Trip report – NFC Championship Game

[2Tone]

Through some good fortune and generosity of my employer, last week I was informed I would be recipient of two clubhouse seats to the yesterday’s game.

Seattle is usually predominantly a baseball town, living (and dying) with the Mariners. But all season long excitement has been building around the Seahawks, and after last week’s win, football is all anyone around here is talking about. Four of us arrived down at the stadium at 11:30 (Four hours before kick-off) for some tail-gating, and the place was a zoo. Thousands (tens of thousands?) of people all decked out, many in face paint, screaming, drinking, carousing. We grilled, drank, and watched Pittsburgh manhandle Denver. And miracle of miracle, after one of the wettest winters ever (, it didn’t rain.

Club seats are sweet. The face value was $310 each, and they were going for $760 at stubhub.com. Spacious, comfortable, with separate bar and restaurant facilities. We were at the 25 yard line, three seats up from the first section – by far the best seats I’ve ever had for a football game. No binoculars or jumbo screen needed - that close allows you to actually see what’s going on the field.

From the moment local billionaire/owner Paul Allen raised the flag, the feeling in the stadium was electrifying. The whole crowd was on their feat from before the national anthem all the way through the trophy presentation. It was as loud as a rock concert, and every first down and big defensive stop was followed by a stadium-shaking roar.

And of course, most importantly, the Hawks crushed them. Despite a phenomenal season, many though they were slight underdogs going into the game. But from the first quarter, when Carolina had something like 6 yards of total offense, it was clear who was the dominant team. The chants of Superbowl started as early as the third quarter. I don’t need a nail-biter, and was happy to spend the whole game trading high-fives, shouting til my voice gone and cheering on a blowout.

Fireworks and confetti reigned down during a completely inaudible awarding of the Conference championship, and the celebration spilled out into the streets. It took nearly an hour to go drive three blocks, but nobody cared.

Because … the Seahawks are going to the Superbowl. One more time, because this never gets old. The Seahawks are going to the Superbowl.