Why Doesn’t It “Feel Real?”

[AROS]

I apologize for bringing up a topic that has been discussed but I keep coming across this odd phenomenon where many people I talk to feels like the Championship “doesn’t feel real.” From friends, family, and even many players and others, they all say the same thing.

This intrigues me not only as an original 12, but as a dime store psychologist (missed my calling). It’s an intriguing aspect of this victory I cannot put my head around.

I can’t profess to tell you why this is happening but it is happening. Would love to hear open minded theories to this strange tangent to this incredible season.

Just yesterday, I watched JSN give an interview to his home town news affiliate in Texas and when asked about how he was processing the aftermath he literally said it still doesn’t feel real to him yet. Like not at all.

Is this normal? I don’t seem to recall me feeling I couldn’t accept our victory in XLVIII. I was fully engaged and immersed.

This game has a strange aura about it. Logically I get we won obviously, I saw the same footage you all did. But the air of shock or surprise I guess does linger.

 

[Sperrydogg]

I think we did not expect to win this year. Heck half way through this year I did not think we had “it”, I constantly felt frustrated with the turnovers and thinking the offense was struggling. But they figured it out fast and they just went out and won it like it was easy, just another day at the office…. I think also there is a dearth of good and complete teams right now

 

[bevellisthedevil]

As talented as I thought the Seahawks were at the beginning of the year. I found myself thinking they were a year away. I think that some breaks went their way and they found themselves in the superbowl against a team that wasn't as good as the Rams or Niners for that matter and won. I think becoming that good that quickly didn't allow for some of us to catch up to them.

 

[projectorfreak]

I think it's cuz we didn't expect it
we all thought it was a year or two away and BAM it happened
The bills could only dream of a season like this and it happened to us
It was amazing but came up like someone behind us smacking us in the back of the head and a surprise for sure
I still am reading everything I can as if there's another game coming but it's not
This next years gonna be a real teller and can't wait to live vicariously through my team
I wish I'd have bet on the team cuz I lost so much money knowing for sure some of the obvious bets were gonna be beat easily
Go Hawks and no , it's not just you bro

 

[Hawkerson]

My best guess? Maybe it’s how improbable the path felt, or how fast everything unfolded. We had to face the 49ers twice. We had to face the Rams twice, both which times we were expected to lose and both times we barely squeaked by.

Maybe expectations were warped, or the season demanded so much emotional stamina that when it finally ended, there was nothing left but disbelief. Or maybe it’s just the weight of modern coverage, we see everything, all the time, until it all blurs together.

I don’t think it means the win means less. If anything, it might mean it was so big that the brain hasn’t caught up yet.

Either way, you’re not alone in feeling it. There really is something different about this one.

 

[Mike MacDarnold]

Maybe the people you talked to never got a chance to warm up to the team until December. Our star players aren't really self promoters either, they just put their heads down and work.

 

[AROS]

Really great thoughts so far.

I think the tying thread is that most of us thought it was going to take another year or two for a legit shot. The fact it happened this past season was a surprise for 99.9% of us.

Historically, my preseason predictions for the most part, are never off more than 2 games. I had us going 11-6 and winning a playoff game.

Never in my wildest dreams did I see 14-3 and Super Bowl LX Champions.

 

[glenwo2]

I apologize for bringing up a topic that has been discussed but I keep coming across this odd phenomenon where many people I talk to feels like the Championship “doesn’t feel real.” From friends, family, and even many players and others, they all say the same thing.

This intrigues me not only as an original 12, but as a dime store psychologist (missed my calling). It’s an intriguing aspect of this victory I cannot put my head around.

I can’t profess to tell you why this is happening but it is happening. Would love to hear open minded theories to this strange tangent to this incredible season.

Just yesterday, I watched JSN give an interview to his home town news affiliate in Texas and when asked about how he was processing the aftermath he literally said it still doesn’t feel real to him yet. Like not at all.

