Stonking

AIRSTREAM TO SUPER BOWL XLVIII - Part 3

Why Not Us?

I wandered out of my New York hotel and was delighted to see snow.

By the time I got to Newark Airport, New Jersey, the delight turned to dread. Our flight to Seattle wasn’t going anywhere. On the plane, off the plane, on again, off again – but it didn’t matter, our planeful of 12s didn’t mind, we were too busy glowing. Eight hours late, sure, whatever, we WON THE SUPER BOWL.

Seattle itself was glowing. The city’s love for its Seahawks shows on every street corner, every building. There’s much more to see at seahawks.com, too.

Wednesday was the victory parade decades in the making. I woke up early and twitter was already ablaze with reports of the huge crowd descending on the city.  

9am and people were lined four-deep on 4^th Avenue - the parade was starting at 11:30am. The road was still open at this point and any passing vehicle carrying a Seahawks flag or sign got a tremendous roar. Electric.

I wandered down to CenturyLink Stadium. There were no gaps in the crowd and more people were arriving from every direction. Love the sign on the bridge. Yep, mediocre and pedestrian, that's how we like 'em.

The atmosphere there matched - maybe even surpassed - gameday, I'd say.

Miraculously, the wonderful @SeattleMaven won two tickets to the celebrations inside CenturyLink Stadium and asked me along. Before I knew it I was in a seat directly facing the stage where the team would be in a few short hours.

The screens in the stadium showed the procession as it made its way toward us - and some bonus messages too. You're welcome, and thank YOU.

My host and I, so cold we needed warm popcorn to keep us alive.

Time flew by - it's possible the icy conditions put us in a state of suspended animation - until the parade outside on the streets ended, the Seagals lined up in rows and Blitz burst from the players tunnel.

First came #99 Tony McDaniel, then #98 Greg Scruggs, then one by the one the whole team appeared and sauntered to the stage. It was slow, calm and mesmerising.

Last of all, following coach Pete Carroll, was #3 Russell Wilson holding the Lombardi trophy. Marshawn Lynch stepped in with the champagne ambush.

Then came the raising of the 12th Man flag. Newly-anointed member of the NFL Hall of Fame, former-Seahawk Walter Jones, got the honour, and the crowd, already gone wild, stayed wild.

That's when we got the speeches by players & coaches which included a nod to 12s from all around the world. I waved my flag at that. :)

Hail the architects of this glorious feat, and therefore my entire adventure. Wouldn't have happened without the best owner, General Manager and Coach in the league.

And it all ended with the obligatory cloud of ticker-tape. I couldn't get any this time, but I'm oddly thrilled by the few pieces I gathered from MetLife Stadium a few days earlier.

Marshawn was still carrying his drum when the players strolled away after the speeches. I feel a connection to the native art & culture of the Pacific Northwest, and believe that the whole drum adventure was incredibly special. Ok, it was ALL special. Every second of EVERYTHING!

Next day it was time to leave. SOB. But at least Sea-Tac kept the feeling alive 'til the very last second.

It's times like this I start to wonder what's going on, what's watching sport really about? 

I discovered American Football and the Seahawks twenty-two years ago. I've probably spent way too much time stressing over this odd team on the other side of the world to be healthy. Was I entertained? Sure. But I was also distracted and obsessed, ignoring my own goals and dreams while fixating on this thing far, far away.

Things changed for me in 2010 and my immediate world became unavoidable. I find it deeply relevant and reassuring that the Seahawks ascendancy in the last four years has coincided with a personal awakening. Having the courage and clarity to get myself to the Super Bowl is just a small part of way I've changed. Looking back to 2009, the Seahawks have certainly changed too.

Now we're here at the pinnacle. This is clearly not about entertainment. This is about inspiration, dedication, perseverance and any other words about aiming high and not giving up. Winning is a part of that, but simply being in the game is the point. It's the approach defined in Pete Carroll's book 'Win Forever', which I recommend wholeheartedly. I flew to the Super Bowl to see the Seahawks compete, to contribute my voice the loudest I possibly could - winning was a bonus. A helluva bonus, but I didn't travel 34,293 kilometres (21,309 miles) simply hoping we'd win.

