The Ian Furness Show

The Seahawks are practicing and Mike Macdonald spoke to the media earlier today. Ian likes the way both he and Sam Darnold presented today and we take a listen to his mentality heading into the NFC Championship. with 30% of the NFL looking for a new head coach, how lucky are we to have Mike Macdonald here in Seattle?  Stewart Mandel, The Athletic tries to break down the Duke vs. Darian Mensah, but it's extremely complicated - how similar is it to the Demond Williams situation? He takes a look back at the NCAA Championship game and what made Indiana so successful this year. Curt Cignetti is one of the best talent evaluators out there.  Eno Sarris, The Athletic joins Ian to talk about Felix Hernandez's historic percentage rise in the MLB Hall of Fame voting that took place yesterday. What are the chances he ends up getting in and if so, when?  Mike Holmgren thinks the Seahawks will win on Sunday and win the whole dang thing. They're his favorite for the Super Bowl. He talks about how he'd prepare a backup quarterback in the Seahawks' current situation. And, of course, we have a very reasoned and level-headed conversation about referees.  Mick Cronin continues to whine. We check in on the Tacoma Dodge Text Line!  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who do you dislike more in the NFC West - the Niners or the Rams? Ian would take San Francisco and really doesn't like Sean McVay. However, he does respect the fact that the two best teams and the two best coached teams are facing off this weekend: this is the Super Bowl. What will the Seahawks do at running back for this weekend?  Indiana wins the National Championship, but that doesn't show that anybody can win it all. Money talks, but Curt Cignetti proved that you have to have a jackpot of a coach to get it done, especially one who can put together a stellar staff. Cignetti's talent evaluation is second to none, and Ian says that's much more important than being a good recruiter.  The Daily Power Play!  John Lund, Unleashed and Westwood One joins Ian from the Bay Area to break down NFC West hate. John's on the same page with Ian in distaste for Sean McVay. Looking to the future for the Niners, is there concern about Christian McCaffrey's longevity? Lund tells us why Seahawks fans won't be happy about the officiating crew this weekend.  Checking in on the Text Line and Talkbacks! Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Cosell, NFL Films does what he does best in breaking down what the tape says as he previews the matchup between the Seahawks and 49ers tomorrow. He also delves into the other three divisional games we'll watch this weekend.  Danny O'Neil, The Dang Apostrophe! Danny reacts to John Harbaugh's move to the Giants and the fan reaction to the hire. He and Ian reminisce over previous Seahawks' postseason games and which ones stand out. What will the matchup between Mike Macdonald and Kyle Shanahan look like? Shanahan has a monkey on his back to win the Super Bowl. Danny is impressed by Mike Macdonald's demeanor and ability to tap into the emotions of the team. His style is consistent and it works.  Danny continues with a review of the Seahawks record at home in the postseason and the pattern of success they've had playing in Seattle. While it doesn't guarantee anything, the Seahawks are certainly set up to go to the Super Bowl. Danny tells Ian what would make him nervous about tomorrow's game and it's that games never go the way you think they'll go.  Rob Rang, FOX Sports and BC Lions reviews the Seahawks 2025 draft class now that the regular season is in the rearview. To what can we attribute the Seahawks' recent rushing success? Rob also reacts to Dante Moore's return to Oregon, where Carson Beck will get drafted (day 2) and previews the National Championship game on Monday between Indiana and Miami.  Checking in on the Text Line!  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eight of the last ten coaches to make the playoffs in the last ten years are no longer a head coach. Ian wants to know if you think it's 'Super Bowl or bust' for the Seahawks. Is it a disappointment if they don't make it to Santa Clara?  Corbin Smith, Emerald City Spectrum breaks some unfortunate news as Sam Darnold has been added to the injury report today. Corbin talks us through the possibilities and what this means. What does 'questionable' mean on the injury report?  Sam Darnold has been added to the injury report for the first time in these two weeks and we hear from him at the podium. He sounds extremely confident is in his ability to play this weekend. Gregg Bell jumps on to give us the timeline on the Darnold situation - Gregg is certain Sam Darnold will play on Saturday and explains the NFL injury report. We breath a collective sigh of relief.  Stewart Mandel, The Athletic joins Ian for a look back at the Demond Williams situation and gives us a broader view of what we're seeing in college football when it comes to the portal. He looks back at the CFP semifinals and ahead to the National Championship on Monday.  Checking in on the Text Line! We take texts and talkbacks on whether or not the Seahawks are 'Super Bowl or bust'.  