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JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch deservedly draw the attention for what theyve done in getting the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Players like Jermaine Kearse, Walter Thurmond and Malcolm Smith are just as big a reason why Seattle is facing Denver in Sundays championship game. Seattle may have one of the better starting lineups in the NFL, but the depth that general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have amassed is equally impressive. Its the reason they can rotate eight different defensive linemen. Its why when Brandon Browner was injured and Thurmond suspended, Byron Maxwell could step in and the play in Seattles secondary not suffer. Its a regular refrain in the Seattle locker room to hear teammates say the Seahawks reserves could be starters on other teams. And there is some proof: in the past year 23 players once with Seattle have spent time on the 53-man roster of other teams. "Its crazy because were always saying our backups could be starters. We always say that," strong safety Kam Chancellor said. "Those guys, people dont see this, but in practice those guys play just as good as us. Theyre making plays, getting the ball. Those guys contribute on special teams. Our special teams are probably one of the best. "Those guys put in work on special teams and it just goes unseen." When Carroll and Schneider took over, there was a revolving door of roster moves --839 in total since before the start of the 2010 season -- that followed in an effort to make a roster that was competitive beyond just the starters on each side of the ball. They wanted a depth chart that was the envy of the NFL. They wanted their reserves coveted by other teams. They wanted guys they were going to be released grabbed off the waiver wire the second they were made available. Seattle got its wish. Of the players released in the past year, five ended up in Jacksonville and four landed in Kansas City. "John and I have joined together aggressively to compete at every single turn, at every opportunity whatever it may be, to see if theres something in there for us," Carroll said. "Hes done a great job of having the competitive will to keep pushing and fighting and clawing and scratching to have the opportunity that has sent us down the road early on with the hundreds of guys that came through the program." Kearse, Thurmond and Smith are just three examples of players not counted on as full-time starters that have proven invaluable. Seattles seen contributions from Michael Bowie, Clinton McDonald, Jeremy Lane and Heath Farwell just to name a few more. Kearse was an undrafted free agent that signed with Seattle in 2012 and became a needed option as a third and fourth receiver this season with Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice suffering through injuries. Kearse finished with 22 receptions and four touchdowns in the regular season, but his biggest catch came in the NFC championship game when his 35-yard TD grab in the fourth quarter gave Seattle a 20-17 lead. Thurmond missed four games late in the season when he was suspended for violating the leagues substance-abuse policy. But hes started three games at cornerback this season and is Seattles best option as the fifth defensive back covering slot receivers -- a big emphasis this week with the amount of times the Broncos throw. Smith has shown the same kind of versatility at linebacker. Hes played both outside spot this season, first when Bruce Irvin was suspended and later when injuries to K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner forced shuffling. "Through all the stuff we have gone through there has always been a guy who stepped up and made plays," Wagner said. "Last year it was Walter, this year it was Walter and Maxwell and guys like Malcolm, everybody. We have a bunch of players that if someone went down can step in and do a great job." One of the ways Seattle was able to create such a dynamic roster came from the three-way quarterback competition that Carroll had last season and which Wilson eventually won. It sent the message to the entire roster and to any free agents -- big-name or small-time -- that Seattle was a place they could come and have a chance. "You could tell looking at our board of players that we had fast, confident, intelligent individuals," Schneider said last week. "Guys who knew they were going to come in and compete for positions because the previous year we had a three person quarterback competition. "You know you have a shot when you have a three person quarterback competition as a player." Sam Hentges Indians Jersey .com) - Generally you want to be the guy who replaces the guy who replaced the legend. Cory Snyder Indians Jersey . 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Subway workers in Rio de Janeiro, meanwhile, were holding an assembly to vote on whether they would strike to demand higher wages, threatening to disrupt transportation. By late Tuesday night there was no announcement of their decision.As 2014 winds to a close, TSN.ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. TSN.cas writing staff reflects on the best baseball moments from the past 12 months including Jeters farewell, a Blue Jay marathon, Bryce Harper going heads-up against Hunter Strickland and more! Derek Jeter leaves the game in style By Ryan Horne Derek Jeter will always be known for having a flair for the dramatic, but what he did in his final at-bat at Yankee Stadium was truly remarkable. Heading into the top of the ninth inning, in Jeter’s last home game in his illustrious 20-year career, the Yankees were leading the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 5-2. It may not be a storybook ending, but at least Jeter and the Yankees would get a win, right? Wrong. Closer David Robertson proceeded to give up a two-run homer to Adam Jones and a solo shot to Steve Pearce, all with two outs, to tie the contest heading into the bottom half of the inning. Cue Jeter. With one out, Jeter walked to the batters box for the final time at Yankee Stadium with thousands of flashbulbs and cell phone cameras going off simultaneously. “The Captain” lined the first pitch he saw to right fight and scored pinch-runner Antoan Richardson to win the game and send the crowd into a state of bedlam. Sort of an out-of-body experience, Jeter said after the game. Even if you never rooted for Jeter - or the Yankees - that moment is one any sports fan would appreciated to its highest degree. -- The Greatest Finish We will Never See By Shane McNeil The Giants’ 2014 World Series title will be largely remembered for Madison Bumgarner being nearly unhittable in three appearances. But here’s the rub: The one hit he did allow could have cost the Giants the series or at least forced extras in Game 7. Bumgarner had retired 14 straight before Alex Gordon stepped up with two outs in the ninth. He solved Bumgarner with a soft liner to left-centre. The ball bounces past Gregor Blanco giving Gordon an extra base before Juan Perez boots the pick-up. Gordon hustled his way to third, but by time he gets to the bag, the relay is already on its way into the infield and any thought of coming in to score is quelled when he’s held up at third. Now, I’m not for a second suggesting Gordon should have been waved home. He wasn’t gunning it the entire way and if the relay from shallow left were anywhere close to on-line he’d have been out by a substantial margin. But isn’t that a play you’d love to have seen unfold to potentially decide a Championship? -- Clayton Kershaw is Unhittable By Jed Bick Clayton Kershaw had a year to remember. He won his third Cy Young Award unanimously, was named the National League MVP and was the first pitcher in MLB history to win four-straight ERA titles. But the apex of his astonishing season came on June 18 when he no-hit the Colorado Rockies. If not for a Hanley Ramirez error, the game in fact would have been perfect. Kershaw did not allow a walk and struck out 15, the first time this feat was accomplished in the history of the MLB. This was probably also the only time watching an accomplishment such as this was a superior experience on television. Kershaw might have thrown a no-hitter, but Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully delivered a perfect broadcast. After the final pitch was thrown aand the no-hitter was secured, Scully said, “He’s done it”, then let the crowd take over as the players stormed on to the field.dddddddddddd It was not until about half a minute later that Scully began to sum up the situation. The whole call was at a normal tone, he did not go ballistic like some other homer broadcasters would. It was like any other game, which made the experience that much more pleasurable in a way only Scully could produce. Or maybe Scully knew that for someone as magnificent as Kershaw, a no-hitter is basically “any other game”. -- The Jays and Tigers Play a Marathon By Mike Beauvais Baseball commentators like to joke about extra-innings games, calling them “free baseball” for fans. It’s highly doubtful that players view them in that manner. The Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers had one of those games on Sunday, August 10. The match-up appeared to be going the Tigers’ way. With newly-acquired starter David Price on the hill, the Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead after four innings and were cruising, but the Jays would chip away. Dioner Navarro hit a two-run home run in the sixth to make it 5-2. The following inning, the Jays pulled within one at 5-4. Then, in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Reyes would single again to score Anthony Gose to deadlock the game at 5-5…where it would stay for 10 more innings. When it was all said and done, both teams had used eight pitchers each. The Jays used 22 players of their 25-man roster. The teams were beyond gassed. After 19 innings and six hours and 37 minutes, the Jays would claim a 6-5 victory when Jose Bautista singled off of Rick Porcello to score Munenori Kawasaki and mercifully end matters. It was the longest game in Toronto Blue Jays history. It was only one game over the course of 162, but on that hot afternoon in Toronto, the Blue Jays and Tigers waged a war of attrition that drowned out the outside world. Standings and pennant races be damned, the game was only about the here and now and the two teams standing – just barely by that point – on the field. -- Bryce Harper can Clearly Hit Hunter Strickland’s Heater By Shane McNeil Let’s start this out with the fact that Bryce Harper is kind of a punk. A lot of people have problems with his attitude, swagger or whatever it is you want to call it. I have gone on the record before with the fact that I clearly do not. That said, he is possibly the most exciting player in baseball and proved it during the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants. Giants fireballer Hunter Strickland earned some Game 1 kudos for escaping a bases-loaded jam by whiffing Ian Desmond on four pitches, the last three (strikes, all) hitting 98, 99 and 100 mph on the gun. Problem is: Bryce Harper can hit a fastball. Leading off the very next inning, Harper hit a bomb that justified the very existence of vines. The kind of shot that you would believe just never came down. Strickland, though, took exception and stared Harper down as he took his victory lap around the bases. So, what was Strickland’s response? Serving up another one in Game 4; an AT&T splash landing to tie the game. Harper watched the bomb. Then he watched Strickland. Then he chirped Strickland some more from the dugout. He may not be classy, but good lord is Bryce Harper a lot of fun. ' ' '