If you’ve ever asked yourself or others this question, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a “12 since ’12” or you’ve been a die-hard fan since you were born, rooting for the Seahawks is never an easy task. As you and I know, any game can flip on a dime and every Seattle sports fan is familiar with heartache.
Whether it’s a Mariner’s 100 game losing season after increasing payroll to over $100 million (the first in MLB history), or its going 116 wins in a season only to be swept by the Yankees in the first leg of the playoffs. Or maybe it’s the Sounders losing to the LA Galaxy in a knuckle-biting finale to an incredible, Supporter’s Shield winning season atop the MLS. I’m sure we all remember Super Bowl 40. . .
But this is different. This is back to back opportunities. Before last year, not since 1979 had any team from Seattle won it all. Sure, they’ve gotten close as I just mentioned, but we never got to hoist the trophy. Last year we did, and 700,000 strong came out to show their dedication to the team that won it all: the Seattle Seahawks.
And now they’re back. Back-to-back Super Bowl wins has happened since the New England Patriots did it back in 2003-2004. How suitable that they’re the team we have to beat in order to cement our legacy. How suitable that Pete Carrol, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, made his head coaching debut in the NFL for none other than, you guessed it, the New England Patriots. How suitable that Russel Wilson and Tom Brady (both drafted high, albeit Brady much higher in the 6th round), the pair of under appreciated prodigies who have gone on to be some of the best in the NFL, stand in each other’s way. There are so many story-lines to this game.
More importantly, how about this journey? To go from the best in the world, beating the Denver Broncos 43-8 in a Super Bowl knock-out to sitting at 3-3 in week 7 to then 6-4 in week 11 with the toughest gauntlet of games in the NFL ahead of us. Many had written the Seahawks off at that point.
“They won’t even make it to the post season,” they said.
“They have the Super Bowl hangover,” they scoffed.
Well, they did. But they took their vitamin-d (for defense) and came roaring back, winning six in a row, and nine of the last 10 of their schedule to position themselves as the number-one seed in the NFC. Then, after a romp of the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round and a nail-biting, heart-stopping, tear-jerking finish, the Seahawks came out victorious over the Green Bay Packers in a game they had no businesses winning.
That last game alone mirrors the Seahawk’s season perfectly. Counted out, left for dead, forgotten. Everyone thought the game was over, just like everyone thought the season was over. But they never stopped believing and the fans didn’t either. They stood together and took the storm head on and came out victorious.
So revel in it, 12’s. Don’t take this for granted. Going to the Super Bowl in two consecutive years doesn’t happen often. If we win on Sunday (when, I mean) we will have cemented ourselves as one of the best teams in the last decade, with one of the best fan-bases of all time.
So enjoy it. Spend it with friends, family, or whomever. Eat lots of food and drink lots of…juice. Whatever you do, don’t take this for granted.
Oh, and don’t forget to study.
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