Why do people go crazy for the Seahawks?

[AVL]

What amazes me is that so many of you were able to get past the first sentence in a couple of paragraphs.

 

[BlueBlood]

So I became a Seahawks in 1983 cuz I thought the helmet looked cool. Then my dad and brothers caught a plane to Cali for the AFC Championship. I was 5. If you dont know what we went through all these years then you cant possibly relate.

:thfight7:

 

[taco40]

This is something I have tried to figure out for many years, ...

Why are people so crazy and passionate about the Seahawks?

I just don't get it. Can anyone explain?

Well, since you used you're first post on this forum to question why we do what we do, would it be fair for us to question why you felt compelled to ask in the first place? (or are you correlating the responses so you can pass psych 101?)

I'm not particularly thrilled with the responses at the beginning telling the guy he had no business asking. So what if he or she is a troll. The question is really quite valid and made for some very interesting responses by some of the more thoughtful guys on the site. After all who is your audience? Is it the troll or is it really those of us who want to know what each other is thinking? Aren't you really responding for the benefit of those who regularly ( or maybe occasionally) read these posts?
To those guys that took the time to think out a response and printed here I really appreciate your time and effort .
Since moving to the Pacific Northwest from the Midwest and changing teams this is a particularly interesting topic to me .I'm sure that I was passionate about the team I used to root for when I lived back in the Midwest . However there is an absolute different feel to being a Seahawks fan and I'd really don't know if I can put a finger on what it is. I will say that watching hours of Rain City Redemption and reading and owning John Morgan's "100 things Seahawks fans should know and do before they die" gave me more of a connection to the past. I can relate to rooting for a miserable team because mine WAS awful until a coach by the name of Holmgren was hired. I think you might remember him. I now own an NFL Jersey, something I never really considered twenty years ago. I've been to three games at the Clink, something, I wasn't really motivated to do with my former team.
Maybe the draw is, despite living in a time period of instant gratification, having to wait for a second Super Bowl made something like winning all the sweeter.

 

[StoneCold]

Cuz.

We are twelves
Home game to home game
We rock
The sound of our roar is a shock
The Clink is a battlefield.

If you don't recognize the song you're too young. Sure this will annoy Pehawk. He is one super twelve.

SC

 

[MidwestHawker]

I'm not particularly thrilled with the responses at the beginning telling the guy he had no business asking.

Terribly sorry!

 

[sc85sis]

It's really quite simple: because we wanted to.

Thanks for asking.

 

[Hasselbeck]

This is something I have tried to figure out for many years, and I just don't understand it.

Why are people so crazy and passionate about the Seahawks? They dress in seahawks gear at home and social events. They constantly talk about them everywhere they go. They paint their cars and garages and other things with the seahawks logo. They yell and scream so loud at the stadium so loud it sets sound records. They sit outside the stadium holding signs when the game isn't even going. In general it often seems like the Seahawks are the simply the most important thing in so many peoples lives. Seems so many people spend more time and effort supporting the Seahawks than anything else in their lives.

But why?

One of the most confusing things for me is most Seahawks fans are from the area, which most likely indicates the majority of people didn't actually make an unbiased, well thought out choice, but rather arbitrarily chose them as the best team ever based solely on them being the closest team geographically, or by simply having a cattle following the herd mentality. If that's the case, why are people so insanely passionate about a team they likely chose as their favorite just because everyone else did? Why not look at all teams objectively and say they each have strengths and weaknesses, and be happy watching the game no matter who wins, rather than just automatically hating the other team?

I just don't get it. Can anyone explain?

 

[mikeak]

One of the most confusing things for me is most Seahawks fans are from the area, which most likely indicates the majority of people didn't actually make an unbiased, well thought out choice,

You are right. Most of us didn't become Seahawks fans just because they were a winning team. The same can't be said about Dallas Cowboy fans and many other fan bases.

We call those other fans fair-weather fans.....

 

[kearly]

Back in ancient times, families would live within the same city or town for centuries. Once immigration became a thing a couple hundred years ago, people often took surnames that reflected the place they came from. For example, Ben Roethlisberger's name is literally German for "from Roethlisberg".

That's kind of extinct now, but people still want to have pride in their city or homeland and sports is one of the most popular mediums for that (it is not the only one, music is a popular outlet for this as well, e.g. Pitbull, JayZ, Tupac or Macklemore). This is why non-native fans (aka bandwagon fans) are often met with skepticism from those hailing from the team's city.

It also greases the skids to fandom when your entire family are fans of the same team.

Basically, it's part of the last vestiges of tribalism in modern society. This of course creates a biproduct of homerism and stupidity, but it also brings intensity to the game which helps make it great.

There are other reasons to be fans though. Some love the game. A lot of female fans might find some of the players to be cute. Maybe you really like the identity a team brings so you adopt them. Maybe you have a friend of a friend that ended up on an NFL team.

 

[pehawk]

A lot of female fans might find some of the players to be cute.

Sexist....

 

[Hawks46]

Fandom is very tribal. Stop with the pseudo-psychology.

This. The vast majority of NFL fans choose teams because of geographical proximity.

As for the fan culture, we only have one team in the Pac NW, then you have to go all the way to SF for the next closest franchise. For the longest time, we were ignored up here...an after thought to the media and other fans. Usually average or worse as a team, and discounted by most other fans and teams. We all pull hard for the underdog, and it's created an "us against them" attitude that's pervaded through success.

