Look Ahead! A Healing Guide for XLIX. By Maelstrom.

What a game. That's all I can say about it. It was a hard fought contest between two great teams. In the end, somebody had to win. It appeared that we had the game in our grasp, but things can change very quickly. Elation to heartbreak in the blink of an eye.

Sure, we can ask all the questions we want to.
Why/who the hell called THAT play?!
Why didn't we just give it to Lynch?!
Why didn't we win it?

...but will that make it any easier on you? Revisiting it?

I understand the heartbreak fully. After some time to decompress, I'm over it and excited for the offseason. I see a lot of us are still struggling with the defeat. So here it is.

Maelstrom's Official Guide to Getting Over XLIX.


1. Acknowledge it. We lost a heartbreaker. That will never change.

It's painful as hell, but think about it. It happens. For any amount of reasons, we did not win the game. You can play the blame game, you can analyze the game all you want. It won't change that we lost.

2. Wash yourself of the past defeats in a shower of renewal and celebration.

Seriously, tell yourself that you're going to wash yourself of the disappointment, pain, and general heartbreak that this game has brought upon you. Also acknowledge that we made it there. We pulled off incredible things to make another appearance in the Super Bowl. It's a hell of a time to be a 'Hawks fan! Hop in the shower, clean yourself off, and put this loss in it's rightful place; THE PAST!

3. Take your thinking out of reverse and look ahead!

You're clean. Don't look back, look ahead. Like Russ does. He knows there's work to be done to get back, and it's hella exciting to think about the possibilities for this organization! Start picking your draft crushes, start getting pumped for the next season! XLIX is done. But the story isn't done being written! You love the Seahawks. You're a true fan. Looking forward at the possibilities before the team is going to bring you much more happiness than dwelling back on the time that they couldn't get it done.

Feeling better yet? I sure am!

Shout out to the positive posters trying to put some positive thoughts on the board in this dark time.
GO HAWKS!

Maelstrom

I got over the loss by thinking about what if Lockette catches that ball for a TD and we go on to win. We declare Pete and Bevell geniuses because they went against the grain and out smarted Belicheck. Well as it turns out one players guesses right or diagnoses the play and makes the play of the game and we end up on the losing end.

The Margin of what happened on the play and what could have happened on that play is infinitesimally small yet our perception of the the difference in the results is ginormous. Maybe time to recalibrate.

I am disappointed we didn't win when it was right there but we aren't starting from scratch and we still have the best family of players in the league. Lets rejoice in that.

GO HAWKS!

I used alcohol. Different strokes for different folks.

But seriously, nice post OP.

Nice post Maelstrom! Next year is going to be amazing...

I got over it by congratulating all of my friends that are Pats fans and offering to buy them drinks. Being a gracious loser works...seriously.

I can't say enough how much I appreciate posters like this. Thank you.

I barely got any sleep last night, but when I woke up today I felt better than I thought I would. We came up short, but 31 other teams do also every year. Enjoy the ride fellas, we have been spoiled the past 3 seasons.

Great post OP :th2thumbs:

Thanks man for the great post. I have been trying to get over it by doing nice things for other people. Serving others always helps me feel better. Guess that is actually selfish of me, but it helps. Last night sucked, but no one to blame but our team. We flat out blew it. It happens. Oh man, now I am regressing again. So sorry!!

Okay, on to next year and here is to celebrating our new NFC WEST AND NFC CHAMPIONS banners next year!! Wahoo! Cant wait till we do win the next SB we play in too. It will happen!

Go Hawks!!

Sent this to my friend who apparently stayed home from school today because he was so depressed and he says it helped him a lot. So nice job OP!

That's what I like to hear! Hopefully most are calm and "off the ledge" by now. These 'Hawks have a hell of a future ahead of them. Savor every moment!

Where I come from we watch a lot of Rugby League (I don't think it has any presence over there in the States)

The big game at the end of the season is called the Grand Final, it's played every year at Old Trafford (MUFC's stadium)

From 2007 the team I support (St Helens) played in and lost each of these finals for 5 years consecutively (probably beating the Bills record of the only professional sports franchise to lose 4 finals in a row). Sitting in that ground every year for 5 years was heartbreaking, like a cruel Groundhog Day

However after a gap we also made the final last year and when we beat our deadly rivals to win the trophy all the hurt melted away

It's a roundabout way of saying it but when the Seahawks reach the pinnacle again it will be all the sweeter for this year's experience

Remember what Kipling said,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same....

