RENTON, Wash. -- If Tony McDaniel finds his way onto the Seattle Seahawks 53-man roster at the end of the preseason he will owe an assist to Snapchat.The rugged run-stopping defensive tackle went through his first practice with the Seahawks on Tuesday after signing with the team, a process that all started due to some happenstance.Seattles defensive line depth has been thinned during training camp due to a few injuries. And McDaniel has been without a home after playing last season in Tampa Bay following two seasons with the Seahawks.It just happened that McDaniels agent realized via a Snapchat post a few days ago that his client was in the state of Washington. In fact, McDaniel said he was two hours east of Seattle, in Leavenworth, Washington, doing some hiking and kayaking.My agent saw me on Snapchat and realized I was in Washington so he decided to contact the Seahawks and asked them to bring me in for a workout, McDaniel said. Thats how that happened. Its amazing how you can use social media to help you out.McDaniels reunion provides some experience up front and another option after Seattle lost Brandon Mebane in free agency during the offseason. McDaniel was a starter during the 2013-14 seasons for Seattle, making two Super Bowl appearances and winning one title. In his two seasons with Seattle, McDaniel had 84 total tackles and two sacks, although his primary responsibility was to crowd the middle and be disruptive in the run game.His success in Seattle landed him a one-year deal with Tampa Bay for the 2015 season, but McDaniel and the Buccaneers moved on and he became a free agent.I got a few phone calls but I wouldnt really call them options, McDaniel said. My number one option was coming here. ... Pete Carroll, I think hes got the recipe for winning and taking care of players. 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Fitness empire CrossFit and shows like American Ninja Warrior have revered the sportswomen and men who tackle a variety of events with competitive vigor, morphing many sofa slugs into backyard fitness freaks, one burpee at a time.By many measures, it should be a golden era for track and fields multi-eventers -- the women who tackle seven events in the heptathlon and the men who compete in 10 events in the decathlon. Yet in America, these mind-blowing athletes struggle to get fan attention or sponsor love.There arent crowds for the multis, said Alex Gochenour, a heptathlete at Arkansas who competed at the U.S. trials. Most people dont know much about it.Could the 2016 Rio Olympics be a breakthrough for the brutal and curious events?The decathlon was designed for men in the modern Olympic Games with a mission that was somewhat superhero- and military-inspired. The female counterpart, introduced in 1984, is not much different; its essentially a Wonder Woman contest, with a reward for the single person who can do a variety of disciplines -- the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin and 800 meters -- better than anyone else. The renaissance woman of the Olympics.Notoriety of the heptathlon in America surged when Jackie Joyner-Kersee won gold medals in 1988 and 1992. Her high score of 7,291 is still the world record.Which brings us to the big challenge for viewers both in the stands and on television: How do you keep score? The highest score at the end of the two days wins, but many fans complain that tracking the point system is difficult.Calculator difficult.The scoring system has a standard for each event that earns 1,000 points, and there are different formulas that calculate scores for the three different groups of events: running, jumping and throwing. Because 1,000 points is only a benchmark, not the maximum, a heptathlete can earn more than 7,000 points. Whats more, only a handful of spectators even know the seven different standards for earning 1,000 points per event, such as running the 200 meter dash in 23.8 seconds or throwing the shot put 17.07 meters. U.S.A. Track and Field even offers an online tool to spare coaches, athletes and fans the algebra, but figuring out who is ahead as the competition rolls on can make even the most astute of math brains feel lost.Gochenour, who has competed in a variety of multi-events since she was in middle school, said that some of the heptathlons fizzle may also be because for a long time, the pipeline was discouraging, as athletes can feel overwhelmed trying to learn a variety of events at elite levels while trying to not blow out their bodies. Equipment can also be a headache -- athletes often tote several different pairs of shoes with them, each intended for a different event, plus a track teams worth of equipment.Were always those people who are a problem at airports when they use the X-ray machine, Gochenour said.Therees also something of a lag in athlete development, Gochenour said, because many American heptathletes dont begin competing until college: Theres such a learning curve.dddddddddddd. A lot of times, as Americans, were just behind, and by the time you start to figure everything out, your body gives out on you. Theres a give-and-take of learning the techniques without destroying yourself. The reverse may also be true, as some athletes start as one-event specialists, and then add events on and find their talents carry over to a variety of disciplines.Ironically, the versatility can be criticized by spectators who may prefer to watch a specialist in a particular event rather than a heptathlete attempt the same feat. Fans may see the part rather than the whole.I joke a lot and say, Im pretty good at a lot of things, but not one specific thing, said Annie Kunz, a heptathlete at Texas A&M who also competed at the U.S. trials. But thats what I love about it, that it gives you so many opportunities to do well. Nobody can really PR [personal record] in every single event.The heptathlon also can make for strange camaraderie not often seen on television. The athletes who compete against each other for titles, records and medals also spend two days, more or less, hanging out with each other on the field. Its not unusual for them to cheer for each other or offer feedback or support as they compete against each other for a spot on the podium.They regularly talk about trying to beat their own scores rather than each others in a way thats more evocative of weekend warriors tackling a half-marathon than Olympic contenders.The morale with the heptathlon is so different, Kunz said. All the competitors get to know each other and really uplift each other. You know that some people are better at one specific event than another and cheer each other on. If you PR and someone else beats you, you still have a good day. Its a different morale. We all hang out, we joke, we have fun. You have to keep it light and happy because its easy to get down.Over the two days of U.S. trials last month, the heptathletes faced some steady rain and strong wind but were often seen on the track laughing together and exchanging hugs and high fives. Heather Miller-Koch, who finished second, seemed undeterred, more excited about having such a large crowd. It was just great that we were able to put up such big scores considering head winds yesterday and rain today, she said. Its pretty awesome.Ultimately, the trials win went to Barbara Nwaba, a heptathlete with the Santa Barbara Track Club who had finished fifth at the 2012 trials and was the 2016 American pentathlon champion. Shes joined in Rio by fellow Americans Miller-Koch and Kendell Williams. Nwaba is expected to contend for a top podium spot with Ennis and Brianne Theisen-Eaton of Canada (who is married to Americas Eaton), among others.Its definitely going to be an amazing competition at the Games, Nwaba said. But these are girls that Ive competed with, so Ive gotten to know these girls and know what their talents are. ' ' '