Seahawks Insider
where there is no offseason

Eric D. Williams took over the Seahawks beat and Seahawks Insider blog in December. Williams has covered the Seahawks, Sonics and high school sports for The News Tribune since joining the paper in 2006. Eric lives in Tacoma with his wife and two children.

Tacoma News Tribune columnist Dave Boling also contributes to the Seahawks Insider blog.

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Seahawks Insider
Thursday, December 27th, 2007
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 05:40:46 pm

The Seahawks' quarterback has been wearing a titanium necklace for much of the season, which some athletes apparently believe improves recovery from injury. A reporter was doing a story on the company that makes the necklace and asked Hasselbeck about it. Here is the explanation, offbeat but interesting:

“It’s really embarrassing why, to be honest. A bunch of the Red Sox pitchers were wearing them during the World Series. I didn’t know what it was. I thought it was just some childish thing and then I was talking to Damon Huard who’s a friend of mine who plays in Kansas City and he told me that he had just gotten one. I think it was during the bye week. I had an oblique muscle injury and so did he and he told me he was wearing the necklace for an oblique so we went down. There’s like three Phiten stores in America and one happens to be in Seattle. The other is in like Honolulu and the other is in L.A. (Los Angeles) somewhere. So we went down there and bought a couple necklaces and now I’m kind of hooked. Yeah, there’s a bunch of guys. In fact, Darryl Tapp stole my other one, the one I ordered online, my blue one. It’s titanium. Golfers wear them a lot on their wrists like a bracelet but a lot of the baseball players have been wearing them, a lot of throwers, for recovery. Actually, I was a little embarrassed so I sent my wife into the store and then I bought my other one online but I’ve since gone to the store. It’s kind of impressive. They have a lot of, a lot of the baseball players will come in and take pictures so that kind of gave it credibility for me.”

Categories: Injuries, Miscellaneous 33 comments

COMMENTS:

martelt @ 22:14 - Thursday, December 27th, 2007 Email
you think we could maybe get a link to wear you buy them
RichmondHawk @ 22:19 - Thursday, December 27th, 2007 Email
Well if Hass is interested I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.
berserker @ 22:49 - Thursday, December 27th, 2007
BAHHHH screw titanium, TUNGSTON CARBIDE is the way to go.
JimWilke @ 01:07 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
There are plenty for sale on eBay.
Regis @ 02:27 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
http://www.phitenusa.com/
krisboose @ 05:11 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
What is the thought / science behind what they are supposed to do? The page on that website says Under Construction. Anyone know more about there? Obviously lots of sports stars and people that suffer from injury are using them to feel better / heal faster. What's the dealio?

Peace,
Kristian
GHF @ 05:19 - Friday, December 28th, 2007
didn't someone once say that athletes are very superstitious people? Eat and do the same things on game days, etc.
PaulieP @ 06:52 - Friday, December 28th, 2007
http://www.seahawkblue.com/
Mind over matter.
natman @ 07:12 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
"...a lot of the baseball players will come in and take pictures so that kind of gave it credibility for me."

Baseball players are probably the most superstitious athlete out there. Not the most reliable reference.
montanahawk @ 07:35 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
Buy stock in titanium. Not for the supersticious nature of it all but for the simple fact that sales of said merchandise will sky rocket after everyone reads the plug. Not that it was intended that way, but that's how it will play out. Pretty soon many fans of the Northwest will be accessorising with titanium jewelry. Think I will purchase one for the hubby. If Matt wears it, the spouse will want one.
STTBM @ 07:51 - Friday, December 28th, 2007
This is the silliest thing I have ever heard. Hasselbeck is superstitious?! how very lame. Its bad enough SA thinks he heals quickly because God loves him more than the rest of us, now Hasselbeck thinks he'll recover faster by wearing titanium. Give me a break! Next thing you know, a black cat will cross Hasselbecks path on the way to Seahawks Stadium on Playoff Day, and he'll freak out and believe he's doomed--and we'll lose due to his lack of confidence in creating ones own destiny.

