NFL Punishes Seattle Seahawks for Being Too Good at Home?

It’s not personal, Seattle. It’s just business. 

Seattle Seahawks fans love their home-field advantage. They bathe in the sonic havoc of the 12th man and relish every blowout their team puts up at home.

There’s a double edge to the Seahawks’ wild success at defending their home turf, however: It’s bad for ratings.

Indeed, it would appear Seattle’s penchant for blowing out opponents at CenturyLink Field will cost the franchise a number of prime-time television spots in the 2014 season. 

According to Curtis Crabtree of ProFootballTalk.com, a league source said the NFL was hesitant to schedule more Seahawks home games in prime-time air slots because the contests have a tendency to become “uncompetitive.” 

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

In other words, it appears the NFL is tired of people changing the channel because Russell Wilson and co. are too good at home. 

If true, this would go far in explaining the Seahawks' 2014 television schedule. More than one fan raised an eyebrow Wednesday when the NFL released team schedules for the upcoming season.

These incredulous looks arose when fans noticed that the defending Super Bowl champs are only slated for one nationally televised home game. The Seahawks will play for a national audience when they host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Sept. 4. After that, Seattle’s three remaining nationally televised games are at Washington, San Francisco and Arizona.

Crabtree puts the Seahawks’ 2014 schedule in perspective, noting over half the league will host more nationally televised home games.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

“The Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles all host three prime-time games in 2014,” Crabtree writes. “Fifteen more teams host two prime-time games. The defending champion Seahawks only get one at home.” 

While a bit of a bummer, the silver lining in the Seahawks being neglected is obvious.

You can complain about the lackluster amount of air time, but at least you’ll go to sleep knowing your team is, paradoxically, too good for prime time. Put that feather in your cap and wear it proudly.

This is why God invented RedZone.