Historical Perspective, and My Pick

I'm one of those rare people who got to live their dream.

And it sucked.

For 5 years I worked my ass off in school to get a degree in Broadcast Journalism, because I fancied myself a future Sportscenter star. (OK that's a lie.  Full disclosure, I'm old enough that when I was working in the field Sportscenter was in it's infancy, and kind of a joke.  This is a retroactive dream sequence).   Then I "made it," albeit in small markets.  I spent nearly 6 years as a TV Sports Anchor.

Sounds cool right?

It was lame, and here's why:

When you work in the business you can't be a fan, or at least you couldn't be back then when the concept of journalistic objectivity was still alive and well.  The ultimate dilemma is; you can get into any event you want to with a simple phone call, but you can't enjoy it.  You can't drink beer, yell at the refs, and openly root for your favorite team.  And you're usually working, which even puts a damper on High Fives. 

Fast forward to today, less than 48 hours away from my lifelong favorite team playing in the Super Bowl with more than a puncher's chance of winning their first Championship.  Thank God I can sit here and pour out my thoughts in script, while enjoying a glass of decent wine and listening to Richie Kotzen. 

But I digress.

The point of all that exposition was simply this:  I can't possibly be objective when it comes to the Seahawks.  I see everything through blue and green colored glasses.  I love this team so much, and even more importantly... I believe in them, that of course I'm going to look for ways to fortify my opinion that "we" are going to win.  Still, I wanted to dig for some history to back me up.  All week long the rhetoric has been that Peyton Manning is somehow destined to win this game.  That he has some sort of legacy to fulfill.  To hear many of the national guys tell it, you would think the Broncos went undefeated this year, that they're invincible because this is a "historically successful offense" and that the league has become one that's "offense-driven," (yes, I'm looking at you, Ron Jaworski.)

They said those same things about the Buffalo Bills from 1991 - 94.

Remember them?  If you're my age you do, because unless you had Kelly, Thomas, Reed, Lofton etc. on your fantasy football team, you were getting your ass kicked by someone who did.  They were innovative, complex, high-paced, no-huddle, and dominant.  What they did was still so new that they named it; the Run-And-Shoot.  Their overall offensive rankings during that run, in order, were #1, #2, #3, and #7.  They were ahead of their time, and in the dawn of the salary-cap era it got them to FOUR STRAIGHT SUPER BOWLS.

Of course you all know they lost all four.  Why?  Because they ran into extremely good defensive teams in each of their Super Bowl Trips.  Here's how it breaks down:

1991 vs. NY Giants: #12 overall defensively
1992 vs. Washington: #8
1993 vs. Dallas: #2
1994 vs. Dallas: #3

I see some stark parallels between the 93 & 94 matchups and the one we're about to see in SB XLVIII. The Bills were experienced and in the midst of a long run of success, with a veteran lineup that had been kept together for a number of years.  They did things differently than the other teams, with an innovative offense operating at a breakneck pace.  They had all the Super Bowl Experience, and they were hungry to cement their place in history. 

Meanwhile, the Cowboys were a young team on the rise.  Built mostly through the draft, but aided by a few shrewd free agent signings, this was the first dance for this version of the Cowboys.  They played great defense, ran the ball extremely well with Emmitt Smith, and passed with efficiency behind the still-young Troy Aikman.  Many felt they had no business beating the grizzled and motivated group from Buffalo. 

It was never close.  52-17 in 1993, 30-13 in 1994.  In both cases their organizational philosophy paid off.  They ran the ball, won the Time Of Possession battle, played great defense, and forced turnovers. 

I point this out just as a means of throwing some water on all the Manning love we've seen this week.  Am I saying the Seahawks are going to beat the Broncos because Buffalo lost their 4 Super Bowls over 2 decades ago?  Hell no.

But they are going to win.... and for some of the same reasons the Cowboys did. 

Seattle is coming into the game loose and relaxed, and frankly if I'm a Denver fan I'm a little concerned that the Broncos are taking this week a bit too seriously.  Seattle will run the ball successfully, in fact I think Marshawn Lynch could dominate.  They will win the turnover battle.  Russell Wilson will be efficient and hit a couple big plays along the way.  Percy Harvin will make his presence felt and open things up for our other receivers.

And the defense...........

The Seahawks defense will dominate.  They'll run faster, hit harder, play smarter, and put themselves squarely in the conversation of Best Defenses Of The Last 20 Years. They won't play perfect, there will be moments during the game that will give the Denver faithful hope.  But I believe they will play well enough to keep Manning from having the chance to deliver any late-game heroics. 