How can someone so smart be sooo stupid?!
montanahawk @ 07:58 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
Don't think his intentions were supersticious in nature.Even if they were, it doesn't really make him stupid. What I get out of reading the article is that he did it for the heck of it & the rest of it is just information passed on by why other people wear them. Don't think it was intended to be taken so seriously. It looks cool, Matt looks cool, I like it, it's a great endorsement & I may buy one or not buy one.... Who knows?
drmossguy @ 08:03 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
http://www.mythsabouthealth.com
The comments about athlete superstitions are correct. I was friends with a ball-girl for the mariners back when Griffey Jr and Bone were playing together, and she and some other ball girls babysat the players kids. We got a first-hand look at how much stock these multi-million dollar athletes put into not washing a jock strap, drinking a diet sprite before a game, and tipping a driver the same amount and the influence on their productivity. Its not surprising to see Matt doing this. However, it seems different than just a superstition. I think its just a "mental queue" for him and the old Obecalp effect.

The following is not an endorsement, just some things I read.
There has been a lot of retrospective data collection regarding titanium and surgical healing time. For example, and this is all looking back at data that was collected and then extracting correlation so take it with a few grains, but dental surgery that included titanium implants/pieces correlated with much faster healing times. Titanium screws vs. other materials correlate with faster healing times in bone fractures. Several japanese researchers have been studying titanium and those studies suggest increased blood flow in the region where the titanium is on/in the body. And, regardless of if it helps or not, people are more rarely allergic to titanium or have reactions from titanium than other metals. So at least its not hurting.

Who knows. Whatever Matt has been doing this year has generally been working, so keep on keepin' on.

I believe the mind is a powerful thing and what you believe will eventually come to pass.

drmossguy @ 08:06 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
http://www.mythsabouthealth.com
I agree with you Montanahawk. I know I find myself tempted. My wedding band is titanium, so I am already protected...the rest would just be for looks.
RichmondHawk @ 08:16 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
Its an Eastern thing "Feng Shui" etc. Negative ions are suppose to be good and tungsten is suppose to emit negative ions:

"Why do negative ions attract attention?

Enhance relaxation, alleviate symptoms of disease, and healing power

negative ions play a major role in helping to detoxify and enhance the body's overall well-being."

http://www.lelong.com.my/Auc/List/2007-12DStd10145742.htm

Its the same idea as the magnetic bracelets being sold on those info-mercials.
ppeach27 @ 08:21 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
Matt is not superstitious. He had an interview on NFL Network(I think) where he talks about not being superstitious as far as rituals are concerned. Also, the mind is very powerful and if you truly believe that something is helping you heal faster, it probably is.
ppeach27 @ 08:23 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
Here's an article about Matt and superstition.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/miller/274004_miller15.html
montanahawk @ 08:58 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
Interesting info that many of you have added. Thanks for passing it on.
fusillade @ 08:58 - Friday, December 28th, 2007
If it Hasselbeck thinks it is helping, and he is having a GREAT year, I am on board. At least a titanium necklace will never be considered a performance enhancing drug.
jzulaski @ 08:58 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
Wait a sec...

A "ball-girl" told you that the athletes didn't wash their jock straps?

Did anyone else spit coffee out their noses upon reading that? ;-)

Z

Comment by drmossguy @ 08:03 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 http://www.mythsabouthealth.com The comments about athlete superstitions are correct. I was friends with a ball-girl for the mariners back when Griffey Jr and Bone were playing together, and she and some other ball girls babysat the players kids. We got a first-hand look at how much stock these multi-million dollar athletes put into not washing a jock strap, drinking a diet sprite before a game, and tipping a driver the same amount and the influence on their productivity.
PapaHawk @ 09:06 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
This answers a lot of questions. In fact, after reading this I'd love to know what percentage of Brett Favre is titanium. He probably has had titanium transplants all through his body. That must be it. Or maybe he's just a tough MF.

Now that the secret is out on the necklace, the same people who own the Reebok NFL equipment neon green Deion Branch gloves, will now get the titanium necklace from Phiten. After that, they 'll go out and get the Tatupu tattoos. By the way, we see them every game, the one on the bicep area, is that a bear or a wolf? Something hairy with a face I think. The other one looks like he got run over by a truck, looks like tire treads, but it is probably something much cooler. I'd love to know these answers, that way the "bird cage" can gear up.

As for the necklace, whatever works for Joel Pineiro can work for me. That doesn't sound right...
sherminator @ 09:15 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
drmossguy:

I have built machinery used in the manufacture of dental implants; the screws placed in the jaw are titanium because it was found that titanium "bonds" with bone, and the titanium screws do not rely on mechanical forces alone for repairs. That explains one benefit for the use of titanium in surgery.

