THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Seahawks might be worth the wager — not by me, of course, but perhaps Addison

Yes, I am a betting man.

With limitations.

I’m not wagering the house, my collection of Arsenal soccer jerseys, nor Addison the Awesome Feline (ATAF).

But taking a punt with just a few bucks here and there, sure.

There is one more limitation, actually, and I’ve stuck to it passionately through a longish career.

I won’t bet on games or events that involve teams I cover — in other words, Gonzaga, Wazzu, and all the Seattle clubs.

There have been times (before my near-decade at The Press) when that particular betting restriction has cost me real money.

For instance, several years ago I was assigned to the Kansas City Royals, and I happened to be with them on an after-midnight charter from southern California back to KC.

The team would have arrived home in the wee hours in the best of circumstances, but it got worse. We were only in the air an hour or so when someone phoned in a bomb threat to the airline.

The plane had to be diverted to Salt Lake City and searched from end to end.

JUST AN inconvenience?

No, that’s a phrase you’d use on vacation.

The Royals had a game scheduled the following day, and I saw exactly what those players looked like when they finally landed in KC — and then had to take a bus to the stadium (50 minutes), where all the personal cars had been left.

Most shouldn’t have been driving.

Arrival time at home had to be around noon.

Now, athletes are human beings, and these guys were absolute wrecks.

It occurred to me that the Chicago White Sox, that evening’s foes at Kauffman Stadium, might be the bet of the century against the helpless, dozing Royals.

But I didn’t do it.

So, I sat in the press box that night and watched the sleepwalking Royals scratch out just four meaningless singles in a 4-0 loss.

I could have killed that bet and fattened my wallet.

I therefore stayed clean.

And poor.

That brings us to the present, boys and girls, and another bout with temptation.

Here’s a lesson that can be profitable when applied correctly: Teams and athletes in the West are underrated due to lack of hoopla.

Fans, the press and social media go ballistic if one of the Yankees produces a three-game hitting streak.

Meanwhile, Cal Raleigh hits his 80th home run in a late game up there in the snow, someplace in the Yukon. 

Hell, who’s staying awake for THAT?

The bias is staggering.

The whole thing is ridiculous, but at least occasionally, there are times when it can work to our advantage.

I’M NOT going to pretend that I’m an NFL guru.

Footwork on the offensive line might as well be the study of nano-structures in molecular physics.

However, I CAN count wins and losses.

Likewise, the bookmakers in Vegas and elsewhere have put up numbers that are very, very interesting.

For instance, if you want to bet that the Seahawks will have a successful 2025 with Sam Darnold as the trigger man, you can make money.

Even if they have a losing season.

Yep, the over-under on wins for Seattle is 7 1/2, so you would need only eight wins to collect.

An 8-9 season would do it.

I REALLY like that bet.

Mike Macdonald will put together a rugged defense.

That feels good in any case, but now spotlight edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu is getting healthy after offseason surgery.

The offense absolutely WILL run the ball under coordinator Klint Kubiak, and his outside zone scheme looks terrific so far.

I know, it’s only been two exhibition games.

But I’m willing to bet that the offensive line is massively improved.

Oops.

Unfortunately, my own ethics prevent me from betting on the Seahawks.

Darn.

I’ll have to settle for watching at home, and telling Addison (ATAF): “See, I was right!”

Hmmm.

I’ll wonder if Addison got a bet down for herself.

If a case of fancy salmon shows up at the front door, we’ll need to have a talk.

Email: [email protected]

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