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Demarcus Lawrence should be ok, despite being limited in practice today. The Seahawks are 'managing' the Achilles issues he's been dealing with. Ian is fascinated by Dante Moore's decision to return to Oregon and says he made the right football choice. Is there a better model for the NFL to follow, say, perhaps as junior hockey sets up? Mike Holmgren shares his memories of the week leading up to a playoff game and the level of excitement that comes with it. Coach also discusses the coaching changes across the league and the 'why' behind the timing of several of them. Sometimes it's just time for a change. Is there any downside to a bye week in the playoffs? How much will the playcalling change for Shanahan without George Kittle? Coach thinks the Seahawks will win the Super Bowl and Sam Darnold deserves a ton of credit for what he's done this season. The team will play to his lead. Finally, The Daily Power Play!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does the juice for the Seahawks this postseason compare to the 2012-2015 seasons? Are we at the same level of intensity now?  Aaron Levine, FOX 13 joins Ian to preview the Seahawks matchup with the Niners this weekend and what he thinks it'll be like down at Lumen Field this Saturday.  The Daily Power Play! JACOB MELANSEN, KRAKEN RW joins Ian to react to the comeback win over the Rangers last night, his first goal in the NHL last week, his hard-hitting style of play and what it's like to become such a quick fan favorite.  John Lund, Unleashed! John gives Ian a rundown of what to expect from the 49ers this weekend in the divisional round. They're banged up, but as John says, 'they just won't die!' George Kittle might be out, but Lund has a great story to share.  Checking in on the Text Line!  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian Furness reacts to the wild Wild Card weekend of NFL games and the Seahawks now knowing they will face the 49ers in the next round, then dive deeper into the game ahead with San Francisco without George Kittle, in Hardcore Football with Hugh Millen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a football Friday! Ian previews the weekend ahead.  Danny O'Neil, The Dang Apostrophe! gives us his thoughts on the Demond Williams saga. It's a sad state of college football. We listen to Hugh Millen from this morning, who had some pretty strong thoughts on the situation. Danny reacts.  Drake Thomas, Seahawks LB made one of the most critical plays of the Seattle's final game against the 49ers with a game-sealing interception. He tells Ian what happened on that play. He also talks about his path from undrafted free agency to becoming an integral part of this dominant Seahawks' defense.  The Daily Power Play!  Rob Rang, FOX Sports and BC Lions of course weighs in on Demond Williams, which is a whole fiasco on his own. Interestingly enough, Rob sees Williams as more of a CFL prospect than in the NFL. Rob reacts to last night's semi-final game and previews tonight's between Oregon and Indiana.  Checking in on the Text Line!  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian can't get enough of the Demond Williams story, and it's not because of his Cougar roots - it's because of what a fascinating story it is. Can it be the tipping point in college sports to make changes for the better? While it's splashy here in town, this isn't the first time it's happened. Ian hopes this is the start of a better system, but has very little faith it'll happen.  Corbin Smith, Emerald City Spectrum tells Ian what we saw last weekend from the Seahawks was one of the best defensive performances he's seen from any Seattle team. It's right up there with anything we saw from the Legion of Boom. What does Nick Emmanwori mean to this team? Finally, a preview of the 49ers vs. the Eagles this weekend, in which Corbin sees Philly winning easily.  The Daily Power Play!  Tod Leiweke, Kraken President and CEO reflects on his time with the Seahawks and what he saw in John Schneider that made him the ideal candidate for Seattle when Tod brought him in. He also discusses the strides the Kraken have taken to embrace their fans, the new developments at Memorial Stadium and what's next for the NBA here in Seattle.  Checking in on the Voice and Text Lines!  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to the Demond Williams transferring, Ian isn't necessarily gloating, but he has one thing to say: welcome to the club. Where does the outrage lie - in losing the talent, the fact he signed a deal or elsewhere? What happened to UW is what's happening to everyone around the country. Nobody is immune. The most egregious part of his announcement, to Ian, what that it occurred during the memorial for Mia Hammant.   Stewart Mandel, The Athletic joins us to preview the CFB semifinals this weekend, as he's on his way to the Fiesta Bowl.  Tod Leiweke, Kraken President and CEO talks about the resurgence we've seen from the team lately, how impactful Coach Lambert has been and the key to their recent success.  Mike Holmgren talks to Ian about the benefits of the bye week for the Seahawks and the challenges the teams who play this weekend face. He shares his own memories and experiences throughout his time as the head coach of the Seahawks and how it applies to the team we're seeing today.  Checking in on the Talkbacks! Listeners weigh in on the Demond Williams portal situation and boy do they have some opinions.  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian takes us through some numbers that show how financially important sports are to this city. Mike Macdonald did Seattle more than just a sports favor by winning on Saturday. How high is Macdonald's ceiling as a coach? Also, who do want to see coming to Seattle in the divisional round? For Ian, it doesn't even matter.  