For general healing powers I swear by pyramids - Pyramid Ales, that is.
PapaHawk @ 09:21 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
According to : http://www.the506.com/nflmaps/2007-17-FOX1.html

The Hawks/Atlanta game will feature some excellent announcers. Chris Myers and Seahawks hater Jason Sehorn. I'm sure he'll rip on Trufant for not being as good as Woodson, and he'll talk about how small Kelly Jennings is. Then, he'll talk about how the Hawks have had an easy schedule and if it weren't for that, they'd be under .500 That guy is a tool (with a hottie wife though) who is bitter he was run out of the league. He is a model, not a football player. The only "media member" who is a bigger Hawks hater is Tim Brown. But at least that guy had HOF game. So I'll cut him some slack. After all, in his days as an Oakland Raider WR, he played against mostly terrible Seahawks defenses.

Sehorn blows hard. At least we have Tatupu at MLB who is a USC Trojan, so he won't rip on him. By the way, Jason, how come you weren't a regular starter at USC? Now is time for KIRO to delay the radio broadcast so that I can watch the game and listen to Raible and Moon (and Takei).
drmossguy @ 09:26 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
http://www.mythsabouthealth.com
sherminator:

I know this. I was not endorsing.

Some folks wondered what, if any, had been written about the potential health benefits of titanium that may have started this belief. I was only giving some examples of those things, not trying to explain how it works. Of course there are the perfectly logical, explainable, industrial reasons for titanium, but someone is always selling something based on the fact that people love a miracle cure. I merely wanted to point out the fact that people have been looking back at any correlations.

Titanium was used post WW2 for mending the legs of horses by the super rich. Then it was used for leg bone rod implants. Then it was used in dental work and jewelry. Titanium not only "bonds" with bone, as you say, but it is completely non-corrosive in, dare I say, human fluids, and vastly more impermeable to gaseous oxidation. Much better than surgical steel, etc.

Not only this, but it makes for an outstanding bike frame.

And I definitely said ball-girls and Jock straps in the same breath. Snort away.
Pilot @ 10:54 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
I don't see much difference between wearing titanium and praying to a god, and according to polls, 90% of Americans believe in some god or other. It's all about what floats your boat I guess.
Stevo @ 10:55 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
I swear by my titanium necklace, throwing salt over my left shoulder, and keeping a dead cat tied around my waist.
NEWJERSEYMIKE @ 11:37 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
Im bored, Is anybody excited about this week's meaningless game?
cyberized @ 11:52 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
How can someone so smart be sooo stupid?!

YEP! He is a George BUSH supporter too! UNBELIEVABLE!

How about trying a Crow's foot?

And Matt is my FAVORITE Hawk!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHawks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nwdave @ 13:01 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
NEWJERSEYMIKE: I'm excited about seeing some of our backups. In one of the newer posts it was mentioned that Locklear might play LT and Chop play RT. What if Locklear would eventually move into Big Walt's spot a couple years from now? Maybe Willis then fills RT void. I think Locklear had the best year of any of our lineman, if he can continue to get better he might be a pretty good LT too.

And PapaHawk: Tatupu's tire track tat (and yes I think it looks like he got run over too) is probably a Samoan design.
STTBM @ 13:15 - Friday, December 28th, 2007
Is Tatupu samoan or fijian or hawaiin?

Im betting the line, with Loclear, Spencer/Gray at C, Pork Chop, Willis, and Jones will be better than our starting unit. Sims doesnt have it, the guy has no business on an NFL field. Gray cant play G any more, though he looked ok subbing for Spence.

I would also like to see someone other than Tapp play RDE, as Tapp hasnt done much over the last month. Maybe someone who can actually stop the run?

I dont think Hasselbeck is necesarily a Republican, just that he was honored to meet a US president. Though it would make sense, as Hass is very wealthy, and the Repubs are all about tax cuts for the wealthy. Not that it matters much, as long as Hass doesnt beat his wife or kids or use Roids, I dont care one way or another which way he votes.
snydro22 @ 14:26 - Friday, December 28th, 2007 Email
dude, leshthomas, you are such an idiot. wow.

do us all a favor and choke.
jibo1 @ 10:59 - Saturday, December 29th, 2007 Email
Snydro I don't how or why I'm doing this, but I agree with you.leshthomas is some what Deranged.
Leshthoma I believe Tatupu is an American. His father an mother could have been born in Fiji.
RichmondHawk @ 01:18 - Sunday, December 30th, 2007 Email
"do us all a favor and choke."

So what are you saying he should choke and die?

Its funny how some of you guys can turn petty disagreements into wishing ill will on other people.

They should've banned your ass like yesterday.

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