDA” had. The one player in the Hawks’ 25 seasons that impacted the franchise in a major way, despite only playing two seasons for it. As the first Husky Hero quarterback passed over by the Seahawks, Moon is proof there’s a Husky Hex that has haunted the franchise since the end of the inaugural Jim Zorn era. The real irony is the Seattle Seahawks had three chances to remove the Husky Hex and “fumbled” thrice.

O.G. Black QB

The first game I saw Warren Moon play live, was the ’78 Rose Bowl. I'll never forget that game! What a fantastic finish to Moon’s Husky career. He led the Dawgs into a winning tradition and took home the MVP trophy. What a perfect scenario for the Seahawks! An opportunity to choose a “Husky Hero” in the ’78 draft. The Seahawks SHOULDA drafted Warren Moon. What a perfect fit! A young, extremely mobile, strong-armed, highly accurate, deep-ball, rookie quarterback, to back-up Jim Zorn while learning the NFL game. What did they have to loose? Unfortunately, Moon signed with the Edmonton Eskimos prior to the NFL draft since he knew the Seahawks, nor any other team would select him, due to being a “Black quarterback.” Why wouldn’t the Seahawks want a quarterback that would eventually lead his team to five straight league championships? The Husky Hex ignited.

After proving himself as “the greatest quarterback in CFL history,” Warren Moon set his sights on the NFL. What a perfect scenario for the Seahawks! An opportunity to have a “Husky Hero back home” for the ’84 season. The Seahawks COULDA signed Warren Moon as an unrestricted free agent. What a perfect fit! A young, extremely mobile, strong-armed, highly accurate, deep-ball, proven quarterback to succeed Jim Zorn. What did they have to loose? A Husky Hero that’s what. The Seahawks signed Dave Kreig and Moon signed with the Houston Oilers. Why wouldn’t the Seahawks want a quarterback that would eventually lead his team to seven straight post-seasons? The Husky Hex heated up.

O.G. GB QB

The Husky Hex got hotter in ’93. What a perfect scenario for the Seahawks! An opportunity to FINALLY draft a Husky Hero. The Seahawks SHOULDA selected Mark Brunell. What a perfect fit! A young, left-handed, extremely mobile, strong-armed, highly accurate, deep-ball, rookie, Husky Hero quarterback. What did they have to loose? A Husky Hero that’s what. The Seahawks “believed the hype” and chose Rick Mirer in the first round (second pick overall) of the ’93 NFL draft to lead the offense into “the future.” Brunell was drafted in the fifth round (118th overall) by Green Bay and traded to Jacksonville two seasons later. Mirer led (lack of a better word) the Hawks’ offense for three miserable seasons. Brunell went on to become the number five ranked passer in NFL history, (behind Steve Young, Joe Montana, Brett Favre and Dan Marino), led the NFL with 4,367 passing yards and 396 rushing yards in ’96, and named the ’97 Pro Bowl MVP. Oh yea, he also led the Jaguars to the playoffs four times; winding up in the AFC Championship game twice. Mirer went on to the Bears...the Jets...the Packers...outta the league...the 49ers.

When the Seahawks FINALLY signed Warren Moon as a free agent in ’97, it was a great move and a perfect fit! A seasoned, nimble, strong-armed, highly accurate, deep-ball, proven, NFL quarterback to pick up where Kreig, Gelbaugh, Mirer, and Friesz left off. Why wouldn’t the Seahawks want a quarterback that would eventually: lead its offense to a team record 5,759 total yards; an NFL team season-high of 554 yards; throw the team’s first 400 yard game since ’88; and become the MVP of the Pro Bowl? The Husky Hex cooled down.

O.G. Baby QB

The Seahawks FINALLY drafted a Husky QB when they selected Brock Huard in the second round (77th overall) of the ’99 draft, but released one they SHOULDA kept. The Seahawks WOULDA re-signed Warren Moon if they’d had a “little vision.” What a bad mistake for the Seahawks for the ’99 season! Cutting a seasoned, still-nimble, strong-armed, highly accurate, deep-ball, proven, future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback that could “hold down the fort.” Hold it down while Friesz, Kitna, Huard (and all comers), stood on the sideline, watching and learning HOW TO PLAY QUARTERBACK in the NFL, from one of the All-Time Greats! What did the Seahawks have to loose? Worst case scenario, Friesz, and/or Kitna, and/or Huard CAN’T PLAY QUARTERBACK in the NFL and Moon wins games. Best case scenario, Friesz, and/or Kitna, and/or Huard CAN PLAY QUARTERBACK in the NFL and Moon transitions to quarterback coach or front office. The Husky Hex became an inferno!

O.G. Stud QB

Too bad the “historic game” Sunday was blacked out. More Seahawk fans could have seen the “full circle” of an era in Seattle football. What a scene. A Husky Hero, standing on the sideline in the stadium of his first glory. One of the game’s great field generals, opposing the team that has desperately needed and foolishly avoided him for 21 of the 23 seasons he’s played. There was pro football’s most prolific passer watching a Seahawks quarterback that can’t hold his jockstrap, yet inherited his position. “Sodo Mojo” ended for the Mariners, but the “Mojo on the Hawks” is “Alive and Kicking!” The Seahawks “quarterback controversy” is why they they passed on the game’s greatest passer three times, a current Pro Bowler once, and what they are going to do concerning the current Husky Hero Marques Tuiasosopo. The curse is becoming Mike Holmgren’s worst nightmare.

Husky Trifecta