THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: It seems to be working out for John and Mac after all — but don't blame Pete

Sometimes you just have to write a downer.

It’s no fun.

Being a journalist would rock full-time if we could hand out applause and congratulate everyone walking down the road.

Can’t do it, unfortunately, because you count on us to get the stories right — and sometimes, being honest is a little like pulling teeth.

Gotta do it, but it feels a bit gruesome getting to the finish line.

That’s what we’re doing today, going back over a decade-plus story that isn’t quite as neat as most of us believed.

Sorry.

But.

We’re looking for the whole truth.

Sadly, all those Pete Carroll fans who argued that GM John Schneider had lost his touch felt and cost the Seahawks a descent into a deep, dark well.

There’s now a mountain of evidence that Schneider remains on top of his game, while Pete — still popular as ever — appears to be slipping as he heads into his mid-70s.

Anyone close to the Seahawks organization knew a year ago that the two men who built such a powerhouse were sliding into opposite directions.

YES, THEY were still friends.

In terms of rebuilding the sliding Seahawks, though, Carroll still believed he was the man to give the club adrenaline.

With years in front of them, though, this HAD to be work for younger executives.

By the way, the fact that Mike Macdonald has hustled the Hawks into a 12-3 record (with a legitimate shot at the NFC’s top spot) is not proof that he was a cinch to knock the league on its backside.

No question, Mac has been terrific.

On the other side of this equation, however, Carroll hasn’t forgotten how to coach.

Oh, he’s made some personnel gaffes on the way to a 2-13 record, but Vince Lombardi couldn’t have pulled this Raiders roster out of ditch.

It’s easy to compare this season’s records and instantly conclude that Macdonald is now the young genius headed to the Hall of Fame — while Pete needs a rocking chair and some sharp assistants to help him learn the game all over again.

That’s nonsense.

However.

When it came to making a decision about where to take the Seahawks organization, the call wasn’t too difficult.

This WAS about the future, after all.

It was not a squabble over Seattle’s next great tight end — or what sort of offensive scheme Klint Kubiak would install to get this plane off the ground.

AS IT happened, Macdonald (along with his staff, scouts and so on) came out firing with some terrific personnel decisions.

Safe to say that Carroll would probably have loved to get his Vegas project off and flying with players like Sam Darnold, Grey Zabel, Charles Cross, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Leonard (Big Cat) Williams, Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori, Byron Murphy II, AJ Barner and Ernest Jones IV.

If we’re tossing flowers to Schneider, let’s not forget Rashid Shaheed, acquired from the Saints for a bag of footballs (Tom Brady “Adjustable Model”).

How does John do this?

For a team that needed a bit more speed, Schneider landed just about the most desirable receiver/kick returner on the planet.

Shaheed already has zipped 100 yards with a kickoff, and started the rally against the Rams by taking a punt return to the house.

This really comes across as a one-sided argument, and it sounds like Carroll’s next gig will be working a blackjack table on The Strip.

Fear not.

Pete is always going to land on his feet (all four!), and we’re making a pretty good case for the Seahawks.

It’ll work pretty well, all the way around.

It’s tough to do poorly in Vegas.

Or Seattle, for that matter.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday,

Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On."