SEATTLE — The noise meter reached fervent highs and sober lows Saturday at Qwest Field, but the ultimate moment of Seattle’s 20-10 playoff victory brought a relatively restrained release – a sigh of relief.
Despite building for more than two decades, it wasn’t the most raucous expression of the day. But it was the most poignant.
The National Football Conference matchup agianst the Washington Redskins was another outing fraught with drama, with three devastating turnovers threatening to quiet Seattle’s infamous “12th Man” – the crowd in the stands.
Kevin Nortz / The Herald
But the fans, 67,551 strong, never let up.
Not when they saw their team lose the football three times.
Not when they lost their running back, who was voted the National Football League’s most valuable player this season.
They couldn’t.
Not on a day when history hung in the balance.
“The crowd was awesome today, honest to goodness,” Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren giddily said after the game. “They couldn’t have been better, except I’m going to ask them to be a little bit better next week. Keep pushing.”
It had been so long since the Seahawks won a playoff game that someone born on the day it last happened could have legally bought a beer at the stadium on Saturday.
The crowd was awash in blue at the game’s start, waving white towels that made the field appear to be surrounded by choppy ocean waves. Only a smattering of those in the crowd wore the Redskins’ burgundy and gold.
But by day’s end, they were blue, too.
Seahawks fans marked the occasion with signs that read, “We’re gonna party like it’s 1984.”
One fan gave a nod to the hometown weather, which provided a consistent drizzle throughout the game, writing, “Bring the rain, bring the pain.”
The most clever of the bunch declared, “The forecast is for record reign.”
The excitement was in the air long before kickoff as the unfamiliar buzz of a playoff game had Pioneer Square stirring two hours before game time.
An usher named Charles couldn’t contain a smile moments before the kickoff, saying, “It’s never been this loud during the pre-game before.
“When the kickers came out to warm up, they got a standing ovation.”
Ushers and fans alike waved their arms to motivate those around them, and it worked.
Fans reacted to the big offensive plays on, but it was the defense that benefited from The 12th Man’s consistency, with fans registering an unofficial 100 decibels in whoops and hollers virtually every time the Redskins lined up for a play.
It was a demonstration of audience participation that continues to bewilder even the players on the field.
“The 12th Man is big,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “Dome or no dome, our fans for whatever reason know how to get loud,” he said, referring to the old Kingdome that once stood on the spot.
“We raise that (12th Man) flag before the game, and some people may not understand it – I know I didn’t at first. But it means something to people. It means something to the team, and it means something to the city.
“The thing is hanging on the top of the Space Needle right now. It’s a big deal, and we take a lot of pride in that and we, for sure, appreciate our fans.”
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
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