It was a glorious Seattle summer day, befitting the kickoff to another promising Seattle football season. The sun sparkled off the lake, Seahawks players swayed in time to the pulsating music and fans on the berm happily soaked it all in.
Yet the ritualistic optimism of Day One of training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on Sunday was unexpectedly shattered after what had been a lively and spirited practice. Dave Pearson, the Seahawks public relations chief, gathered the media to read a statement about Malik McDowell’s “vehicular accident,” and suddenly the tone shifted from party to pall.