dnak
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Yes, I was at the game in Detroit.
Seahawks fans were easily outnumbered 10-to-1 inside Ford Field by terrible towel-wielding steeler fans. I was surprised we made as much noise as we did.
I won’t lie. The game was painful…. with the hawks dominating the first half on the field but getting only 3 points; with ill-timed dropped passes; with one-sided calls by the officiating crew; with the defense failing to stop Steeler trick plays. But congrats to the Steelers on their 5th title… to win all of their playoff games on the road is an amazing achievement. Final Score 21-10.
Detroit did a good job hosting… they cleaned up the downtown area and created a whole winter festival to get the town excited. It worked…. I met Detroit suburbanites who said it was the first time they spent more than a couple hours Downtown (and when they did, it was to attend a game). One even said it was the first time their kids ever had been downtown. The people of Detroit were very welcoming, happy to see people coming in to see their city awash in positive media attention.
One thing I will remember most about that night after the game was over… As we were walking out of downtown, with Steeler fans yelling on the streets, I exchanged a glance with a man wearing a 12th man jersey walking the other way. It was just a nod of the head and an expressionless face, but we were feeling the same thing. All of us have felt it, but somehow it feels worse this time.
The Seahawks had their best year by far…. hopefully, they can get back to the big game again soon (in a warmer city, and before another 30 years). The big question is if they can sign Alexander in the offseason… I know they want to, but they might not be able to afford him and keep the offensive line together (which is the biggest reason for his success). We’ll see.
I’m glad I went…. The days leading up to the game were crazy, with celebrities and NFL greats walking the streets and media crews filming day and night. And the few of us Seahawk fans shouting “Go Hawks” at anybody wearing blue amidst the sea of yellow. I wish it ended differently of course, but I’m still happy I was there for the Seahawks first Superbowl.