Most of the predictions out there are in the 3, 4 point range either way.  I see this as a fairly tight game most of the way, but one that we end up winning in relative comfort. 

I see it..... 31-21 Seahawks. 

For emotional perspective, see my previous post.  Today is all about making my call.  Tomorrow will feel like Christmas Eve, and I doubt I'll sleep much tomorrow night.  But Sunday, I expect to experience the ultimate sports fans exhilaration. 

And yeah... I'll probably cry.

See you all at the parade.

The Opportunity Of A Lifetime

So here we are, on the precipice of the Seahawks second-ever Super Bowl appearance.

But this one feels different.

In 2005-2006 it was all so new, so unexpected.  I just enjoyed the ride.  Every win was a celebration.  Losing to the Steelers tore me up, and I carried that around with me for weeks, but here's the difference.....

Back then it all seemed so easy.  I, like most other 12's at the time, thought we would just get back again the next year and win it, right?  Hell, that's what Lofa Tatupu told us was going to happen!!!  Why wouldn't we believe him?

But now I'm older (much older) and presumably wiser.  I have a greater understanding of how fleeting life can be and how it can change in an instant.  This team is in much better shape to make a sustained run then the aging, patchwork group of 8 years ago.  They're younger, stronger, faster.... better.  Much better.  But there's no guarantee that Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and their teammates will ever see another Super Bowl in Seahawk blue.  Injuries can happen, egos can expand, coaches leave for other opportunities.  And then there's this:  football is hard.  NFL football is REALLY hard, and the Seahawks now play in the toughest division in football.  The Cardinals won 10 games and missed the playoffs and the Rams are on the rise, armed with talent, a shrewd front office, and a crapload of high draft picks in their pocket.  Next year you could go 11-5 in the NFC West and not make the post-season.  Forget the dynasty talk, there are no guarantees.  It's easy to think that this is just the start of something for this group, the youngest in the league.  But potentially, it could just as likely be a last chance.

Do I believe that it will be?  No.... but I won't let that temper my enthusiasm for what lies ahead on Sunday.  I've been accused of taking my sports too seriously by some, and I suspect they are right.  It's become more than just a hobby, a fun affiliation, the excitement of the game day atmosphere.  Somewhere along the line it became a thirst.  Shortly after the Red Sox broke their championship drought in 2004, ESPN's Bill Simmons (a lifelong Sox fan) wrote that there was a certain lifetime relief getting that ONE title.  It didn't dampen his desire for more championships, he wrote, but knowing that he got to experience that one title by his beloved team, he could more easily handle any future disappointment any time the Red Sox came up short.  I thought about that column in 2006, and I've had it on my mind a lot this week as well.  Maybe that's why I'm at such a fever pitch.  I feel the do-or-die nature of this game.  I was 13 when the Sonics won their championship in 1979.  I remember sneaking into our den to listen to Game 7 on our old cabinet stereo (because it was after bedtime and my parents weren't big sports fans).  I remember the pure excitement I felt when "we" won, but it was fleeting.  When you're 13 you think it'll happen again, and again.  I thought there would be many more championship celebrations with the Sonics, Mariners and Seahawks.  How naïve I was.

I had hoped this would be the year I'd get back into my blog full time.  I was going to write about each and every game and have my artist buddy Omar create a cartoon for each matchup.  I KNEW this year had the potential to be special, and I wanted to document it in the event it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  But life got in the way.

So here we are.  A Seahawks loss puts us back at square one.  An offseason of "what if's" and draft picks and wringing our hands over free-agent gains and losses.  And then the grind begins.  Every week, every play, every game a fight in the bloodiest division in football.  Maybe we will get back again and finally take home the Lombardi Trophy in Glendale, AZ.  Maybe.

Or.... perhaps we win.  We dance in the streets.  We cry.  We get lifetime bragging rights. We get to buy the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED COMMEORATIVE VIDEO!!!  It will be something we can hold onto for the rest of our lives.

I know there are a lot of 12's out there who are new to this, and I'll never be one of those who demeans or criticizes "new fans."  The more, the merrier.  But I'm old enough to have experienced a lifetime of sports disappointments:  Sonics leaving, Mariners collapse in 2001, Super Bowl loss in 2006, The Cougs........

Maybe I do place too much importance on sports.  Maybe I want this too much.  But I'm not apologizing to anyone for that.  My love for the Seahawks is not a choice at this point, it's part of who I am.

I can't wait for Sunday.

Go Hawks.