Seahawk Nation runs from B.C. to Oregon and across to Idaho. It bleeds blue, grey and that rather alarming electric lime green the Seattle Seahawks use as a trim colour.
That much was evident in July with the long lines that formed at both the Mayfair Mall and Sticky Wicket rooftop pub to meet Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin, a couple of Sea Gals cheerleaders and the Seahawks mascot, Blitz.
Those Island fans and the rest of Seahawks Nation will be in full-throated roar today on their living room sofas or in sports bars for the NFL conference championship matchup at 3:30 p.m. against the San Francisco 49ers.
Whether you are a recent convert or trace your lineage to the days of Jim Zorn passing to Steve Largent, this is a big day for Seahawks fans, with a trip to Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2 in East Rutherford, N.J., on the line.
Even at Island bars, seats will be at a premium.
“We expect a full house [today],” said Marc Babin, events manager at the 1,700-capacity Strathcona Hotel restaurant-bar-lounge complex on Douglas Street.
The venue ran out of seats during the Seahawks’ divisional playoff win over the New Orleans Saints last week.
“We are definitely feeling the effects of Seahawks Nation. This is going to be very big. You gotta go with the ‘local’ teams. And this is a saving grace because the Canucks are not doing well right now in hockey.”
There will be plenty of autographed Seahawks gear as prize giveaways, including jerseys, balls and caps.
This is just the third time the Seahawks have played in a conference championship game in the club’s 38-year history. The first was a loss to the Oakland Raiders in the 1983-84 season when Seattle was in the AFC. The other occasion was in 2005-06 with a victory over the Carolina Panthers in the NFC championship.
The club says between 300 and 500 fans with Island addresses attend each Seahawks game. If you could persuade one of them to sell their ticket for today’s NFC championship at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field, the going rate Saturday afternoon was substantial. It ranged on StubHub from $500 in the upper nosebleeds — Sherpa guide not included — to $6,602 for the club-seat level, bank loan not included.
The Podium Sports Grill on Yates Street will have 60 jumbo bags of Skittles to be served as sides to main dishes today in honour of that candy being Seahawk running-back Marshawn Lynch’s favourite treat. You can also order a Legion of Boom Burrito, named for the Seahawks’ fearsome defensive secondary. Or a Seattle Dog for $12.12 — a reference to Seahawks fans, who are referred to as the 12th Man.
“It’s going to be loud in here. The 12th Man is alive and well in Victoria,” said Mike Joss, owner-manager of the Podium.
The autographed jersey of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on sale in the window of the Island Runner store has drawn considerable interest, said owner Phil Nicholls, a memorabilia collector.
“I can’t believe the number of Seahawks ticket holders there are here on the Island,” said Nicholls, three-time winner of the Victoria Marathon. “It’s hard not to get swept up in the success of a team from a city that is so close to us and with which so many of us have a connection.”
