February 3, 2014
Greetings from one among many,
You won’t see a crease along my backside this morning. Of the kind one might experience from having
been sitting on the edge of one’s seat while watching the Super Bowl. Not just because of the lopsided victory.
I am not a typical sports fan, however I am drawn to the
spectacle that will determine the best football team in the universe. I will also admit that my motivation for
watching the Superbowl has finally evolved to actually watching the game.
I no longer know the half time entertainers, and all of the
commercials have been on YouTube for a few weeks at least. So what’s left except to watch the game? Since I have no allegiance to either team I
had to figure out a reason to root for one or the other. I quickly chose Seattle because I was intrigued
by the 12th Man.
Seattle fans are fanatical.
I imagine the same could be said for many football teams, but what I’ve
read puts a different spin on the Seahawks experience. It is more than a ‘home field
advantage’.
The Seahawks refer to their fans as the ‘12th Man’,
the extra player in the mix that gives them the edge over the competition. When the Seahawks play at home the 12th
Man has one job: make a loud noise.
They are so raucous some teams have complained to the NFL
about playing Seattle. A couple of
months ago the Seahawks fans were so loud they set a Guiness world record for
the noise; 137.6 decibels. Just short of
eardrum bursting.
It’s not just about acoustics. It’s not just so the opposing team can’t hear
to call their own plays. It is about the
power that comes from the tribe.
Seattle didn’t invent the zealot fan, or the 12th
Man. But they made a brand out of it and the fans love being a part of it. In fact the term ‘12th Man’ has
been used in football for over a hundred years.
It was actually claimed by Texas A&M back in 1922, who thought so
much of it they copyrighted it. Seattle has
to license the use of the phrase from the Aggies for a small fee.
The concept is fundamental; we do better when we have
someone cheering for us in a difficult situation. We take strength from a genuine ‘fan’,
someone who wants us to do well, who hopes for us, who has our best interest at
heart. It’s especially effective when
that person has 67,000 enthusiastic friends cheering for us too. The Seahawks, whatever their skills on the
playing field, will push themselves past their limits because they know the
fans are with them, pushing with them.
Football fans, like enthusiasts from any walk, want to
belong to something they can feel passion about. It is natural for humans to want to be
involved with others of similar interest, and to be lifted up by that
association. It is family made large. The Seattle Seahawks have created their own
tribe, a clan of zealous disciples who want for the greater good, the good of
the group, but they also want to be part of the victory.
Just because I am not a huge sports fan, doesn’t mean I don’t
fully appreciate the value of the role. In
fact, last night as I watched the game, I actually envied the 12th
Man. Which led me to wondering this
morning.
Who are you are cheering for? What cause, what person, what change, what
group, do you care enough about rally around and give your voice to? If there isn’t something in your life that
brings that out in you, do you miss it?
And who cheers you? Is there a fan base you can count on,
that you have cultivated, cared for, gave back to? If not, then what noise do you hear in your
home field? What crowd are you listening
to?
I won’t pretend to fully understand the passion of the
Seahawk’s 12th Man, but I sense some basic truth. We want to belong to something larger than
ourselves, and to be part of a clan. We
also have a need to fulfill, to encourage others, to share in their challenges
and their victories.
Yes, it’s just football.
Or a concert. Or a stock car
race. Or a political rally. Or a 4th of July parade. Or a 10k run. But the reason your heart quickens, your eyes
water, your body tells you to join in, is because it is something you are meant
for.
Hope this finds making a deafening roar,
David
Copyright © 2014 David Smith
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