The key endorsement came at the conclusion of last Sunday’s Bears game, after Russell Wilson had led the Seahawks to an overtime victory on an 80-yard game-winning drive.

“Are you an @DangeRussWilson believer yet?” tweeted Rainn Wilson. “I just became one.”

Rainn (a Shorecrest grad, if you didn’t know) isn’t alone. Seahawks fans, myself included have fallen hard for Wilson. Writes Kenneth Arthur of the Hawks blog Field Gulls: “Wilson is young, he’s ridiculously inexpensive, he’s good, and he’s winning. The only thing more I could ask from him is to be my date to the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance.”

Let’s break down the many reasons for the powerful municipal mancrush:

Wilson’s an underdog.
Wilson is 5’-11”, which has long been considered too small for a quarterback. Not just for an NFL quarterback — the colleges that recruited Wilson wanted him to switch positions. Wilson was a four-year starter in college. The Seahawks already had a highly-paid and 6′-2″ presumed starter in Matt Flynn…but Wilson beat him out in preseason.

Wilson studies hard
A game film addict, Wilson reported to Seahawks HQ every day during the offseason to study opposing teams. Before every game he texts his receivers a scouting report on the opposing team’s defensive backs and linebackers.

Wilson has a sense of purpose
“I know that I’m playing for a lot of kids down the road, kids in the future that are my height,” he told the Miami Herald last week.

Wilson is advanced for his age
There is actually more to being a good quarterback than being tall — or even than having a strong arm. Wilson has a handle on the nuances of the position ridiculously early. Watch what he does with his hips on this TD throw against the Vikings. The whole play, his hips and feet point left, then he fires the ball into the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown. This is Advanced Quarterbacking, people. (This Field Gulls article has the full breakdown of the play.)

Wilson can beat you with his legs
Against a gassed Chicago defense on Sunday, Wilson led the Seahawks down the field with zone-read plays, which give the quarterback the option to run. After several successful runs, the Seahawks went zone read for the winning throw, with the threat of Wilson’s legs helping his receivers get open. Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher pulled his hamstring chasing Wilson during the end of the game and now may be out for the season.

Wilson proves that math rulez
The stats and analysis gurus at Football Outsiders were stunned when their projection system for college players, the “Lewin Career Forecast,” gave Wilson the highest rating ever – higher than first overall pick Andrew Luck. The writers of the site started calling Wilson “The Asterisk.” Turns out their numbers — just like Nate Silver’s — may have turned out to be right. Check out how Wilson compares to Luck against seven common opponents this season.

Wilson doesn’t throw over the middle
This goes under the category of “just about everything.” Wilson has thrown over the middle on just seven percent of his pass attempts this season – less than any of the top 20 quarterbacks in the NFL. Does Wilson’s stature prevent him from seeing receivers in the middle of the field? Or does it have more to do with the Seahawks using their tight ends as blockers more often than as receivers? Either way, Wilson’s use of the middle of the field is so far below QBs in the rest of the league, it may be a weakness defenses can exploit. Let’s hope not!

The Seahawks “control their own destiny,” meaning that if they win their next four games, they’ll make the playoffs. Wilson would be only the third quarterback since the NFL/AFL merger to start all 16 games as a rookie and lead his team to the postseason. And think beyond the next four games. Have the Seahawks found Seattle’s sports star for the next decade?

The SunBreak is an online magazine of news & culture. A conversation about the things on Seattle’s mind.

Paris Eastside is the first of a few new exciting businesses to open on the Carother’s building on the corner of Broadway and Pike. Owner Muriel-Marguerite Foucher promises a modern French cooking school and retail space, but nothing like we’ve seen before.

“You won’t find pictures of baguettes and berets in here.” says Foucher who has been celebrating the store’s grand opening this week. She’s hoping to provide an authentic shop that you would find in Paris today, not the nostalgic version of Paris she typically finds in the US.

