XL: Redux

So my team lost 21-10. Why am I smiling?

I'm smiling because they played a real good game. In a history of Superbowl blowouts over the years, they kept it going into the last quarter. They stuffed the Pittsburgh defense so effectively in the first half that it was almost as if the Pittsburgh fans mysteriously vanished. There were enough woulda-shoulda-couldas in the game to keep the hot stove league going through the coming months without football. Yeah, there were some groaners and some questionable calls (enough to keep the hot stove league in flammibles for some time as well), and it wasn't as tight as my prediction, but Seattle played well. They showed they deserved to be there.

What made the difference? After the first half, the Steelers settled down. The Seahawks didn't. That made the entire difference. While I fought the narrative, the Bus going to Detroit was a great happy ending. The Steel City waited 25 years for one for the thumb, and I'm glad they have it.

And I'm also smiling because I came to grips with being a Seahawk fan. For all of my even-handedness, I found myself cheering the Seattle catches and whinging about the calls. When put to the test, I rooted with my heart, and even with their defeat, am proud of their accomplishments.

Not to mention that, after it is all said and done, I'm still happy to be in Seattle.

Thanks for the championship year, Seahawks.

More later,