We really owe Paul Allen Big

I am not usually a voice of reason. I enjoy the discourse but this site does more as catharsis for me. Sometimes you just need to vent, and especially as a Seattle sports fan at times. That said, after all the b*tching and complaining, I know that we have it really good right now.

After all the enjoyment over the past 2 years, the great games and god-only-knows how much green and blue Seahawks merch purchases, kids dancing around the living room in Seahawk jerseys or drawing Seahawk posters for the game, or any of the other experiences that have been shared during or between the victories in this run or the few defeats, it sticks out just how close we were to missing it.

I remember back before Allen bought this team a lot of people were just tired of pretending to care. It was like the Mariners now, lots of promises but an FO that was so insanely clueless you didn't even hope for much.

I remember being somewhat ambivalent about the Seahawks leaving at the time, it would be like the Mariners threatening to do so now. They had lost for so long, broken so many promises and almost always seemed to be a threat to leave again - it seemed like they were just going to keep doing it forever.

But my brother pointed out to me then that if let them leave we would miss out on the moments when we had a good owner and a good team. After years of guys like that idiot from California owning the team, it seemed beyond hope to expect much would change but I understood his reasoning. However, luck was on our side and we somehow kept the Seahawks. Allen bought them, we got the votes we needed and they stayed.

And that changed everything.

Ultimately that move by Paul Allen saved the Seahawks for us, and all of this joy, excitement and everything else - came from that. The players won some amazing games and we have a stellar FO, great staff and the rest. But it wouldn't have mattered if Allen hadn't bought the team. We would have been like the Browns fans watching the Ravens win the SuperBowl knowing it should have been their team.

We still have a ways to go but damn we got lucky with Paul Allen stepping up.

Hear, hear!

Amen!

Tree cheers for P.A.

Hip hip. Etc. etc.

Paul Allen has also made a huge difference in the lives of people outside of Seattle ... including Southern Oregon.

Although St. Vincent’s has been applying for grant monies for many years, grant solicitation really peaked several years ago during the $3 million capital campaign and included major national and regional groups like Bill & Melinda Gates, Paul Allen and Naumes Family Foundations and the Meyer Memorial Trust. “The other thing we learned during the capital campaign is that we shouldn’t be shy about asking for larger amounts,” Hansen continues. “Since then we have expanded the circle of foundations we work with and the amount each gives us.”

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[urltargetblank]http://www.stvincentdepaulmedford.info/grants.html[/urltargetblank]

Ashland, Ore.—The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is the recipient of a generous $3,000,000 grant from The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

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[urltargetblank]http://www.stage-directions.com/theatre-buzz/5520-oregon-shakespeare-festival-receives-3000000-from-paul-g-allen-family-foundation.html[/urltargetblank]

Really seen a huge rise in Seahawks popularity over the past few years, it's amazing to see how popular they are now, from what they were.

Paul Allen saved football for me.

If the Seahawks had moved, I'd be a casual NFL fan at best, or not watch it all with all the changes to defensive hitting and offensive inequity.

After the NBA encouraged the Sonics to leave to OKC, I haven't watched an NBA since. I haven't bought any merchandise, or given them a dime. Professional basketball is dead to me.

Can we get a "Thank You Paul!" Chant going durring the game? .........thats the task.

:th2thumbs:

Paul did right by his hometown. And he's turned quite a profit in the meantime methinks.

Win Win for everyone. Thanks Paul!

He should have his own number.

:thirishdrinkers: for Paul!

:thirishdrinkers: for Seattle

:thirishdrinkers: for Seahawks!

:thirishdrinkers: for 12s!

:thirishdrinkers: for three games lying in the way of the ultimate goal! :thirishdrinkers:

I second this! Great post TH!

Great post. Can't thank Paul Allen enough for what he has done for us. Sports are a huge part of my life and if the hawks had left town I would have been devastated. After losing the sonics I never ever want anything like that to happen ever again. Thank you Paul Allen. You are the number one 12.

Awesome post. We luv' ya Paul!

Yes we do all owe Paul Allen a hell of a lot for giving us this. If it wasn't for him, Seattle would not even have an NFL team. Thank you, Mister Allen.

If only he hadn't have already been the owner the Portland Trailblazers, we'd still have the Sonics and Paul Allen would officially be the Patron Saint of Seattle Sports (what am I saying, he still is! lol).

Man, I hate Schultz, Stern, and the NBA.

seaNOmercy":1y8eeej5 said:

If only he hadn't have already been the owner the Portland Trailblazers, we'd still have the Sonics and Paul Allen would officially be the Patron Saint of Seattle Sports (what am I saying, he still is! lol).

Man, I hate Schultz, Stern, and the NBA.

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You got that right!! I feel exactly as you do about the NBA ..I wish Allen had gotten the Sonics(rip)..So happy he took the Hawks from that sorry pos Ken B...

Number 1 should be retired under "Allen". If I was Seahawks GM i'd sign him to a contract over the offseason and retire him. If I was an owner I'd put myself in the books, Allen is too good for that so Hawks FO needs to do it for him.

Also Health and Longevity to the man, he's a legend.


In response to all the blazer talk, anyone been to a game lately? I've gone a few times since Sonics left and that atmosphere is great!

Cheers to that Brutha!

Right now he owns the best team in the NFL and one of the best teams in the NBA. It's like he's a good owner or something.