The stark white storefront at the CHS advertiser is accented with bright kitchen accessories with a big colorful counter in the center.

Born and raised in Paris, Foucher brings years of experience running a French cooking school out of her home for nearly a decade. She moved to Bellevue four years ago with her family and has been eager to get back to teaching. Originally planning to open in the Citizen Building on 13th and Madison, Foucher met with local shop owners Jon Milazzo and Lori Pomeranz of Retrofit Home who encouraged her to consider a more central location on the Hill.

After exploring, she was drawn to the eclecticism, energy, and diversity where Pike/Pine meets Broadway. Through a series of serendipitous events, she signed the lease in September and has completed a full remodel over the last three months. In 2013, her new neighbor Capitol Cider  is expected to open next door as the old art gallery space finds new life.

The prospects for Paris Eastside’s success in the heart of things on Capitol Hill are interesting to ponder. On one hand, there’s nothing else like it. On the other, well, there’s nothing else like it.

(Image: CHS)

Paris Eastside will be open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM and will hold classes daily. There will be a series of afterschool kids craft and cooking classes to expose children to new flavors, adult cooking classes that incorporate food and wine pairings, and groups classes for small offices or group date nights. The store will also feature a collection of cooking utensils, custom designed linens, and handmade goods from Parisian artists now living in Seattle.

Muriel-Marguerite Foucher (Image: CHS)

As part of the grand opening, you can attend a free class at Paris Eastside. Class schedule and registration can be found here. Here’s what’s on tap:

Friday, December 7 (a few places left on the 7th only)

Friendship bracelets called ‘bracelets de l’amitié’ are an extremely popular fashion in France. 

Most Parisians wear 5 or 6 around their wrist. Come and make your own with a lovely charm. 5pm (45 minutes session)

Saturday, December 8th (a few places left for the morning class)

Learn to cook like the French. We’ll prepare a tasty and easy French recipe, perfect for the Holiday season. 11am or 5pm (1 hour sessions)

 You can preview what to expect in class from one of Foucher’s television cooking demonstrations. Just in case you think French means too fancy for you, she also self published a French microwave cookbook, Easy French Microwave Recipes, for her college-aged son.

 

Seattle-based creative agency Creature is opening The Window Shop, a window you can actually shop from. Creature has a long tradition of using its street facing windows as art proj- ects and visual experiences, and for the holiday season, Creature is transforming their displays into a functioning boutique featuring “one-of-a-kind gifts to confuse your loved ones.” It’s open from Tuesday, Dec 4 until Thursday, Dec 20th. And when you give from The Window Shop there will be more than one grateful recipient. All proceeds go to Hamomi Children’s Centre.

Come browse Creature’s front windows at 1517 12th Avenue, Suite 101 – and purchase at the front desk, or shop through creaturewindowshop.com. The eclectic range of items is made of up over 100 gifts, which include things like a miniature presidents set, a rum bottle lamp, “Dirty Hankies,” and a paper maché dolphin with Elton John’s face. Many are hand-made by Creature employees. Learn more about this whole project on our blog.

Throughout the agency’s Capitol Hill neighborhood you may spot The Window Shop’s giant gift tags tied to telephone poles. Buy from the Shop and your merchandise comes in its own branded bags and boxes.

This entire effort is Creature’s way of giving back to a charity that they lend space to in their offices – Hamomi Children’s Centre. Hamomi provides comprehensive care to orphaned and vulnerable children in the slums of Nairobi. Through their primary school and scholarship pro- gram, they provide education to 144 students, along with medical care, meals and micro loans to help graduates start their own businesses. Find out more at hamomi.org.

Creature is a creative agency that unites design, advertising and brand experiences with strate- gically motivated ideas and choreographs them through the world. With offices in Seattle and London, Creature works with a variety of clients including Truvia, Dickies, moo.com and Adidas. For more information visit welcometocreature.com.

The temporary home of Broadway’s Bank of America at Broadway and Roy won’t be leaving the banking business.