The 7-9 Whine: Why Fans Should Cheer Seahawks

What is more disgusting: The fact that the Seahawks still have a shot at making the postseason or the fact that more than half of the fans in a recent Seattle Times poll said they were prefer if the team lost this weekend? 

Maybe there are a lot of folks in St. Louis who really enjoy reading the Times online, or maybe those folks are “traitors,” as a recent article on Deadspin suggests.

Maybe it’s a little bit of both, but it’s more than likely a large number of fans who are tired of watching the team lose in the way they have this year. With each loss of at least 15 points or more, getting weekend projects done around the house becomes increasingly more appealing than watching football.

There are a number of arguments going around as to why Seattle fans may think it would be better if the Hawks didn’t make the postseason, but I have a hard time actually making a case for any of them.

Argument #1: The team doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs.

If the Seahawks win, both the Rams and Hawks finish the year at 7-9. By virtue of having more wins against other teams in the division, they hold the tiebreaker considering they would have split in head-to-head matchups. 

If the Seahawks don’t deserve to be in with a win, then who should they give up their spot to? 

The Rams certainly wouldn’t be any more deserving to go and as much as they might like to, the NFL can’t change the rules and let a “more deserving” team into the playoffs instead.

Argument #2: The team needs better draft picks.

I can understand this argument if there are guaranteed home run picks in the draft and it’s going to keep the team from getting one of them. If Seattle were one top 10 draft pick away from becoming an elite team, then maybe I would concede this argument.  

But we all know there are significant issues at many positions. The Lions and the Patriots have both proven that it’s not where you draft, it’s how you draft. 

Besides, isn’t Jake Locker the media darling for the first round draft pick for Seattle anyway? His stock has fallen far from what it was a year ago. Wouldn’t it be better if the team could pick him up in the back end of the first round (if he even goes in the first round)? It’s not like his name has been mentioned with any other team in any of the million mock drafts that have already happened.

Regardless, considering how well the 2010 draft went, I think we can be fairly optimistic about what the team will be able to do in the upcoming offseason. 

Argument #3: It would be embarrassing.

Wouldn’t it be more embarrassing to not be the NFC West team that goes to the playoffs this year? 

The nearly unanimous consent is that the division is the worst in the league. So why would it be any more embarrassing to be the best of the worst? 

If it’s so embarrassing, then why not revel in the team having the opportunity of embarrassing the Falcons or Saints that has to come to Seattle for a playoff game.

It’s embarrassing that this team hasn’t run away with the division after going 4-2 and beating the Chargers and Bears. Frustration and disappointment come along with watching all sports, and it’s especially the case if you’re a fan of any Seattle sports.  

I can understand if there are those out there who simply can’t bear the thought of another beatdown by two touchdowns or more. Would one more really make the season that much more embarrassing?

Anything can happen.

Sure it’s cliché to say that “anything can happen.”

But you don’t have to look any further back than two years ago to realize just what can happen once a team makes the playoffs.

The Arizona Cardinals were written off as a team that really didn’t deserve to be in the postseason, expected to be out early in the playoffs and were underdogs in every game.  Yet, they went to the Super Bowl and nearly beat the Steelers; that same year, the San Diego Chargers became the first 8-8 team to make the playoffs and they went on to beat the Colts before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions in the following round.

There is a reason for fans to be pessimistic and just because anything can happen doesn’t mean it will. With the Saints and Falcons trying to play for a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, both may see playing Seattle as a favorable consolation, considering the losses Seattle has taken at home against potential playoff teams.

It would be awesome.

Am I the only one who thinks it would be incredible for a 7-9 team to make the playoffs?  How about a 7-9 team going to, or winning, the Super Bowl? 

I’m pretty sure I’d be rooting for it if it were another team looking to become the first team to accomplish the feat. But maybe it’s just the same part of me that was rooting for the 2008 Lions to go 0-16.

What a momentous year 2008 was.

I’m sure fans of the Chargers didn’t feel too badly about making the playoffs with a .500 record that year, and I realize they at least had a late season charge of five wins in a row.

But if Seattle could break off five in a row at this point, they could be bringing home a Lombardi Trophy.

Just be sure that you don’t confuse my optimism with naiveté. Even though I could use a few extra Sunday’s to knockout a few home projects before spring, I’d still prefer to watch Seattle play at least one postseason game.

Brandan Schulze is a Navy veteran and member of the military chapter of the Sea Hawkers, the official booster club for the Seattle Seahawks.

For more information on the chapter, visit www.militaryseahawkers.ning.com. Membership is free for all military service members and veterans.