 

[daveCFPrez]

4 words:
IN before the lock

 

[Clayfighter]

Cuz.

We are twelves
Home game to home game
We rock
The sound of our roar is a shock
The Clink is a battlefield.

If you don't recognize the song you're too young. Sure this will annoy Pehawk. He is one super twelve.

SC

We are strong! :th2thumbs:

 

[grizbob]

You don't have to be crazy to be a Seahawks fan...but it helps :dummy:

 

[byau]

I had to think. You're asking about fandom in general not just Seahawks fans.

Why would we identify with a team geographically first instead of other ways ... right?

Not a bad question

Anyhow, you'll best find your answer in a Sociology 101 class.

And in fact the one I took years ago at GRCC over the summer was actually one of the best classes I ever took in any college or university. I doubt the guy is still there, don't even remember his name, but it was a really good class. Learned a lot of stuff that still affects me today.

 

[Russ Willstrong]

This is something I have tried to figure out for many years, and I just don't understand it.

Why are people so crazy and passionate about the Seahawks? They dress in seahawks gear at home and social events. They constantly talk about them everywhere they go. They paint their cars and garages and other things with the seahawks logo. They yell and scream so loud at the stadium so loud it sets sound records. They sit outside the stadium holding signs when the game isn't even going. In general it often seems like the Seahawks are the simply the most important thing in so many peoples lives. Seems so many people spend more time and effort supporting the Seahawks than anything else in their lives.

But why?

One of the most confusing things for me is most Seahawks fans are from the area, which most likely indicates the majority of people didn't actually make an unbiased, well thought out choice, but rather arbitrarily chose them as the best team ever based solely on them being the closest team geographically, or by simply having a cattle following the herd mentality. If that's the case, why are people so insanely passionate about a team they likely chose as their favorite just because everyone else did? Why not look at all teams objectively and say they each have strengths and weaknesses, and be happy watching the game no matter who wins, rather than just automatically hating the other team?

I just don't get it. Can anyone explain?

:2:
Nanu Nanu. Welcome to Earth. If you need a specimen take Aros.

By the way....some fans like anal probing.

 

[Maulbert]

Skittles are red
Skittles are blue
look out NFC
Beast Mode coming through

 

[scutterhawk]

This is something I have tried to figure out for many years, and I just don't understand it.

Why are people so crazy and passionate about the Seahawks? They dress in seahawks gear at home and social events. They constantly talk about them everywhere they go. They paint their cars and garages and other things with the seahawks logo. They yell and scream so loud at the stadium so loud it sets sound records. They sit outside the stadium holding signs when the game isn't even going. In general it often seems like the Seahawks are the simply the most important thing in so many peoples lives. Seems so many people spend more time and effort supporting the Seahawks than anything else in their lives.

But why?

One of the most confusing things for me is most Seahawks fans are from the area, which most likely indicates the majority of people didn't actually make an unbiased, well thought out choice, but rather arbitrarily chose them as the best team ever based solely on them being the closest team geographically, or by simply having a cattle following the herd mentality. If that's the case, why are people so insanely passionate about a team they likely chose as their favorite just because everyone else did? Why not look at all teams objectively and say they each have strengths and weaknesses, and be happy watching the game no matter who wins, rather than just automatically hating the other team?

I just don't get it. Can anyone explain?

Screw that, I want to know why the duke pitched this little tyke into the watering hole :?:

Teaching him how to swim.
This is what the OP needs...'Sink or swim' , and if he sinks?, oh well.

 

[Russ Willstrong]

This is something I have tried to figure out for many years, and I just don't understand it.

Why are people so crazy and passionate about the Seahawks? They dress in seahawks gear at home and social events. They constantly talk about them everywhere they go. They paint their cars and garages and other things with the seahawks logo. They yell and scream so loud at the stadium so loud it sets sound records. They sit outside the stadium holding signs when the game isn't even going. In general it often seems like the Seahawks are the simply the most important thing in so many peoples lives. Seems so many people spend more time and effort supporting the Seahawks than anything else in their lives.

But why?

One of the most confusing things for me is most Seahawks fans are from the area, which most likely indicates the majority of people didn't actually make an unbiased, well thought out choice, but rather arbitrarily chose them as the best team ever based solely on them being the closest team geographically, or by simply having a cattle following the herd mentality. If that's the case, why are people so insanely passionate about a team they likely chose as their favorite just because everyone else did? Why not look at all teams objectively and say they each have strengths and weaknesses, and be happy watching the game no matter who wins, rather than just automatically hating the other team?

I just don't get it. Can anyone explain?

Screw that, I want to know why the duke pitched this little tyke into the watering hole :?:

Teaching him how to swim.
This is what the OP needs...'Sink or swim' , and if he sinks?, oh well.

Isn't that the cowboy way to catch fish?

 

[CHawk]

I'm not from the PNW but I've been a fan from early 80's and you got me thinking about this question. I can say I thought the uniforms were cool and really like Zorn, Largent and Easley but I think what most drew me in was the fans and how passionate they are for this team winning or losing.

Being older now and having the funds to go to away games it's really great going and hooking up with 12's from across the country with the "Go Hawks". So many great experiences at games I could write a book.

We are 12's!