Moore: Seahawks QB Russell Wilson avoids country music, but reason is far-fetched

I was on vacation last week and over the weekend when I went through some sports stories to see what’s been going on, one headline caught my eye more than any of the others:

“Russell Wilson’s mental conditioning coach tells him to avoid country music”

In an interview with KIRO Radio’s Seattle Morning News, Trevor Moawad, the mental conditioning coach, said: “You know, country music is great, but it’s so negative that … we don’t want to have that really dictating our internal ad campaign. … That doesn’t mean you can’t listen to it, but if you’re going through a divorce or a tough challenge and you’re listening to sad music, you’re going to be influenced negatively.”

I’m not sure what your reaction was to that. Maybe you think that if it works for the Seahawks QB, maybe it will work for you too. So now you’re not listening to country music, and if that’s the case, I’d like to hear if your life has suddenly become filled with sunshine and lollipops.

Maybe you’re skeptical but figure if it works for Wilson, that’s great – if he believes in that kind of mumbo-jumbo from some guy who calls himself a mental conditioning coach, good for him. Clearly his life’s in tip-top shape on and off the field.

But if you’re like me, you heard the interview or read the story and thought: What a bunch of baloney. I mean, come on, as if some sad country song is going to put you in the dumper too if you listen to it. Let’s use Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” as an example.

The song is about a woman whose boyfriend is having an affair with another woman. She proceeds to key his truck, slash his tires, carve her name into the leather seats and bash out his headlights with a Louisville Slugger. It’s a sad song. You can feel the woman’s heartache. I’ve heard the song a hundred times, but I don’t think I was ever influenced negatively after the song ended.

I don’t recall walking around thinking: Boy, I wish I hadn’t listened to that Carrie Underwood song today. I sure am depressed. I don’t think I can lift my chin off the ground after hearing that. Don’t know how I’m gonna make it through the day. Wish I’d listened to “Stars and Stripes Forever” instead.

I’m sticking up for country music and I’m not even that big of a country music fan. I just don’t think it deserves that kind of rap from anyone, especially when it reeks of being a far-fetched premise.

Besides that, I don’t know this for a fact, but I’m guessing there are thousands of country songs that are actually uplifting, some where the guy’s dog doesn’t die and his wife isn’t leaving him for another man or whatever.

This is so preposterous that it’s worth mocking with what I’m guessing is a conversation that the Seahawks star might have had with Moawad after a surprisingly bad game:

Trevor: “Russell, lie down on my couch, I know what happened. There, there, that’s OK, but remember what I told you about listening to country music.”

Russell: “Yeah, Trev, but Joey wanted me to listen to a song on his playlist, and he’s from Texas, and he’s my center, and I want to have a good rapport with my center, so I decided to…”

Trevor, interrupting: “…listen to his country music. Man, how many times do I have to tell you?”

Russell: “But it was pretty good, the guy in the song said his best friend left with his wife and he misses him. That’s pretty funny, Trev! Dude misses his best friend but not his wife. Classic stuff right there!”

Trevor: “Not funny, Russ. It’s a negative storyline. It’s messing with your internal ad campaign. No wonder you threw a pick six.”

Now if I had a conversation with the Seahawks QB’s advisor, it would go something like this:

Trevor: “Jim, you wonder why so many bad things happen to you and why you’ve never fulfilled your potential. It’s because you occasionally listen to country music. Have you ever noticed how down you are after listening to a country song?”

Me: “No, but I’ve noticed something else.”

Trevor: “What’s that?”

Me: “That you’re full of it, man. Are you kidding me? As if some country song is going to wreck my day.”

There’s an old saying, and I know you’ve heard it, and I know it’s a cliche, but it’s the best description I can think of. Thinking country music negatively influences anyone? That takes the cake.

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