The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will begin working toward another NFL title in 55 days. That’s when Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Beast Mode and all of the other players will run onto the field for the first game of the 2014 season.
For the Seahawks’ loyal 12s, that’s the equivalent of Christmas morning as a kid.
But for hundreds of Southwest Washington 12s — myself included — an early Christmas present arrived Friday when the Seahawks brought to the Couv the Vince Lombardi Trophy they earned in February with a 43-8 thrashing of the Denver Broncos.
The trophy and the Sea Gals cheerleaders, Blue Thunder drumline and Blitz the mascot appeared at Big Al’s in east Vancouver for several hours Friday. Wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Phillip Bates made appearances as well, signing autographs and playing arcade games with young Hawks fans.
The event began at noon, but fans started lining up outside Big Al’s at 7 a.m. Delores and Charles Parsons of Vancouver were first in line. They ate their breakfast as they waited for other fans to show up. None did until about 9 a.m.
Delores had been waiting since 1976 — the team’s inaugural year — to see the Seahawks win a Super Bowl. Now that they had, she wanted to be the first person in line to see it.
“We went to our first game last year,” Delores said. “It was against the Rams. It was awesome.”
“I’m addicted,” she added. “I want to do it every game.”
In 55 days, I’ll make the first of eight trips — hopefully more, depending on the playoffs — up to Seattle to watch the Hawks play at CenturyLink Field. Three years ago my then-boyfriend (now-fiance), surprised me with season tickets for my birthday.
Since then, we’ve made the regular trek to Seattle on Sundays and a couple Mondays for prime-time games.
We watched the Seahawks make their run for the Lombardi Trophy from our seats in Section 331. We saw Sherman tip the San Francisco 49ers’ final touchdown attempt in the NFC championship game, securing the team’s second trip to the Super Bowl. We experienced the subsequent fan explosion that filled CenturyLink. We celebrated with other fans, soaking up the win long after the final whistle.
And we watched from a friend’s house in Ridgefield as the Seahawks stunned the Broncos on Feb. 2.
So when I heard the Lombardi Trophy was coming to my hometown, I planned to take a long lunch to visit Big Als. Luckily for me, I was asked to take a break from reporting about health care to cover the trophy visit.
The Parsons and hundreds of other fans were already lining the outside of the building when I arrived at Big Al’s. A little more than an hour before the event was scheduled to begin, Big Al’s offered media access to the trophy.
Hoisting the trophy
My heart rate quickened as Columbian photographer Zachary Kaufman and I were escorted back to the VIP room where the trophy was hiding until the public unveiling.
I knew we would get a chance to see the trophy up close. I just didn’t realize how close.
We snapped a few photos of the trophy as it sat on a small table with deep red walls — a 49ers’ color, I should add — for a backdrop. I slipped alongside the trophy for a couple more photos.
Then a Big Al’s staffer asked me something I never thought I’d hear.
“You want to hold it?”
“Uh, yes,” was all I could muster.
My heart started racing as I set my pad and pen on a table. I slipped on the white trophy-handling gloves, took a deep breath and ever-so-carefully picked up the trophy.
My first thought: Wow, this is light.
Turns out the trophy is mostly hollow. It weighs just 7 pounds.
My next thought: Don’t drop it. Just. Don’t. Drop. It.
I didn’t want to be “that girl” who had a chance to hold a piece of Seahawks history and dropped it.
Then, finally, it sunk in: I’m holding the same trophy Russell Wilson is hoisting above his head in the photo plastered across the top of my Facebook page. This is so cool.
Travis Kersey, a 19-year-old from Kent assigned to trophy detail, watched as I gently returned the trophy to its resting spot. His job as a member of the Seahawks street team is to protect the Lombardi Trophy during tour stops. It’s a dream job for a lifelong Seahawks fan whose family has had season tickets since 1976.
About an hour later, Blitz paraded the trophy out to the crowd that filled the foyer at Big Al’s. Then Kersey hoisted the trophy atop its pedestal, where it stayed for several hours.
Throughout the afternoon, the Blue Thunder drumline played outside the front doors. The 12s broke out into several rounds of SEA!-HAWKS! chants. Blitz posed for photos with fans big and small, old and young.
And when Baldwin and Bates emerged, the 12s surrounded the Super Bowl champs, posing for selfies with the players and asking for autographs.
The whole building was brimming with blue-and-green excitement — from the thrill of seeing the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl trophy in person, to the anticipation of the new season and the quest for another trophy.
Just 55 days away.
