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?