Chris Crawford, My oh Why joins to give us an update on the moves the Mariners made over the last week, as they've flown under the radar with all of the football frenzy. Chris takes a look ahead to what this team looks like in 2026.  What moves do they still need to make and what reunion potentially lurks in the future.  The Daily Power Play! The Kraken are red hot after a tough spot in their schedule. Ian previews Seattle's matchup with the Bruins. Are they a playoff team?  John Lund, Unleashed! John laments the 49ers loss to the Seahawks. While San Francisco was dealing with injuries throughout the season, it's not like Seattle wasn't. What does the Niners matchup look like this weekend? BREAKING: John Harbaugh is out in Baltimore.  Checking in on the Text Line!  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hugh Millen, Hardcore Football! What a weekend of football, can Hugh sit back and relax to watch the games this weekend? Probably not. How much does the volume of the 12s impede on the defense, as much as the players love the way it messes with the opposing offense? Hugh tells us what he's rooting for this weekend. Finally, while we saw some great drafts and acquisitions this year, there are some little moves that made all the difference.  Hugh Millen continues with Ian to break down the Seahawks' defense in Saturday's game. He also shares his thoughts on Pete Carroll's firing in Las Vegas today.  Hugh Millen wraps things up with an evaluation of Seattle's run game as we saw it yesterday. Finally, what did he see from Sam Darnold? He did well at the things he was asked to do, while he also wasn't asked to do too much.  Mike Sando, The Athletic has a grasp on all things going on throughout the league on this Black Monday - did any of the moves surprise them? He reacts to Raheem Morris' firing, as well as Pete Carroll's one and done year in Vegas. He gives thought on the rest the moves around the league and what it tells him about the respective teams who made them.  Checking in on the Text Line!  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are we spoiled as Seattle fans? Maybe we just aren't used to being good. How far can this Seahawks team go?  Corbin Smith, Emerald City Spectrum tells us exactly what he saw last night as the Rams fell to the Falcons. We are pleased with this in Seattle, but how did that happen? Who is in the 'elimination' realm and why is the #1 seed so important?  The Daily Power Play!  John Lund is completely unleashed today as we preview the ultimate matchup between the Seahawks and Niners. How petty can we be? Very. John also provides a health update on the current roster.  Checking in on the Text Line!  Crosstalk with Dick Fain!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hardcore Football with Hugh Millen! Hugh tells us exactly what he thinks about Sam Darnold and why the critique of this quarterback is unfair. He acknowledges his mistakes but also explains why they've happened. It's not all on the QB. Hugh continues on with Ian to talk about Sam Darnold's release and why he's had so many balls batted down. We take some reaction from listeners when it comes to Hugh's thoughts on Sam Darnold. He also previews the Macdonald and Shanahan showdown - which will be play by play. Mike Sando, The Athletic takes us on a trip around the NFL and what's going on as we approach the postseason with just a few weeks left. He breaks down the MVP race and comments on what happened with DK Metcalf in his interaction with a Detroit fan. What happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers? Finally he dives into the Bucs fall from grace and previews 'Black Monday' and whether Pete Carroll will still have a job. We check in on the text line, with his mostly reaction to Sam Darnold criticism. Finally, we connect with Dick Fain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hugh Millen joins to break down the massive Seahawks win last night, can we finally stop with the notion that Sam Darnold can't win a big game?  Danny O'Neil joins the show to talk about his comfort with technology, oh and that crazy game last night too.  Did you like the Seahawks rivalry jerseys?  Corbin Smith from Emerald City Spectrum joins to talk about what it was like in the stadium last night, and how the Seahawks pulled it off.  Checking the textline.  Softy joins for cross talk.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Seahawks play in the biggest game of the regular season tonight as they host the Rams - when was the last time they played in a regular season game this big? Ian believes that the loser of tonight's game remains a contender for the Super Bowl. Greg Cosell, NFL Films joins Ian to preview tonight's massive game. He also breaks down their close win over the Colts, Sam Darnold's performance and what stalled the offense in that game. We check in on the Kraken in the Daily Power Play! Brandon Funston, The Athletic kicks off the final unofficial start of the weekend as the fantasy football playoffs are ON! He answers your questions in order to win your league. We check the text and finally, talk to Softy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Seahawks take on the Rams tomorrow night in the biggest game of the season - for both teams. Gregg breaks down the postseason potential matchups. Stewart Mandel, The Athletic joins Gregg to react to WSU hiring Kirby Moore, the latest with Sherrone Moore, where Jedd Fisch would rank among