Summary of Seahawks’ inaugural media combine: It was ugly; I wasn’t hospitalized

RENTON I knew this was going to be a long day when I saw Richard Sherman rolling around on the ground, laughing.

The Seahawks’ Pro Bowl cornerback was just past the finish line of the 40-yard dash on Monday morning during the team’s inaugural media combine on the indoor practice field and the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, held as the “other” combine I covered in Indianapolis into the weekend was ending.

Sherman was laughing at this:

Teammates Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner and Kam Chancellor also paused from an offseason workout in the adjoining weight and training rooms to watch/laugh at about two dozen Seattle-Tacoma media members plus two Sea Gal cheerleaders and even Seahawks mascot “Blitz” run the 40, run the side-to-side shuttle and three-cone drills, do vertical- and broad-jump tests and catch six passes down a “Gauntlet” from sideline to sideline.

It was even uglier than you can imagine.

One guy fell down before finishing his 40. Danny O’Neil of 710 ESPN radio in Seattle didn’t fall down -- but wore a suit with a bow tie and headband for his events. Mike Ferreri, the sports director for KOMO television, showed up in a Seahawks onesie.

Me? I didn’t die or need to be evacuated to the nearest hospital.

So there was that.

But suffice to say, my times in the speed events made me want a refund on the three years of monthly dues I’ve been paying at the neighborhood Crossfit gym. Apparently speed isn’t a primary benefit of that training -- not that I had much speed to begin with. It didn’t help that former Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant was in my run group; he’s now a Seattle-area radio personality.

Needlessly to say, only one of us representing Tacoma did so admirably. My West Point classmates would have called mine a Navy-like performance worthy of being kicked out of our Long Gray Line.

But, hey, all but perhaps one or two of the competitors were younger than I, most by at least 10 years.

Then again, I was in speed tests against fellow journalist connoisseurs free press-box hot dogs plus a faux-furry bird that was standing on two faux-furry legs. I mean, how low a bar did I need?

I was hoping to get at or below 6.0 seconds in the 40. I got a 6.34, though I felt I left too much in whatever “tank” I may have.

Wagner’s advice didn’t work for me.

Either that or I wasn’t as low as I thought as I was to start.

The jumps felt better. My broad jump was 6 feet, 6 inches -- and that was with a quick landing and step away that may have confused the staffer marking my spot(!)

Take a look at this 21-inch vertical jump. I mean, we’re talkin’ mad hops here:

My highlight, if there could possibly have been one, was the “Gauntlet” drill that ended the two-hours of humiliation/fun. Six passes, three thrown from each side from about 10 yards to our right or left, while running the 53 1/3 yards from one sideline to the other. (I know the field’s 53 1/3 yards wide because Russell Wilson tells me every time he talks during the season). The idea was to catch and drop all six in (somewhat ... OK, not at all) rapid-fire succession.

Here’s how Seahawks writer John Boyle did it; Boyle, by the way, kicked butt overall, and was especially stellar considering he is a new dad:

Former Seahawks defensive back Jordan Babineaux, who was something of the master of ceremonies for this day, started us off with what he called “a lay up,” a soft toss to get our confidence going.

That was a typically big play by “Big Play Babs.”

(The fact two players I covered in my first go-around as Seahawks beat writer from 2005-09 were MC-ing and participating in this media combine was yet another reminder how relatively old I was out there. Again, humbling.)

I went through the first five throws catching them all with relative ease. Hall of Fame Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent and I now have something in common: We’ve both caught a pass from Jim Zorn. Seattle’s QB and former quarterbacks coach was No .5 in the gauntlet, and thankfully took it relatively easy on us with his throws.

Lane Gammel did not. The Seahawks’ director of communications and publications, a quarterback growing up, was firing zingers as the last thrower. Even before I caught Zorn’s throw to my right, Gammel was bellowing from my left “You aren’t catching all six, Gregg!”

I anticipated he would fire a low grounder out in front of me, so I dived even before he threw the ball. Gammel indeed rifled one well in front and right of me. It was more a 90-mph wild pitch than football pass, and it clanged off the outside of my outstretched arm to keep me from being one of the only ones with a perfect score on the gauntlet. It was the worst pass thrown in a Seahawks facility since Dan McGwire left town. Ferreri and KOMO television provide visual proof in this feature of the day’s comical events.

In all, I’ll proudly summarize (rationalize) that I won the 44-to-46-year-old-with-twins-a-wife-a-dog-and-jet-lagged-from-Indianapolis Division of the Seahawks’ first Media Combine.

I’ll make my own trophy, thanks.

It was a humbling, fun, unsightly, interesting and -- did I say humbling? -- experience. Seahawks.com did us all the favor of posting more videos and pictures as part of its coverage. I think that is the entire reason they came up with this event.

Here, for those of you whose curiosity is just downright morbid, are the “official” results of the 2016 Seahawks media day. Read them and ... crack yourselves up.

Oh, yeah, Sherman finally got off the ground and stopped laughing. I did check:

This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 9:36 PM with the headline "Summary of Seahawks’ inaugural media combine: It was ugly; I wasn’t hospitalized."