When I was a kid, as long as I can remember in fact, during football season, my family would drive into North Seattle every Sunday to my parents best friends’ house to watch the Seahawks game. It was such a regular tradition, Aunt Linda’s house was almost a second home to me. I had my own stash of drawing paper and toys there.
Every Sunday we would all gather, a dozen adults maybe, plus kids and dogs, and eat lots of food, and watch the Seahawks play. I remembered lots of yelling and shouting as I hunched over my drawing pad, making pictures of horses.
As I got older, I started paying attention to the games. The Seahawks, for the most part, lost. But everyone was still very impassioned about it, even through the bitterness. Finally in ’83, when I was 10 years old, the Seahawks had a successful season, and for the first time in their history, qualified barely for the postseason. They were beaten by the Raiders however. I was too young to remember much about the game, but I was watching it, and everyone was disappointed.
They made it back to the postseason the following year, and were dismissed in the second round. That was their last playoff win until this month.
The Seahawks were a big deal in my family, and in my home city. The “12th Man” thing started back in 1983. I think I had Seahawks #12 t-shirt in fact. The fans, as far as I recall anyway, are loyal and ferocious. The crappy old Kingdome was known best for being extremely loud all the time.
It seems like most people around the country don’t know anything about the Seahawks, which has always been weird to me since they were the only football team I knew or cared about for most of my life. And I knew them as losers and chokers, too, don’t get me wrong. I don’t even consider myself a real football fan in the same way that I am a real baseball fan, but the Seahawks playing is just a big part of my childhood memories.
So, the Seattle Seahawks will be in the Superbowl. No wait, let me correct that. A Seattle professional men’s sports team is playing for the national championship. That has not happened since 1996. Only one Seattle team has ever won it all — the Sonics in 1979.
I don’t know why it makes me proud. Probably because most of the country doesn’t notice or care about my little birthplace. It’s considered sort of inconsequential, forgotten, or just that place with “grunge” and “Starbucks” and “Microsoft” and that’s it. Not really thought of as a real city or a contender in any way. Back in the 80s, Seattle was considered so backwoods that top music tours would avoid it altogether (I was unable to ever see U2 or Depeche Mode because both of them stayed away from Seattle when I was in highschool; Nirvana was the only reason that changed).
They must be going nuts up there.
I bet they are going nuts up there because we’re all DEPRESSED down here in Carolina!
Congrats!
I was just thinking the other day, how Seattle first showed up on my radar, as a kid, when I learned that Nintendo of America was based there. 😉
Sporties
I have never really understood sports fanaticism. I like a good contest as much as anyone else, but normally unless I’m somehow directly involved I could give two rat tails for most sports. This season has been a little different, with the Chi-Sox going all the way and Da’Bears doing so well, it has really imbued a sense of Illinois pride in people who would normally be totally indifferent about the whole subject, myself included. It’s fascinating how much a sports team can raise or lower hopes in people. I suppose it somehow links you to something bigger than yourself, even if it is completely pointless. Can you imagine if people celebrated local authors, artists, and musicians the way they do athletes? Can you imagine if 80,000 people showed up to protests every week? Can you imagine if a billion dollars was spent on education instead of sports merchandise? Anyway, congrats to the Seahawks and all the fans, they deserve to be known for something other than coffee.
Re: Sporties
I’m pretty sure it hits some kind of tribal nerve. The material success of our society and of the West in general has allowed us to evolve beyond literally fighting with the next city over for territorial supremecy. Team sports is the more peaceful way of doing it. It’s not that difficult for me to understand.
I like baseball a lot better, of course.
I doubt Seattle will get a single ounce of respect, unless they win. In fact even if they do win, they will probably still be considered a small-market town and not a “real” franchise. Ah well.
Re: Sporties
Well said.
we are! it’s very exciting.
and it is strangely nostalgic, since i too remember everyone
being so excited in ’83 and ’84 when i was a kid.