RENTON, Wash. - Within their inner circle, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Schneider and staff quietly speculated that their 2012 draft class would be special, despite the critics derision.Outsiders were dismissive of linebacker Bobby Wagner, a former two-star recruit from tiny Utah State; undersized quarterback Russell Wilson, who had to transfer from North Carolina State to start as a senior; and Bruce Irvin, a high school dropout who had bounced around junior colleges before landing at West Virginia.In small circles, behind closed doors, we talked about that this could be the one. This could be the draft class that could really make the difference, Carroll said.Sometimes that group of draftees — six of whom are on the Seattle active roster — reminisce about the failing grades their class received. The players have Super Bowl rings and are about to play in their second straight NFC championship game on Sunday when they host Green Bay.Irvin, the first-round pick, was a stunner no one expected to go that early and many believed would never develop into an every-down player. Critics said second-round selection Wagner never faced elite competition in college.And Wilson, Seattles much disputed third-round pick ... well, listing all the criticism that pick received would take too long.We look at that type of stuff. We look at that class, weve got seven, eight guys that are key contributors right now, Irvin said. I dont know man, I dont know who grades that type of stuff. Were just going to continue to prove everybody wrong.Great drafts have anchored championship teams in the past. Arguably the best draft class was the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers with Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster, all Hall of Famers. The Cowboys took Mel Renfro, Bob Hayes and Roger Staubach in the 1964 draft. More recently, Baltimores selection of Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis in 1996 proved invaluable to its first title.Seattles roster has been built a variety of ways. First-round gems, like safety Earl Thomas and left tackle Russell Okung, both taken in 2010, are joined by late-round steals including safety Kam Chancellor, picked in the fifth round the same year. A year later linebacker K.J. Wright was a fourth-round pick, followed by All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman in the fifth and starting cornerback Byron Maxwell in the sixth.And there are the undrafted free agents Seattle has unearthed, most notably starting wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse.But no group of additions to Seattles roster has matched the importance of the 2012 draft.Everyone told us we werent going to be any good. Weve heard that a lot, Wilson said. No matter what anybody tells you, you have to be a self-motivator. Thats what we have in the 2012 class of the Seattle Seahawks. Theyre all self-motivators. We all believe in each other, we all believe in ourselves, and weve all kind of just pushed each other. When we first got here, I know we had a 2012 meeting and kind of told the guys I want to be the best class theres ever been here. Thats kind of been our mindset.The majority of notoriety from the 2012 class has gone to Wilson and Wagner. Wilson has started every game in his three seasons and is in line for a massive payday, while Wagner has become an elite inside linebacker and was first-team All-Pro this season despite missing five games.But the depth found in that class is what sets them apart. Irvin is Seattles starting strongside linebacker, proving he was more than just a pass rusher. Fourth-round pick Robert Turbin is the backup to Marshawn Lynch. Sixth-round pick Jeremy Lane has been Seattles nickel cornerback when healthy.And the real late-round steal of the group? Guard J.R. Sweezy, a defensive tackle in college that has developed into one of Seattles most consistent offensive linemen.Weve always remembered the way they talked about us when we got drafted and what not, Sweezy said. We kind of knew what we were going to do. We kept our heads down and got to work. Now were seeing the product of all of that and its fun to be part of it.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Fake Nike Air Max Replica ." The game can be seen live on TSN starting with Monday Night Countdown at 6:30 p.m et/3:30 p.m. pt. The Patriots, who had a bye in Week 10, will look to continue the offensive success they had a week earlier when New England scored 55 points and racked up 610 yards of total offense in a 55-31 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wholesale Nike Air Max From China . -- Rookie Victor Oladipo came off the bench to score 20 points and Glen Davis had 18, leading the Orlando Magic to a 112-98 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. https://www.wholesalenikeairmaxshoes.com/ . He even addressed his group of relievers Sunday morning. Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2. Cheap Air Max 270 .com) - Even-money favorite Liams Map proved a little too tough down the stretch and won Saturdays $100,000 Harlans Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Discount Nike Air Max Wholesale . -- First baseman Carlos Pena and outfielder Brennan Boesch have signed minor league deals with the Los Angeles Angels. PHILADELPHIA -- Allen Iverson cupped his hand to his left ear and asked to hear his favourite tune one more time. With that command, 20,000 roaring Philadelphia 76ers fans gave AI the standing ovation he earned by stamping himself as one of the franchises all-time greats. Iverson, emotional as he thanked former teammates and friends, had his No. 3 retired at halftime of Saturdays game against Washington. High above the Wells Fargo Center court, Iversons banner slipped between Maurice Cheeks No. 10 and Charles Barkleys No. 34. "They all wanted me to talk about how much yall loved me," Iverson said, "but trust me, the feeling was mutual." Iverson officially retired in October after last playing in 2010. He won four scoring titles for the Sixers and was the 2001 MVP when he led them to the NBA Finals. He never won a championship, the lone omission in a career that is destined for the Hall of Fame. The Sixers may as well have turned the arena into an AI museum. Four banners greeted fans at the main concourse entrance, and photos of him were plastered all around the arena. The merchandise stands sold Iverson jerseys for $130, and lower level tickets were going for as much for $1,280 on Stubhub about an hour before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The fans loved him, and he blew them kisses after the No. 3 was raised to show how much he loved them back. "I am Philly," Iverson said. "Its always going to be that way." Iversons return injected a rare dose of excitement into a franchise playing some of the worst basketball in the league. The Sixers, in full-blown rebuilding mode, had lost 12 straight entering Saturdays game. The losing didnt matter much Saturday, just the memories. The Sixers wore special "Iverson Forever" patches on their jerseys and Iversons 3 on their pregame warmup shirts. "Its a great example of how this city responds to somebody that they clearly think the world of and brought such exciting times to the city of Philadelphia," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. The Sixers retirement gift was a boat named in honour of his nickname, "The Answer." "It feels good," Iverson said after the ceremony, "but some part of my heart hurts because I know its over." Iverson joined Cheeks, Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving among the eight retired numbers in franchise history. Erving attended thhe ceremony.dddddddddddd Moses Malone, Dikembe Mutombo, Theo Ratliff, Gary Payton and former team president Pat Croce also were at the celebration. Former coach Larry Brown, who both clashed with and loved Iverson over their tenure, sent a videotaped message. "I just want to tell you, and I say this fondly: God put me there to coach you," Brown said. Iverson said Brown was the player who moulded him into one of the NBAs best. "I always had raw talent," he said. "I needed Larry Brown to polish it up." Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent his first 10 seasons in Philadelphia. He also played for Denver, Detroit, and Memphis before returning to Philadelphia for a 25-game stint in 2009-10. Iverson, who mashed hip-hop culture and hoops like no player before him, was perhaps at his peak in his fifth NBA season. The 165-pound guard averaged 31.1 points, was the MVP of the All-Star game and propped an entire franchise on his 6-foot frame all the way to the finals. Led by Brown, the Sixers needed Game 7 wins in consecutive series for the right to play the Lakers. Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers swept their way through the post-season before Game 1 in Los Angeles. Iverson had 48 points in 52 minutes of an overtime victory. The Sixers didnt have enough to go the distance and the Lakers won the next four games. Hes 21st on the NBAs career scoring list with 24,368 points over 914 career games. Iverson, drafted out of Georgetown, scored 30-plus points 345 times and was an 11-time All-Star. His No. 3 jersey was a bestseller around the globe, the headband wrapped snugly around his cornrows, and the tattoos were as much a part of his image as the way he ricochets around the court. Play every game like it was his last was more than a catchphrase, it was a lifestyle. "Who could not be an Allen Iverson fan?" said Thaddeus Young, the lone current Sixers player who played with Iverson. "It got no bigger than him in Philadelphia." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was at the game for AIs night. "Allen was a special player," Silver said before the game. "The great things he did for the league far outweigh the occasional headache. I always thought even at the time of Allen Iversons prominence in the league, he was representative of his generation." ' ' '
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