THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Wake up! Maggie's got something to say to you — and me

Nah, we can’t let this week slip away without a “Notes and Quotes” column, can we?

Definitely not.

For one thing, I need an excuse to reference an email from reader Maggie Lyon.

Perhaps Maggie could find a spot in THIS industry, because her letter was longer than a lot of our columns.

Anyhow …

There were so many points to discuss, I’m turning today’s fun and games almost entirely over to Ms. Lyon.

I’ll try to sneak in a thought of my own before we finish.

Fair enough?

Unlike a lot of correspondents who offer opinions on what I write, Maggie seems open-minded.

She happily agreed with some of the points she’s noticed recently — but wasn’t so excited about a few others.

For instance, there’s the issue of Anton Watson, and my statement that the Zags forward brings some things to the party, but he’s not the sort of athletic player who can run in anything but a straight line.

Changing directions at full speed is not in Anton’s tool kit.

WELL …

Maggie made a stern point about that.

“Keep in mind that a straight line is the shortest distance between two places,” she wrote, “and if his goal is to make points, perhaps he wants that done without wasting time.

“I don’t know the exact stats about hits and misses on those straight journeys, but he is a joy to watch.”

Gotcha, Maggie, except quite often there is an opposing player standing in the path of Anton’s unswerving travels, and the ensuing crash leads to an offensive foul.

Anton’s strength — and the Zags DO benefit from it — is understanding the game, and being in the right place at the right time.

He’s a terrific passer, and also knows exactly when to sneak under the basket for a jam when Drew Timme can spot him.

Speaking of Timme, Maggie appreciates him (naturally), but wishes he’d spend more time practicing free throws than making casino commercials.

I suspect Maggie isn’t the only Zags fan who’s had that exact same thought.

But you’ve gotta love him in the casino, don’t you?

I’M ONLY giving Maggie one more turn on stage today, but I have to admit it’s a glorious one.

Remember my mention of the Kraken in a recent column, and a reference to the legendary Los Angeles writer Jim Murray — who claimed that NO spectator (live or on TV) had ever actually seen a hockey goal?

OK, Maggie has some Canadian roots rattling around in her closet, so obviously she had a thought about that idea.

“Glad I’m not the only one that has never seen a hockey goal,” she wrote.

“I don’t often watch hockey, but my Canadian family was crazy about it.

“My aunts would crochet socks and watch hockey at the same time, and never miss a stitch or a goal.

“The socks turned out well made — not one dropped stitch — which make me believe THEY never really saw the puck hit the net either!”

OK, I can’t squeeze in with any thoughts of my own just yet, not without mentioning that Maggie signed off with a classic Canadian farewell …

She suggested that I might want to write a column about curling.

Sure.

A thrill-a-minute sport in which the critical object is a broom.

Thanks for everything, Maggie, but curling is just too exciting for my heart.

NOW, CAN I have my column back for a minute, Ms. Lyon?

Because …

There are full-scale debates going on among Seahawks fans (and maybe within the organization) about bringing back Geno Smith as QB1 in 2023.

So far, both Geno and Pete Carroll have issued gushing statements — Smith claiming he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, and Pete saying, “We’ve got our guy.”

Carroll really went overboard when insisting that Geno was happy with the team, with the system, with the coaches, with the guys in the clubhouse …

And that the feeling was mutual.

“We’ve got a real lovefest,” Pete said.

It will be interesting to see if that love affair continues when the two sides get together and discuss money.

Looking at salaries around the NFL, Smith would seem to be valued in the $35-plus million range — he could get close to that in free agency — while the Seahawks likely are hoping Geno will take less, so they can add some impact players around him.

Prepare for a compromise something like this …

Geno gets a fair amount, but stretched over a two- or three-year deal so the team can spread out his cap hit — giving Pete and John Schneider a shot to reload with draft choices and free-agent signings.

Oh, by the way …

Seahawks QB2 Drew Lock (whom Carroll has said he’d trust to run the team after this season in the system), is also a free agent.

Would they dare let Geno walk and hand the keys to Lock, using the financial difference to add talent elsewhere?

And maybe drafting a quarterback for the future?

This could be a wild offseason, folks.

Email: [email protected]

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Or…

Just like the Seahawks with Geno Smith, The Press hierarchy decides Cameron is too expensive, turns the “Cheap Seats” over to Maggie Lyon, and uses the money it saves on improvements to the break room.

Steve and Maggie both suggest you take their opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”