They're tough, physical, feared, hated, and they win. Tell that to your Seahawk fan Father and he'll ask if you're talking about the Oakland Raiders or the Pittsburgh Stealers of lore. No dad, these are your 2012 Seattle Seahawks and they're nasty as hell! Dad, in a state of disorientation, would probably be in disbelief and would wonder how the hell they got there.
When Pete Carroll took over in 2010, he inherited a franchise in shambles when it came to talent and hope. 3 short years later and the Seahawks have been transformed into one of the most talented and exciting teams in the league, as well as one of the toughest. How'd he do it? Well he started by giving this team an identity. He, and John Schneider, have hoarded a collection of misfits, outcasts, and other people's trash. They have taken players already with a chip on their shoulder and used that mindset to foster growth and progression, literally taking certain players to heights that NO ONE dreamed of upon their arrival to Seattle.
The driving force behind the rise of the Seahawks has been belief. More so than competition even. Everyone believes in one another. The players, the coaches, hell it's even trickled down through to the fans. Now, when the Seahawks get down and the going gets tough, everyone continues to believe. Continues to believe that anything is possible. With each and every game the "Same Old Seahawks" of the past continue to slip further into the rearview mirror before eventually, they'll just disappear. You'll know they're still back there but no bother, they're behind you and you've only got open road in front of you. At the rate the Seahawks are growing, it won't be long before children are born into Seahawk fandom without having seen the Seahawks be a doormat. Hopefully they're being raised properly and don't end up like the douchey Yankees fans who plague my existence who never knew that the Yankees were pretty awful when they were too small to remember.
No game is too big for these Seahawks, no situation is too great. Whatever happens, these guys are ready to roll with the punches and do whatever it takes to win. The resiliency the team showed after Marshawn's fumble near the goal line, to come back and still win the game after that, are things that we as Seahawks fans are not used to seeing. Seeing Seattle come through time and time again on 3rd down is something completely new as well. Consider it uncharted territories.
Your Father and his Seahawks could never dream of going on the road in the playoffs and overcoming a 14 point deficit to still win the game, in terrible conditions. It took 30 years to get this monkey off our backs. I was -5 when the Seahawks won in Miami. That's huge for a franchise that was already heading in the right direction. Consider yourself lucky because now you also get to see the Hawks go on the road to play the #1 seed in the conference, and you can actually believe without being committed, that they have a shot to win.
The attitude and fighting spirit of this squad is contagious. Somehow they just continue to be able to rise above it and scale new heights. You can't put anything past them because anything is possible when you mix their already freakish talent with this high a level of determination, belief, and commitment.
Consider this. After the game my father told me that when it was 14-0, all he could do was think of me and how I must've been feeling watching the game. He said he was devastated for me. For some reason though, he didn't turn off the TV, he kept watching. When the final seconds ticked off the clock and he smiled looking at the final score, a thought crept into his head. He said he's never seen the Seahawks fight through so much adversity and still end up playing the better game and getting the win. All I told him was, it's time to start believing.
I guess this is what happens when the perennial loser finally starts to win. The road ahead is a tough one, but we can all believe that we've got a fighting chance.
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