Is this normal? I don’t seem to recall me feeling I couldn’t accept our victory in XLVIII. I was fully engaged and immersed.

This game has a strange aura about it. Logically I get we won obviously, I saw the same footage you all did. But the air of shock or surprise I guess does linger.

I agree that it's an odd feeling.

It's as if we're a dog chasing our own tail and unexpectedly manage to catch it, and then we're like "Uhh...okay...now what?"

BTW, I think Sam is over the euphoria and is ready to get back to work :

 

[seabowl]

For me it’s just because the Patriots were that bad of a team to be in the Super Bowl. Frankly, I don’t remember a team as weak as them in the last 10 years that were in the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl in my opinion just felt like an afterthought as I didn’t think there was any way the Seahawks were losing.

 

[rjas77]

Oh it feels real to me.

The OT win against the rams
Then the butt stomp of SF
Then another but stomp of SF followed a great victory against the Rams which was the real Superb Owl.

Essentially why won two SB in a matter of two weeks

 

[Aussie Seahawk]

When the modern NFL was formed, didn't some old salts consider the NFC Championship to be THE game, and not the Superbowl, because they considered the AFL to be sort-of a "junior" addition to the competition?

 

[Mick063]

Darnold and Kubiak were brand new components. Once I saw them catch fire early on, I fully expected the team to be a championship contender. Probably around the Tampa Bay game is when I thought the offense was legit. Geno never looked that good.

 

[JPatera76]

Crazy to think 9 total points from being undefeated.. 9 total points between 3 losses and a lot here were melting down, bring on on next season already

 

[JustTheTip]

Maybe because we expected it to feel like 48 and you only get the first Lombardi once.

 

[Jayburd14]

The difference between this one and XLVIII is that this one was a surprise. I expected to make the playoffs this season but not win the Superbowl. In XLVIII, I expected to win the whole thing going into the season.

 

[sutz]

Maybe because we expected it to feel like 48 and you only get the first Lombardi once.

Yeah, it's like that roller coaster at the park or that scary movie you couldn't wait for. The second time just isn't the same.

 

[Aircrew]

I feel it too and for me it's a blend of the following reasons:

-We were a year early.
-We weren't sabotaged by the league.
-We were largely disregarded by the national media.
-By the end of the season we were clicking so well that I just knew we'd win.

The last one is what really puts it out of realism for me. How in the world did we ever arrive at a place in history where the Seahawks winning the Superbowl was such a sure thing? Crazy.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

I feel like it is the Shock and Awe factor. First is the fact we won a game. We did?? No way dude. But ok, awesome. Then we won another game. And the same thing....no way. Ya way dude. Ok so we lost one and then we lost another one and came back to our senses. And then we went on a run that was a skin of the teeth dance for the rest of the year. And then the Rams game that we won and then it was a coast into the SB. And we are still in shock that we got there. Awe is our jaw dropping that we got there. The AFC championship game was not too much to see here game...so more like a scrimmage to play us. And we won it defensively and convincingly. Still more Shock and Awe. And yes we were still one year out to make it to the dance we just won. So this year is gonna be interesting.

 

[JustTheTip]

Yeah, it's like that roller coaster at the park or that scary movie you couldn't wait for. The second time just isn't the same.

The 49er fans have an advantage with this. It has been so long it will feel like the first time all over again if they ever manage to win one.

 

[Hawkstud]

Really great thoughts so far.

I think the tying thread is that most of us thought it was going to take another year or two for a legit shot. The fact it happened this past season was a surprise for 99.9% of us.

Historically, my preseason predictions for the most part, are never off more than 2 games. I had us going 11-6 and winning a playoff game.

Never in my wildest dreams did I see 14-3 and Super Bowl LX Champions.

It wasn't just us Seahawks fans who were taken by surprise, it was the entire league and doubting poopoo pundits that were stunned and it just hasn't yet fully registered.
Everybody knew that the NFC WEST (minus the Cards) were the best in the League, and it is now known that Mike Macdonald's Seahawks are the "Best of The Best".