FanPost

a tribute: The Other Thing about Doug Baldwin

When the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, I was working as an anger management counselor, leading groups for Seattle men on probation. A typical day in that classroom looked like me sitting in a chair (usually the only white guy in the room) with a circle of men sitting in chairs around me, talking about life and any intense emotions- anger but also shame, grief…fear. I often started the curriculum off by asking the groups the same question, "Can anger be good?" They would usually say, "No" because their unprocessed and unchecked anger was inevitably what got them in trouble in the first place. Then I would follow up with "Was Malcolm X angry?" Some would pause with confusion. Eventually they would say yes and we would talk about how the civil rights leader channeled his anger into something beneficial for his community.

One day, following the Super Bowl I asked, "Is Doug Baldwin angry?" and someone answered, "No. He’s just got something to prove." He claimed that it wasn’t anger in Doug Baldwin- it was something else.

And that’s just it- anger is always an Other Thing: Something to prove, an injustice to be corrected, a need we have that isn’t being met, or other feelings we’re overwhelmed with. If we can figure what that Other Thing is, we can express it in healthy ways. Doug Baldwin was a football player who figured out the Other Thing.

Angry Doug Baldwin, as he was once erroneously nicknamed, came into the NFL with something to prove. And he stayed that way for the rest his career, despite being rated as the top slot receiver of his era. Once labeled "pedestrian" by Deion Sanders, the undrafted Baldwin never really got his due outside of Seattle. It didn’t seem to matter to the rest of the world that his drop rate was among the lowest in the NFL. It didn’t seem to matter that his efficiency was among the highest, or that he drastically improved Russell Wilson’s completion percentage when on the field. Because Doug Baldwin was the best receiver in a run-first offense, he didn’t seem to get the respect he deserved. And that’s much to be angry about.

But in my house, we had different nicknames for #89. Third Down Doug. Drag The Toe Doug. Clutch Doug. And my favorite- Congressman Doug. These names speak to a deeper reality about the person and player Doug Baldwin was and is- hands that were true and steady and a passionate mind. Presented in a package of authenticity. These are the qualities that made Doug the perfect receiver for the Pete Carroll Era. Whether it was using his platform as an athlete and the son of a cop to speak out against inherent bias in policing, or shoving Tom Cable on the sidelines- Doug Baldwin embodied an Other Thing. In these examples the Other Thing was people. He cares about people. His teammates, his community. He is Devoted Doug.

There are, or course, other Other Things- the truth. Doug cares about speaking the truth. But never without pause. Never without consideration. On a team with teammates who were known for their bravado, or robotic responses, or total silence, Doug was often measured and thoughtful before giving nuanced responses to difficult questions. For this reason he wasn’t the most quoted Seahawk, nor was he the most maligned. He steadily grew in his wisdom and efforts to make a difference in his world, whether it was speaking out against injustice or on the ground meeting with politicians. On and off the field, he is Difference Maker Doug.

The thing that I find most beautiful about football is not the strategy or the stats. What I like the most is the Other Thing about football- that in this sport, we see a complex web of relationships between people and the qualities they exhibit. When you encounter a player with unique insight into the game and into these relationships you find yourself attached to that player. Doug Baldwin has that insight and we’ve all been attached for eight years.

As usual, no one says it better than Doug. In his twitter-thread retirement musing, written as a letter to his younger self, he named the ultimate Other Thing, saying "But when the journey finally comes to the end, you will reflect on what that little boy caught between Gulf Breeze and Pensacola really wanted: to be seen and to be loved." He was never angry, just full of desire. Seahawks fans in Seattle and all over the world know the distinction. We see that passion and we love it. Thanks Doug for playing hard, for winning, and for being a man who knew the importance of the Other Things.

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