Michigan interest and previews the CFP. Plus, how much longer will the Army Navy game be a stand alone Saturday game and could we see a shift in the CFB schedule to curtail the transfer portal craziness before the season is even over? Farjan Laiji, TSN joins Gregg to react to the Kraken postgame fiasco last night and what to make of it. He also previews the Rams vs. Seahawks matchup tomorrow night, as well as the CFP. Mike Holmgren joins Gregg to discuss how he would coach in a game expecting such strong wind. He says it absolutely affects the game plan. Coach also tells us he thinks tomorrow night comes down to a single field goal between the Rams and Seahawks. We check the texts and talk to Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gregg Bell is in for Ian! Gregg and Jess are back together after the Army Navy game and recount that experience. Gregg thinks the Rams have been holding Davante Adams out of practice so they can have him a full-go on Thursday night against the Seahawks. Gregg says the secret sauce for Seattle is Nick Emmanwori. Gregg also gives observations of the game on Sunday, some of which may have gone unnoticed.  Jorge Sedano, ESPN LA joins us to give some insight on the "NBA Cup", previews the Seahawks Thursday night game against the Rams and tells us what he thinks LA should do with Davante Adams, considering his hamstring injury.  The Daily Power Play! Mike Benton joins Gregg to talk Kraken, what's gone wrong of late and what they need to do to make things right.  John Lund, Unleashed! John tells Gregg just how the Niners continue to make things happen, despite the Band-Aids and bubble gum with which they're holding things together. He gives a high level look at the NFC West as the Seahawks prepare for the Rams this Thursday. He also gives his perspective, in the only way he can, on Thursday night's upcoming game.  Julian Love spoke with Gregg and other members of the media yesterday - we take a listen.  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hardcore Football with Hugh Millen! Hugh doesn't like any negative rhetoric around the Seahawks team right now, considering some numbers he has that proves they're a dang good football team. Might have been a lousy game, but they won and it's time to move on. He also acknowledges that the Rams have the right to be called the best team in the NFL right now. He also says it's pretty easy to spot the flaws Seattle has to fix and it starts with the offensive line. Hugh continues with us to break down Sam Darnold's performance and just how important it is to get the O-Line right before the next game.  The Daily Power Play! Brandon Montour joins Ian to give him a high-level view of the Kraken season, as they've had a rough go of late. He also discusses his time here in Seattle, how this season is different due to him having been here for longer and what the team needs to do to move forward.  Mike Sando, The Athletic takes Ian on a trip around the NFL, which includes the devastating injuries we saw with Micah Parsons and Patrick Mahomes. He goes through his playoff calculator and tells us who has the edge heading down the home stretch.  Jason Botterill, Kraken GM joins Ian to address the recent struggles the team has faced and what the team is thinking in the trade market. He also talks about the landscape of the market and what challenges the parity in the market creates. How much communication happens between teams throughout the season? Finally, an evaluation of Shane Wright and the goalies and what Berkly Catton's future holds. Finally, we walk to Softy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gregg and Jessamyn are live from radio row for tomorrow's Army Navy game! Army Superintendent General Steven Gilland joins the show to discuss how special this game is for the cadets participating.  Mike Mayock, Former NFL Executive sits down to discuss the historic Army Navy game, his experience attending, his military connections and the state of college football as well.  Nate Boyer, former Seahawk and Green Beret joins Gregg and Jessamyn to talk about the game, his path to football, his time in Seattle and his crossover between football and the military.  A state of emergency has been declared for Washington amongst the flooding and Gregg and Jess acknowledge the devastation, while telling people how they can help.  There are some intense traditions tied to the Army Navy game and Gregg shares some stories of his time at West Point.  Annie Agar who is best known for her posts about college football and the NFL, tells us about her experience covering college football and how her career took off via social media.  BREAKING: Washington State to hire Kirby Moore as their next head coach. Kyle Whittingham steps down at Utah. Brian Jones, CBS Sports joins the show to react to this news, break down what to expect in tomorrow's game and discuss what's broken in college football.  More reaction to the college football news we're seeing across the country, mostly at Washington State.  We let you know all we can as we're learning more about what's going on at Washington State. Gregg want to know what Kirby Moore said to President Cantwell to convince her, not only that he's the guy, but that he'll stay.  Army Athletic Director, Tom Theodorakis tells Gregg and Jessamyn about his first year on the job, what the game means to him and why it's so special amongst the rest of college football.  Crosstalk with Softy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.