SEAHAWKS!!!! How I became a 12th Fan!

I am VERY passionate about our Seahawks, to say the least. (and kinda a little pissed that spell check wants me to type it "Sea-Hawks" get it right!) But it wasn't always like that...

I would say I officially jumped on the bandwagon AFTER we went to the Superbowl. I recall my father teaching me about football when I was really young, basically saying to me, "If they get the ball past that yellow line then they get 4 more tries" Simple enough, now I wont be COMPLETELY bored. As time went on I leaned more towards basketball, and football turned into something my BFF's hubby watched on Saturdays (college fan) and that we had cook-offs for come February for the Superbowl. Every time I would ask "Who do we want to win now?" I was clueless, cept for that 1st down marker, I at least knew what that was all about.

Years later a home team made it to the big show? Wha? I might want to start paying closer attention. However given my ADD tendencies (ohh look at that shiny thing over there!!!) when we lost, I lost interest again. Yep, fair weather fan sure enough. But then my very very VERY close buddy, brother as I call him now, showed me what it was like to REALLY be the 12th Man in 2010.

Regardless of winning or loosing, he was tuned into every game. Rain sleet or shine he was there or glued to the TV. He has his hat for the "rally times" and his gear for the games he got to go to. Preseason, regular season, post, it didn't matter, if the Hawks were playing that meant he was going to loose his voice and drink some beers. His excitement was infectious to say the least and even when it was just him and me sitting on the couch, it was a BLAST.

My little knowledge was slowly gaining speed. 2010's Hasselbeck was out (but didn't that dude lead us to the Superbowl?) and talks of this new guy from MN (Hey! I've got family out there!) named Tarvaris Jackson looked hopeful. However it was a lack luster season and I think that I was the ONLY one who gave Jackson props because even with a torn pectoral muscle, he still gave it his all. But it always nagged in the back of my mind, this is a business (queue "Any Given Sunday") 

So 2012...new guy, Russell Wilson...hummmm wasn't some guy named Flynn supposed to QB? (Oh well, Any Given Sunday)


A loss, 2 wins! Woo! Now having a bit more knowledge then just that damn yellow line, I couldn't wait to get together with my peeps, drink beer, eat great food, laugh, cheer, talk smack to other teams, show our pride etc etc etc. So I started asking those who knew football some of the particulars... my knowledge grew and grew and my excitement ever more rapidly. 

Then week 3 of 2012 vs Green Bay happened...simultaneous possession...ref strike over...that right there is where I shot up to attention.

The girl who played with her Barbie dolls growing up now can't stop listening to sports radio.

Here in the PAC northwest we have always been the outsiders, not really in tune with the rest of the country (You know, us "damn tree huggin recycling hippies". Known only for planes, computers and coffee) So when I started really tuning into the NFL, ESPN and the like, I realized something...regardless of what the Seahawks did, NO attention. Nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero. REALLY? Did we not make it to the playoffs with one of the best rookies of the year? Does Beastmode not exist outside of the borders of WA state? Are we forever in the shadow of a lost Superbowl and bad calls by the zebras? I guess so. Well now that just fired up this competitive girls nature something FIERCE! Then it became about us, and only us. Who needs the rest of the NFL? I AM the12th Man. My peeps, my friends dogs, kids, cars, allllll decked out in blue and green! The term "We All We Got We All We Need" rings out true, and if the rest of the country doesn't want to come celebrate with us, FINE! We know we are the best, only need to prove it to ourselves.

But let me tell you, that was a loooooooooonnnnnnnnnggggg off season. ALL of us were itching for some football, some payback. A chance to tell the rest of the posers "Hey we ain't done yet!" 

I always said that if the Hawks were even going to come close to the AMAZING finish they had last season, then I'm a happy happy 12..so far to date that has been SO exceeded.

This season has been AMAZING, but its not done yet, only getting geared up, poised to just take off! There is a spirit in the air, almost like that feeling right before you jump off a diving board, the anticipation I guess. The knowledge that we are a great city and our team is hungry for it, hungry to bring us home that trophy. We allll love Pete (and his gum) and what he has done for the organization and for us all, we are connected, we are one (that's the hippie coming out) Every press conference I see, or interview I hear, every single one of those players has so much passion and just lives in the moment. Its hard not to get on board, the momentum is palpable. Was it a sad loss in San Fran this past weekend, yes. Were there some sketchy games in the beginning, yes. But every single point, every pass, every tackle broken has been hard fought and worth it, worth it till the very end. Give me your stats and your rings, give me your history and your "well back then" stories, none if it matters if you don't have heart and if you don't play as a team, and the Hawks are it.

So that is how and why I'm a 12th Man FO LIFE! Don't get me wrong, I still know NOTHING about football, but what I do know is that I love it. I love the pride in your home team, the fellowship with your peeps and time spent together. I love the superstitions, the analysis from sportscasters and other talking heads. The drama, the suspense, the details, the business, the Americana! There is something tangible and exceptional about this sport. It lives in the moment right there with us and it is a wonderful feeling to be a fan and a part of...even more so when you are born and raised in Seattle. THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD!

The Superbowl is in our sights, I can taste it.

Yeah...I said it.

So where the heck should I start???

How many times have I started this sentence. For reals, like 15, maybe 20.

I want to start this blog. I want to talk about anything and everything. I believe I have good insight, strong opinions and I get very excited about the things and the people I love.

So why am I having such a hard time finding a place to start. Should I start with my intentions, or the topics I want to cover. Should I go into my history, get into the details...blah blah snnooooonzzzee fest 2013.

I suppose I doubt myself because when it comes to a lot of whats on my mind, I'm a total novice. I'm not versed in stats or have had read shelves of books. I'm not that good of a writer and my grammar is atrocious. I think its perfectly human to get caught up in what others will think, that they will judge us and rate us and push us down to lift them selves up (even MORE so on the internet) So then we don't say whats really in our heart. I mean why would anybody care what I have to say anyways right...

But I believe that what I have to say is profound, what anyone has to say is profound really otherwise it wouldn't be said. 

Then I got to thinking and I looked up the definition of profound 

Nail. Head. Hit dead on.

So that is going to be this Blog. Its going to be intense and sincere. It will be heart felt and cleaver, perceptive and thoughtful. It will be great, radical and perceptive. Sports, movies, topical issues, things that move, things that scare, things that lift up and things that breakdown...what ever it is, it will be profound.

Yeah...I said it