Friday, January 20, 2006
THE BLUE LETTER DAY
On Sunday, the Seahawks will host their biggest game in their history.
The Seahawks have never hosted a conference championship game. In fact, the last time the Seahawks were in the conference championship game, they were in the AFC West and David Lee Roth was the frontman for Van Halen. It's been awhile.
David and I had never seen the Seahawks win a playoff game until last Saturday. Granted, we were alive in December 1984, but come on, like we really remember Dan Doornink's exploits against the Raiders. I was all of 2 years old while David had just turned 3 almost a month earlier.
The Carolina Panthers are the sexy pick to win on Sunday. Yes, they have been to the Super Bowl in the last 5 years. Yes, they have a playoff-tested quarterback in Jake Delhomme. Yes, they're on a roll right now. But they will finally have to face a quarterback with playoff experience on Sunday, Matt Hasselbeck. One thing's for sure, Hasselbeck isn't Eli Manning or Rex Grossman. No disrespect intended, of course. Actually, there was. Too bad. (Rex Montana, ladies and gentlemen! He was supposed to be the savior! Oooooooops!)
It doesn't matter that I'm in Jonesboro, Arkansas right now. I've never been more excited to be a Seattle sports fan. The 2005 Seahawks have that look of a champion. They have the tools in place to win. Basically, it's their time to shine.
We've had more than our fair share of heartbreak over the years. Whether it be Al Harris' dreadlocks flapping in the Wisconsin air or Phil Luckett handing Vinny Testaverde a touchdown in the Meadowlands, we know all about heartbreak. To be honest, other than Buffalo and Cleveland, Seattle may be the most tortured sports town in America. The Seahawks have certainly provided a few items in the torture bank.
Seven NFL teams have never made it to the Super Bowl. Arizona. Cleveland. Detroit. Houston. Jacksonville. New Orleans. And of course, Seattle. Nothing against fans of those teams, but Seahawks fans are definitely deserving of a Super Bowl appearance. We can only hope that after Sunday, the Seahawks will finally erase themselves off of that list of teams that have never played in the Super Bowl.
Shaun Alexander will prove on Sunday why he was named the NFL MVP. If he wants his big money deal, then by God he better run like he's never run before on Sunday. My guess is that he will do just that. He better.
Let the "experts" pick against the Seahawks. At this point, their opinions don't matter.
What matters is that the Seahawks are one win away from the Super Bowl.
It's our time. Raise that flag. Raise your voice. 67,000+ fists in the air.
The 12th Man is ready, America. Deal with it.
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