And I thought I was a big fan. Washington State Cougars, Philadelphia Eagles, and yes, Seattle Seahawks, my sports allegiances run deep. But they are nothing compared to the group of Seahawks superfans that make up the very core of the 12th Man.
I’m talking about the fans who begin tailgating at 5:30 a.m. as Nancy Campbell does. The fans that tattoo images of Seahawks up and down their legs, like Bryan Murphy does. The fans who morph from 65,000 to one on gameday, focused on rattling the brains of opposing players.
These people are involved, devoted and a little bit crazy.
Last year our Seahawks special section focused on the brand new Virginia Mason Athletic Center. This season, it seemed like a natural fit to focus on the very thing that makes sports go: fans. This was especially easy since the Seahawks have such a faithful (and loud) following.
I interviewed five of the biggest fans I could find in the area, Bryan Murphy (Hawkfiend), Efrain Lopez (Charro Hawk), Chris Johnson (WeeHawk), Jimbo Sabado (Cowbell Dude) and Nancy Campbell (Mrs. Cowbell). These are people you may have seen, or more likely heard, at games. Their profiles are on pages six and seven of this section.
It was fun getting to know them as we spoke, and I was struck by three big similarities in all five of the fans I interviewed.
First, they all suffer from severe indecision. When you ask one of them to pick a favorite Seahawk, that is. Trying to get a “maybe Lofa Tatupu, no wait, Darryl Tapp, no wait…” was akin to prying a manhole cover off with a toothbrush – it wasn’t working. Murphy may have said it best (after refusing to give an answer): “That’s like asking who is my favorite daughter.”
These fans couldn’t pick one player because they love all the Seahawks too much. It’s as simple as that, yet it took me a couple of interviews to grasp it.
Second, it is crystal clear what the top fan moment in the Seahawks’ franchise is: the 2005 NFC Championship game win against the Carolina Panthers. Each answered without hesitation, and with great conviction, that the 2005 game was their favorite Seahawk moment.
Sabado has a picture of himself with three friends from the game and he said it still brings back vivid memories from the win.
“All the confetti was falling down,” he said. “It’s the sort of thing where the hair on the back of your head stands up and you get goosebumps.”
Third, they all take the responsibility of being part of the 12th Man very seriously.
“I feel like I have a job to do,” Murphy said of being in the fan section during games. “That’s kind of the thing about the 12th Man, that we’re all individuals and some of us stand out, but we’re a group, we’re an entity at that point. You have a job to do; it’s to make noise at the right times and help the team as much as possible. You kind of lose yourself in that.”
They are serious, motivated and willing to do almost anything to help their team find success.
It was also interesting to learn about the kinship between superfans of different teams around the NFL. The Seahawkers group was a little apprehensive before venturing to a Dallas away game, but Cowboys fans welcomed them with open arms.
“You’re a fan of the NFL first and the team is a close second,” Murphy said. “I’m not a fan of the Cowboys, but I respect them and I respect their fans because I know they have the same appreciation that I do for my team.”
Big Nasty, a Tampa Bay superfan, even invited the Seahawkers group to sit and tailgate with him when they followed the Seahawks to a Buccaneers game.
That camaraderie doesn’t extend to division-rival San Francisco 49ers though. The 49ers fans yelled, grabbed at Hawkfiend’s horns and threw up the “one-finger salute” in a number of photos.
“The San Francisco fans are surprisingly ruthless,” Johnson said.
One thing about Seahawk fans is they care about more than just what happens on the field.
The SoCo chapter does many different charity events, one raised over $15,000 for Big Lo (“Seattle’s Biggest Sports Fan”) to help with his medical costs related to diabetes.
Johnson sent WeeHawk to Baghdad with a postcard featuring the Sea Gals to visit with troops and boost spirits.
These may be some of the most visible fans out there, but without a doubt, whether you put on your Seahawks jersey on Sundays or just throw up a fist pump when the team wins, you’re all part of the 12th Man.
