I want to thank you guys for the kind posts. It really does increase my joy to have your salutations.
I will resist the urge to write a long and ultimately self-serving post about my personal history as a Seattle sports fan. I vividly remember being enthusiastic about the NFL and MLB BEFORE we had hometown teams, so I've been waiting my whole life for this kind of event. It is - literally - really something.
There are a couple ways in which the team's success seems especially meaningful. There were very high expectations this year, and so the social climate has been charged since last summer. People have come together to share in positive experiences. It's been a fun vibe wherever you go. Every fan base of a championship team feels like they've been "part of it", and I'm generally proud of the volume, travel and conduct of Seahawks fans. The quality-of-life for hundreds of thousands of people was meaningfully improved.
More importantly, the organizational culture of the team celebrates diversity. Pete Carroll said something to the effect of "we don't just LET them be themselves, we CELEBRATE them being themselves". That this level of inclusiveness should be so successful is groundbreaking. By recognizing each person's unique, human gifts, the team enables these talented athletes to give all of themselves. The players seem to be legitimately happy, cohesive and supportive. They've told their stories, and found acceptance and love among the community. It was frustrating but ultimately laughable to see national media try to reduce the dimension and complexity of these men over the last couple weeks.
From a football perspective, the 2013-14 Seahawks defense was historically good. They deserve to be mentioned with the 1985 Bears or anyone else. Marshawn Lynch is fun to watch.
Mostly, I finally feel satisfied as a sports fan. Seattleites have a championship to celebrate, and those of us who shared this journey will never forget this moment or this team.
One of the best acceptance speeches ever set to "paper"
I got to hold an "Emmy" this weekend. I made up a speech but it paled in comparison.
