For Seattle Seahawks fans in and around Lumen Field, Saturday’s NFC Divisional Round dominant win over the San Francisco 49ers was pure bliss.
“It was like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one. We got a great team this year,” said Wayne Spurrier, while decked out in his homemade fan gear and several necklaces.
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All of the euphoric fans pouring out of Lumen Field after Saturday’s 41-6 win couldn’t help but call out with an emphatic “Sea,” waiting for the returning chants of “Hawks!”
It was a game highlighted by the Seahawks’ newly named defensive unit, “The Darkside.” The game started with an emphatic offensive right hook.
On the opening kickoff, the Seahawks’ Rashid Shaheed returned the ball over 90 yards for a touchdown.
“You feel the adrenaline — and it’s been years since you felt that,” said Sundi Law from Puyallup, who has been a season ticket holder for 27 years.
Some fans were experiencing the deafening roar of the 12s for the first time, including one woman born in Lacey, who has lived in Washington D.C for decades and bought a ticket for Saturday’s game with her sister, who is a 49er fan.
“That was probably louder than I expected it to be, that was amazing, that was impressive,” said Chandria Thompson.
Thompson wasn’t alone in making the long trek to Seattle for her first game. Another man told KOMO News earlier in the day that he’d come all the way from Virginia.
Most notably, a fan from France who says he adopted the Seahawks after watching the Legion of Boom in 2014, said this playoff matchup marked his 10th time watching the team in person.
“Every Seahawks game is special, but I have a really good feeling – this is the game, I need to say, I was there, that’s why I came,” said Dominique Farken.
The steamrolling of the 49ers means the Seahawks are now headed to the NFC Championship game, to host either the Rams or the Bears back at Lumen Field.
“Everyone says we’re the best team in the NFL. We have the best defense in the NFL,” argued one fan at the neighboring Elysian sports bar near the field.
Rosa Cano, a lifelong Hawks fan who has a custom pair of wooden heels painted with the Seahawks’ name and their colors, along with the Seattle skyline, says she needs an excuse to retire the shoes.
“I’ve been wearing them every year since, so we got to make it back,” said the Seattleite. “If we make it all the way, I said I would wear them all day — I work at a hospital — I’ll walk all the way the entire day,” she said.
With only one more win separating the 12s from The Big Game, the excitement is palpable.