I've never cared about football but to use my high school games as a cover so I could go out and get high with my friends. I tolerated a couple games when my nephew played for South Whidbey High. I tried to get into it a few times through the years but couldn't get it. The rules, the hype, the game - I just didn't get it.
So I'm not afraid to admit I was a bandwagon fan. I didn't watch more than a quarter of play all season long. It was not until they played the Saints that I started feeling the remote bit of interest. The 49ers game was the first time I ever found myself planning a meal around kick off. This Super Bowl was the first time I ever felt the desire to watch any of the pre-game coverage. And I did. Twitter was alive with #12thMan tweets and cool pics and I RT’ed most. I purchased my first Sports Illustrated special Seahawks edition and I read it.
Something happened in this city. Naysayers could only resist by spewing sour-grapes. The rest of us let ourselves be swept away. We could all feel the vibe. You didn't have to follow the games to feel the quiet buzz grow into a roar. The roar grew thunderous and enveloped our city, like strong arms in a big blue jersey giving us a hug, pulling us together. We all suddenly had something in common, we all had something to talk about.
Then the pride kicked in. It became evident that this city, my city, was again being redefined. From the Seattle I remember as a child, green and wet and removed from the rest of the world to thee place to be in the 90's. I took it for granted and had to get out. I lived out of state the first time the Seahawks went to the Super Bowl. But hose few years away taught me well, opened my eyes and lit a fire. I will never be able to call another place home. It took being away to realize how much Seattle really is a part of me. I may not have always been a Seahawks fan, but I am a huge fan of Seattle.
Then we won. We did so well in fact that I had time to ask questions and learn a little about this game. What's a down? How'd we score those first two points? Why are the Broncos playing so poorly? We won. I was aghast and stoked with the rest of the country, watching how that 1st play set the tone for the rest of the game. We won big! The parade was set for Wednesday.
The high voltage hum of the 12th Man stayed constant as the reality of what was happening began to sink in. The Great Fire of 1889, the 1962 World's Fair, Grunge, the Seahawks 1st Super Bowl win. History continues to be written.
We didn't fully commit to going until Tuesday. We knew it was going to be crowded and traffic would be bad but the plan was simple enough. Keep the boys home from school and meet in the U-District, get off work by 10, it's a 20 minute bus ride into town.
How did we not anticipate it?
I've seen the city behave like this before but it’s always taken snow. The freeways back up, the arterials clog, the busses stop running. If you weren't well on your way by 9 a.m. odds were, you weren't going make it. But this was more than just a snow day. It took my husband with the boys over an hour to get back home after deciding to abort mission. They were 10 minutes away.
I went to the Ave and headed north. Every stop was 15 to 20 thick and busses weren't stopping, packed over capacity much earlier on the route. Maybe I could catch a bus to the beginning of the route and transfer back? Nope, busses weren't running away from town either. I was starting to feel defeated. I was going to take a long, sad lunch and maybe take pictures of all the bus stops on the Ave, with all the 12's filled with hope, still believing they might make it. Maybe I'd just go back to work.
I remembered the University of Washington has a shuttle that goes between the main campus and Harborview, 5 blocks up the hill from the south end of parade route. I still might make it. I wonder if it’s running late? I still might make it. Who can I call? I still might make it. It leaves every 30 minutes....
Wait. What...? Where...?? That wasn't something that could have sounded like my name. I was being yelled at.
My best friend. My Soul Sista. What great magnetic force brought us to the intersection of 50th and University Way this exact moment? If her light had been green I would have just been another pedestrian waiting to cross the street and she would have just zoomed on by. If I was heading down the other side of the street… if my husband and boys hadn't turned back... Of all the scenarios that could have played out, this was happening. In a world of random chaos the tumblers will occasionally align. This timing couldn't have been planned. It was too perfect. It was bigger than coincidence. I think I know who to thank.
I hopped in the truck, we went to South Lake Union (about 1/2 way to downtown) gabbed her husband, parked the car, took the South Lake Union Trolley to Westlake and hopped a bus from the tunnel to the other end of town. We were on the parade route in time for the 12th Man holler at 12. Bring on the thunder, bring on the boom – these people have broken sound records and caused minor earthquakes.
It was packed, cold and a little confusing. We weren't certain of the exact route and with no cell service we couldn't Google, we were cut off from the outside world. My most vivid memory of the day is of the backs of people's heads and of their phones up in the air snapping pictures. There were people who had clearly been staked out all day, their front row seats obscured by the masses that filled the streets, sidewalk to sidewalk, building to building. The parade itself was no spectacle. Slowly the sea of bodies parted as military vehicles, amphibious landing craft, better known as the Seattle Ducks and Seahawk tour busses carried ALL of the Seahawks employees through town. Medical and administrative staff were there too, it takes more than just good players and a good coach to win the Super Bowl.
Our plans for lunch and a beer after the parade were thwarted by still thick crowds and long waits. We figured the longer we waited to get out of town the longer it would take to get home so we bugged out. And that was it. I was home not much later than I would have been on a regular work day.
To show my gratitude to the Seahawks and the 12th Man, for the excitement and thrill of our first Super Bowl win, I resolve to give football another fair shake. It should be a little easier now that I know what 1st and 10 means and I understand what a safety is… sort of… I’m looking forward to watching a few games next season; I hope to visit the Clink.
On the road to the Super Bowl, our city grew closer together and people were inspired as another page of our history was written. I don’t foresee becoming a diehard fan but I understand them now. I’ve felt the thrill of victory even though it wasn’t mine and can still feel the pride of being part of something so much bigger than myself. And - I made it to the parade.
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