Why I'm a Seattle Seahawks Fan

As I learned in Psychology class, the external influences in your life have an effect on your own cognition.

I was born and raised a Seattle Seahawks fan. My father and grandfather have had season tickets for many, many years—50-yard line, 16 rows up, damn good seats.

They sat through some great and some abysmal seasons—from the hopeful seasons of 1983-84 to the disaster of a team that took the field in the early '90s.

They were as true and loyal of fans as they come. One time my father regrettably walked out on a 23-17 fourth quarter comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs in 1986. You can imagine how he tries to laugh off the blunder every time it is brought up

From the time I was two years old, my father purchased Seahawks hats, shirts, and all manner of attire for me. However unintentional, he made sure I was well aware of the Seahawks and football culture.

My mother has never really cared for football. She thinks there are too many injuries.

It crushed me when she did not even know Mike Holmgren was leaving in 2008, or who was replacing him. You would think after 30 years of constant exposure to football she would get a clue.

I witnessed the last game ever in the Kingdome in 1999, a playoff game between the Seahawks and the Miami Dolphins. At the ripe old age of eight, I saw Dan Marino’s final game-winning fourth quarter drive (37 career comeback victories) dash the Seahawks' hopes of ending their 15-year playoff victory drought.

In due time I formulated my own football opinions and did not just follow my father’s advice. I still found myself a Seahawks fan.

I started really following the team after that 1999 playoff game. I had been initiated into the fantastic world of football to the full regret of my mother.

It is not hard to root for the underdog, and until 2005, the Seahawks were as big of an underdog as there was.

In my lifetime they had never won a playoff game. I had witnessed three close, crushing playoff defeats—against the Dolphins in 1999 (20-17), the Green Bay Packers in 2003 (33-27 OT), and the Rams in 2004 (27-20).

I will never forget Matt Hasselbeck's infamous, stupidity-laden phrase, “We want the ball, and we're going to score.”

That was the ultimate ego-driven blunder that no Seahawk fan will ever stop lamenting.

I blame WR Bobby Engram only for dropping that tying pass on the last play against St Louis in 2004.

I have witnessed some dubious seasons in my tenure as a Seahawks fan.

However, it hasn't been close to the constant reminder of the losing my father experienced. He paid a lot of money to watch some really bad football.

I stuck with them, even in the early 2000s, when they had a tumultuously mediocre three-year playoff drought.

Living in Seattle all my life most likely played a significant factor in my current die-hard support of the team. I never gave up on them, even when Hasselbeck couldn’t throw the ball in 2001.

I started playing football at the age of 11 and finally understood the X’s and O’s from firsthand experience.

I immersed myself in the game from that point on. I could not possibly get enough football.

After getting to know everything there was to know about the game, I wanted to know everything there was about the process and personnel of the business side.

At 12, I started following the Seahawks during the offseason. I followed free agency, the draft, cuts, coaches, analysis, previews, reviews, everything. My drive to attain the knowledge of all the offseason activity led to my interest in journalism throughout middle and high school.

Now all I needed was a playoff win.

I needed something to actually root for in a positive manner. I had witnessed far too many blunders in the postseason than the average fan should be able to take.

Redemption finally struck in 2005.

The Seahawks obliterated the opposition with the league's best offense. They boasted the league's best offensive line and MVP RB Shaun Alexander. At the time, Alexander broke the single-season record for touchdowns with 28 (27 rushing, one receiving).

After a crushing 20-17 OT loss to the Washington Redskins in week four, the Seahawks went on an 11-game winning streak. The streak was snapped only because they rested their starters in the regular season finale against Green Bay, losing 23-17.

I was in attendance for the Divisional Game versus the Washington Redskins. When I saw Shaun Alexander go down in the early minutes of the game, I winced. All of those close losses came to the front of my mind.

But as the clock wound down, Seahawks fans finally had something to cheer about in the postseason.

We finally won a playoff game.

We beat the Redskins 20-10, without our MVP no less. We returned the favor for the OT blow in Week Four.

We were one game away from a Super Bowl. A tough game against the fifth-seeded Carolina Panthers would ensue.

In attendance again, I watched the Seahawks double cover stud WR Steve Smith and run away with a blowout, 34-14.

One of the greatest moments of my life was standing there with my father, being showered in the blue and green confetti.

I watched as our MVP Shaun Alexander carried the NFC Championship trophy around the field. Getting on TV after the game and showing some Seahawks pride to the people in Raleigh only enhanced the experience.

Little did I know the yellow hankies would prevail just two short weeks later. Seahawks supporters were left to ponder what should have been.

I have donned the blue and green gear since I was two years old. I have followed the team for half a lifetime. I take pride in knowing about my team and sticking with them, even through the hard times.

Hopefully the team will reward my dedication with a Super Bowl title in the next few years. They have been there before, and it is easy for Seattle fans to forgive the defeat at the hands of the zebras.

Here’s to being a true blue Seahawks fan for life.