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| Is there anything better? |
I never really cared much for the song 'Bittersweet Symphony', especially as the Seahawks entrance music back when. No, I've always been a fan of 'Voodoo Child' by Seattle's own legendary son, Jimi Hendrix as the song that sets the tone for the beautiful destruction that's about to follow. This is not about music, however. It's about how the title of a semi-related to the Seahawks song can so ironically relate to the life of a Seahawks fan. My recent trip to the Pacific Northwest was the definition of a "bittersweet symphony." The Seattle experience, if you will, was just as magnificent as I had remembered years ago. The realization of coming back home to the reality that now existed was the opposite of magnificent. In short, humans suck, but enough with the cryptic messages about life and humanity, let's get down to the nitty gritty! The meat and potatoes if you will. The trip that changed my life!
If you've ever seen the movie The Rules of Attraction, you'll remember the scene where the beautiful Shannyn Sossamon's character Lauren's feux-boyfriend Victor describes his trip through Europe in a blur. I could do the same here but I'm not a douche, at least I don't think. You can find that clip on Youtube by searching The Rules of Attraction montage and I almost posted it in this very space before realizing how NSFW it really is. Warning, it's not safe for work, at all! Anyways, I'll breeze through the stuff about Cowgirls Inc., Showgirls, and the Amsterdam Cafe in Vancouver. I'll also keep it brief about the apparent bet to see which woman has the biggest balls in Vancouver. 30 degree weather and yet the dresses kept getting shorter and shorter as the Saturday evening progressed. Hats off to the bold women of Canada. Hats off to the architects and construction workers behind the work at BC Place, the lovely soccer stadium for the Vancouver Whitecaps, as well. I'll have to make it back for a game someday.
This is a Seahawks post however, so I'll get on with it as I'm sure 50% of you reading this have probably already clicked the X in the upper right hand corner. Those of you who haven't will now get to read me gush about the Seattle Gameday Experience! No, not the drones walking around in the yellow jackets that you see at the CLink on Sunday's... I'm talkin' tailgating! In short, it was magical. Shoutouts to my boy Doug and his buddy Storm and the rest of the fine people on 8th Ave and Mass. Red Hook IPA, Fat Tire, and Rainier for days only to be outdone by the grill masters! I never thought I'd be cracking open a Giant Oyster while tailgating but I can now cross it off my bucket list. Quite the experience and delicious as well. We made the walk to Safeco for a piss, so I can now say that I know what it feels like to be a Mariner, by pissing on Safeco of course. Ultimately, we missed out on the raising of the 12th Man Flag, the flyover, and most importantly the debut of Paul Allen's bands entrance music. Sad stuff but what's a guy flying over 3,000 miles for the game to do? NOT get a pregame buzz goin? Fat (Tire) chance! Now, on to the game!
My hope was to sit in the Hawks Nest for the awesome experience, however, my 'New Yawk' buddies let down the state's great reputation for producing tough guys and refused to sit there due to the potential for rain, "a bad view", and the potential harassment from rowdy Hawks fans. Lame, I know. What can ya do though, right? So I ended up in 309 with some pretty cool 'Hawks fans around me, so I can't complain. No one told me to sit down and everyone was down for high fives and fist bumps, good times. I even met a dude who had lived in NYC and knew one of my favorite restaurants in my neighborhood, small world. Speaking of small world, I bumped into a fellow Hawks fan on the subway ride to JFK airport. He too was flying to Seattle for the game. That would set the tone for the awesome Seahawks fans I'd meet on this trip. You all rock!
I'm not gonna lie, I got a little nervous midway through the 1st half. The Jets were bringing pressure early and often and just owning our Offensive Line. However, unlike their pregame predictions, Russell Wilson DID NOT get rattled! Wilson was fantastic in the 2nd Half after a rough beginning to the game and once again showed why we're all so damn excited about the prospects of him only getting better. And those designed runs? Music to my eyes.
Richard Sherman gets a shoutout here. I felt that his interception in the endzone changed the entire game. Things were looking a little shaky before he baited Sanchito perfectly and made the pick. I honestly thought that he didn't step out of bounds, but what do I know, I was in 309. Regardless, "Tricky Dick Sherman" was today's gamebreaker in my opinion. He was all over the place as his statline would indicate and he made big plays whenever the Hawks needed them most.
I also loved the minor contributions of countless Hawks like Irvin, Tate, Rice, Wilson, Lynch, and Miller. I also enjoyed watching Bobby Wagner in person, as well as seeing Brandon Browner chase down another player to save a touchdown. I know folks have talked about it already, but it's a sight to behold. He just gets into top speed so quickly and then brings down his man with such authority, it's such a beautiful sight!
You know what else is a beautiful sight? Those Rugby-like scrum plays where the Offensive Line helps push Marshawn forward for an extra 4 or 5 yards. The first time I ever saw it was on this play, against the Giants a few years ago..
Now it seems to happen every few games or so. Absolutely love it. I also love all the trick plays that Darrell Bevell has brought over with him. We had the game with the Rams last season where we ran two halfback passes, two beautifully thrown passes from Sidney Rice in the past two seasons, and now the TD pass from Golden to Rice. I'm all about the trickeration, so this is something that I certainly can get used to.
As the Seahawks run game and defense continued to smother Tebow and his buddies, the rain began to fall. I really got the Seattle experience this time! I couldn't help but get distracted by the sight of the Big Wheel getting swallowed by the cloudy mist in the distance. I don't think I have to tell you all how amazing the CLink is. Whether it's day or not, the thing is just a masterpiece and will always be relevant and never outdated, unlike other modern stadiums which are clearly prisoners of the moment if you will.
So the Seahawks won and I finally had the bragging rights among my friends. Funny story, this same group went to watch the Jets smother the Hawks at the Meadowlands in 04, the same game where Jerry Rice cought a TD pass. Somehow, as fate would have it, that ended up being a trivia question at Sunday's game. Fun stuff. The fun continued at Alysium after the game for some more awesome local beers before heading towards the UDistrict for the Sounders game! Although the Sounders got smoked, the singing and cheering from the fans was incredible. It certainly got the Spaniard/Argentinian blood flowing in yours truly. Great participation, the fans from Athletic Bilbao would certainly be proud of you all!
All in all, an excellent time had by all. Any time the Seahawks win it's a day that's better than the rest but the victory teamed up with the great people of Seattle (don't worry, the Seattle Freeze WAS in affect throughout the weekend. I completely understand the initial cold shoulder, I was proud of you guys for showing it to my friends!) and great friends made this past week legendary. I'll definitely make it out before another 5 years pass by and we'll all get to know each other much better when I'm not playing sherpa. The Seahawks now sit pretty at 6-4 with a perfectly placed bye week before heading back to the NFL doldrums of the East Coast AKA Sun Life Stadium. After dropping a pretty penny I could use the week off from football to pick up some shifts at work. The universe and the Seahawks all acting as one. Thanks for the memories, Seattle, I love you!
P.S. And on the 7th Day, God created Dick's Drive-In. $4.60 for a Deluxe and some fries? You can't beat that! Especially a burger that's better than most of the crap you'll find anywhere else! So good, you never catch yourself laughing at the name like you're a teenager. Cause the food is serious! Damn good.
The Inspiration: Nothing's more fitting for this weekend, for me at least, than 'Hey Joe' by mah brotha Jimi! Take it away Jimi!
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