So now back to my own drawing board, just like John Schneider & Pete Carroll are back to theirs. Nothing better than hearing them, and the players, ask "What's Next?" 

That's the question. Back to grinding. What's next?

AIRSTREAM TO SUPER BOWL XLVIII - Part 2

Countdown

My Super Bowl Sunday started with a big breakfast and a jaunty walk over to Fifth Avenue. When I bought my Super Bowl ticket I’d also included entry to the “Official Seahawks Tailgate Party”. I figured it would be a good way to pass the anxious hours before the game, and it was. Everyone was relaxed and excited, but in their own little worlds too. I wish I’d taken along a spare Aussie flag, would’ve been a decent conversation starter.

 These ladies had Seahawk-themed chicken hats. A-ha.

Former-Seahawks Isaiah Kacyvenski and Jacob Green were there too, seen here with some pointing guy. 

Then it was time to bite the bullet and catch a train. We waited about 30 minutes at Penn Station, then moved swiftly to Secaucus Junction. I heard there were trains that got stuck halfway, crowded and without air conditioning - we got off easy. Then we hit the Junction.

From there onto a different train to get us to the stadium. Relatively quiet crowd, all very nervous. And then suddenly it was there, in the distance ...

Did I think that would be the end of the waiting around? Maybe I'm that stupid/optimistic, not sure. There's a pavilion in the distance, so small I can't even see it here - that's where we were heading. Note the queue on the right of the photo, heading back toward a pavilion far behind us. Lol, NJ/NY Super Bowl Committee.

Note the daylight above. Note the darkness below. I think it was about 5:45pm by the time I got through all the thresholds. Kickoff was at 6:30pm, but there were 82,000 other fans to bypass and some extraordinarily high-priced snacks to consume.

Would've loved more time to see all the things on display, like the amazing ice sculptures ...

... but I had to run to my seat.

Boom

Showtime:

We got the same intro as everyone watching at home - Kurt Russell did a nice job.

And then it was ON ...

The first half was obviously incredible. I was sitting in a row with a handful of 12s, surrounded above and below by Broncos fans. To my left was a couple from Tacoma, to my right a couple from Utah. We all did a lot of hugging. I don't have pics. 

We could see the ball pop up on that bizarre safety, two points on the board before we even considered sitting down. Obviously we didn't sit down after that. The interceptions flew in slow motion, the whole thirty minutes of play a dream projected onto the field. Seahawks 22, Broncos 0. Don't wake me.

Then there was the half time show, which summed up my emotions perfectly. /fireworks

The second half was all about the next two pics: Denver fans feeling too much pain, 12s not even feeling the cold.

The Seahawks touchdowns of the second half were incredible. Even though the last quarter dragged somehow, it was a shock when it was all over. 

Players stormed the field and there was no denying that the ridiculous numbers on the scoreboard were unshakably true and final. Seahawks 43, Broncos 8. We'd won? Yes, YES. It was weird being in the stands - I wanted to be there on the field, where all the congratulations were hot and electric.

Priceless:

Stuck up in nowhere, I couldn't decide whether to watch the screen or the field. Which was more real? Was any of it real?

All I knew is that it felt good, so good.

Not that any 12s were leaving, but the NJ Transit system made it impossible anyway.

Hanging around for the next few hours - soaking in an atmosphere I never wanted to end - meant watching the post-game interviews up close.

Beautifully, after his NFL Network interview, coach Pete Carroll & his wife came over to shake hands with some of us. Not sure icing gets better than this.

And then it was over. It was late. Everyone was stunned - the remaining Broncos fans with disappointment, the many remaining 12s with joy. 

Getting back to my hotel in New York City would take another hour or two, but there was no inconvenience. Just more chance to breathe in the wonderfulness of the night and let everything soak in. There was an occasional "Go Hawks!" on the train home but no-one wanted to be mean to the Broncos fans. They were sad and polite, often shaking hands and passing along congratulations. 

The massive energy of Saturday's crowds and the game's pensive audience was dissipated by now. It was a time for internal realisations, quiet internalisations of the sublime and acceptance of the strange new world we suddenly wandered in. A world where the Seahawks were Super Bowl Champions. Wow.

And that magnificent peak, that manifestation of decades of wild dreaming, would soon be matched by another peak ...

Next stop: Seattle