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January 23, 2006
Steelers v. Seahawks (that's right - Seahawks)
For a long-time Seattle girl who can't get past calling Seattle home, yesterday's playoff games were amazing. I figured Pittsburgh could get past Denver (though there was this small part of me that thought it would be delicious to have old AFC rivals Seattle and Denver be THE main event). Everyone I talked to (well, okay, it wasn't that many) figured Carolina would go out to the Emerald City and stomp on Seattle. Wow. Not even. Seattle played strong, they played aggressively, and they played to win. It worked. For the first time in the franchise's 30 year history, they not only made it to the championship game, they are going to the Super Bowl.
This is significant to me in more ways than just having the home team finally make the big game. I was in the all-state marching band that played the night the Kingdome opened. I was there when the same Kingdome was imploded as outdated and too poor a facility to field a winning team.
I was there when Jim Zorn was the young quarterback steering the expansion team with such notables as Steve Largent and Steve Raible at his side. Largent became a U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma. Raible is now the evening new anchor on a local Seattle station. Last night I was amazed to see that Zorn was the quarterback coach of the champion team, looking not all that much older for the 30 years that have passed.
I was there when Dave Krieg was a walk-on quarterback with some quirky abilities that helped rejuvenate the team, at least for awhile, and was there for the painful loss to Oakland early in the playoff season. I was there when the Nordstrom family decided football wasn't in line with their expansion interests and sold the team to flaky, egotistical California real estate developer Ken Behring, who damn near ruined the team forever, particularly with that circus stunt unautorized move to Los Angeles to try and grab the franchise there when the Rams bolted. I was there, and relieved beyond measure when the NFL actually made them move back. I was there when Behring decided to take his marbles and go back home.
I was there when Paul Allen stepped up and bought the team, keeping them firmly attached to their Seattle home, and acknowledging the support of the Seattle fan base, who were always present and always vocal, even when the team was losing season upon season. Last night I watched Paul Allen salute those fans by hoisting #12 up the flagpole, a strong salute to those whose voices made the Kingdome, and now QWest field, one of the loudest, least friendly venues for any visiting team.
I was there when the voters said "no, we won't build you a new stadium" and when the state worked a deal and built one anyway. I was there when Mike Holmgren became the head coach. I was there when the Seahawks played at Husky Stadium for a season, and the fans ripped new quarterback Matt Hasselback constantly, taunting him, insulting him, generally behaving badly at high volume. But by the time time that same coach Holmgren and that same quarterback Hasselback took the team to victory, it wasn't really my team anymore. Too much had changed - the names, the venue, the conference. So I'm not really counting myself part of the #12.
But it is awfully nice to see the home team finally make the big one. It surely is.
Update: Be sure to check out Leah's description of actually BEING THERE over on penn.
Posted by cageyer at January 23, 2006 09:54 AM
Comments
Where's your heart? Seahawks. Hence you are part of it. And it's a damn fine team.
Posted by: senioritis at January 23, 2006 10:45 AM
thanks for the shout out. Even tho I had to work, it was an amazing experience. We do have freakin' loud fans here in Seattle.
I forgot to mention it, but another amazing thing is that I saw perhaps 10 panther fans in the entire bottom half of the stadium. I'm sure there were a few more than that, but not many. It was pretty much a full house cheering for Seattle.
I think the Super Bowl will be a grand match. Seattle is out for blood, as their playing has shown. They won't take no for an answer.
Posted by: Leah at January 24, 2006 11:26 AM