.....Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Another great positive post....THANK YOU

I am honestly still trying to grasp the fact that we actually lost that game. No matter who you pin the loss on, it happened. It's football, a game of inches sometimes, as we painfully witnessed. For me I am just grateful of what this team has given me, and my family over the years. Especially the way Pete and Co. have changed the face of the organization, and produced a winning product.
This year was a roller coaster ride for sure. There was a point when the team was 6-4 I wondered if they would even make the playoffs. To give us the Thanksgiving thrashing, Beastquake2, Kam's pick 6, and oh my the NFCCG. To overcome all of the adversity, and make it to the SB in the end is actually pretty amazing. I have faith in the leadership that this loss will not derail the team. They will come back stronger next year, I for sure can not wait for what they will bring.

GO HAWKS

retro74":3cruo251 said:

Where I come from we watch a lot of Rugby League (I don't think it has any presence over there in the States)

The big game at the end of the season is called the Grand Final, it's played every year at Old Trafford (MUFC's stadium)

From 2007 the team I support (St Helens) played in and lost each of these finals for 5 years consecutively (probably beating the Bills record of the only professional sports franchise to lose 4 finals in a row). Sitting in that ground every year for 5 years was heartbreaking, like a cruel Groundhog Day

However after a gap we also made the final last year and when we beat our deadly rivals to win the trophy all the hurt melted away

It's a roundabout way of saying it but when the Seahawks reach the pinnacle again it will be all the sweeter for this year's experience

Remember what Kipling said,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same....

.....Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Click to expand...

Quoted, well, because I liked it.

I got over it by realizing that if I could only be happy when the Seahawks win the Super Bowl, I'll be happy (on average) once every 32 years. Then I remembered the last 3 years.

36 regular season wins
6 playoff wins
1 Lombardi

Of the 14 losses, we had the lead in every one of those games. We had a chance in every one of those games. Remember that blowout win against Arizona late in the season? Do you remember the last time the Seahawks were beat like that?

It's been some great football, 3 years of entertainment and hope....and counting. I'm looking forward to next year already, because this team still has a great chance to win it all again. I actually believe that we will have a stronger team next year. We will have extra draft picks, few key free agents, and the holes on our team seem apparent enough that I believe Schneider and Carroll will be able to make a number of improvements.

Yes the loss hurt. I keep drifting back to it in my head (unintentionally) wondering what could have been. Having won last year makes it a little easier - we won't be like the Eagles, the Chiefs or one of those other franchises that had strong teams for 5-7 years and had nothing to show for it. Maybe suffering through the 90's made it easier for me to be happy with what this team has accomplished. Back to back would be special. On the bright side, now getting back to back can also mean winning 3 of 4

YEGHawkfan":34jqrueq said:

I got over it by realizing that if I could only be happy when the Seahawks win the Super Bowl, I'll be happy (on average) once every 32 years. Then I remembered the last 3 years.

36 regular season wins
6 playoff wins
1 Lombardi

Of the 14 losses, we had the lead in every one of those games. We had a chance in every one of those games. Remember that blowout win against Arizona late in the season? Do you remember the last time the Seahawks were beat like that?

It's been some great football, 3 years of entertainment and hope....and counting. I'm looking forward to next year already, because this team still has a great chance to win it all again. I actually believe that we will have a stronger team next year. We will have extra draft picks, few key free agents, and the holes on our team seem apparent enough that I believe Schneider and Carroll will be able to make a number of improvements.

Yes the loss hurt. I keep drifting back to it in my head (unintentionally) wondering what could have been. Having won last year makes it a little easier - we won't be like the Eagles, the Chiefs or one of those other franchises that had strong teams for 5-7 years and had nothing to show for it. Maybe suffering through the 90's made it easier for me to be happy with what this team has accomplished. Back to back would be special. On the bright side, now getting back to back can also mean winning 3 of 4

Click to expand...

This is an awesome way to look at our successes and extreme potential for future success. I keep drifting back to the loss in my head, but I always go back to looking forward to the future wins as well. It's not all bad here.