SixSeahawk
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Here's an article from an Australian sportswriter (March 18) that I thought was so eerily similar to my intro to football fandom that I wanted to post it.
"It took a five-dollar bet and 73 steps to turn me into a lifetime fan of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
Six seasons ago I believed gridiron was a sport I would never get into. On a Sunday morning in 2010, one man and one run changed things for me, very quickly. Now the man behind that run, Marshawn Lynch, has retired, and from all the way from Australia, I just want to say, I’m thankful.
On that fateful day, I was at home, flicking through my TV and found that an NFL playoffs game was on. I am a sports fan in general and although my knowledge of the game was scratchy I decided to settle in and watch it. I also thought I’d place a small cheeky bet to make it more interesting.
I learnt that one team, the New Orleans Saints, were favoured heavily over the Seattle Seahawks, a team I heard had barely scraped into the post-season. Always one for the underdog, I backed Seattle. The Saints took an early lead, and my only concern was that my bet was going to lose. But this not-so-fancied Seattle team hit back, and every time New Orleans scored, the Seahawks roped them back in!
Seattle took the lead before half-time and I began to imagine what I could do with that sweet $25 I might have at my disposal. It was hugely entertaining, and suddenly this very small profit I was set to make sucked me into a fist-pumping, clapping, NFL fan.
As the Saints drew closer, I found myself really wanting this Seattle team to win. With three and a half minutes to go, the Seahawks led narrowly as they lined up about 70 yards from the endzone on a second down. What happened next became one of my all-time favourite sporting memories.
Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, the player furthest back on the field, was handed the ball. To say he ran would be an understatement. He charged forward. Bulldozed. Steamrolled. As he hit the cluster of defenders, he refused to go down, ignoring the mass of flailing arms, instead blazing through any resistance like a speeding comet.
When he finally looked caught, he turned around to the pursuing defender and with one arm gave one of the greatest fend-offs you will ever see, not losing any pace in the process. Seventy-three gargantuan steps to the endzone and eight defenders beaten. Touchdown!
It was christened the ‘BeastQuake’, a play on Lynch’s nickname ‘Beast Mode’. I would come to watch this play over and over again. Seventy-three steps that brought a city to its feet. It was amazing, and for the first time I had seen what the NFL was capable of providing.
Seattle soon won that game, and I couldn’t wait for next week. I didn’t care about my bet anymore. I wanted to see the bloke in the No.24 run riot once again. I was officially a Seahawks fan.
Six years later and he never let me down once. He was one of the league’s best players throughout 2012-14, finishing two seasons with the most running touchdowns. It was a constant thrill when he got the ball, always bringing with him a small glimmering hope that he was going to do something spectacular – and often times he would, showing superhuman strength to break tackles and charge forward like a man possessed.
As far as athletes go, Lynch is easily one of the most impressive and exciting I have ever had the privilege of watching.
One day he was captured snacking on Skittles mid-game. He later revealed his mother had always given him a packet before his games. It was then common practice for Seattle fans to throw them onto the field whenever Lynch scored, like candy fireworks.
He became better known in later years for his reluctance to comply with the NFL’s ridiculous media laws, but that made me like him even more. Finally, the world’s most professional football league had a rogue cowboy who wouldn’t fall in line. His press conferences became headlines around the world; either refusing to talk at all or giving the same generic answer in what was a monumental stand for privacy and a big middle finger to NFL headquarters.
On one occasion he answered every question with “Yeah”. On another, “I’m thankful”. After getting fined for his act of rebellion, he fronted up to the next media day answering each query, “I’m only here so I won’t get fined”. Brilliant.
For the NFL he was a conundrum; a powerhouse on the field but difficult off it. To fans of the game he only became more popular, especially when he did show his personality on rare occasions – a laid-back, humble, all-around good guy with immeasurable passion and ambition, who put people before archaic rules.
I never thought an NFL running back would be my favourite sportsperson, but as it stands he currently sits atop my list. Watching NFL as a Seahawks fan will never be the same without Lynch leaping into the endzone under a shower of Skittles. Marshawn Lynch, I’m very thankful."
http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/03/18/fa ... -skittles/
"It took a five-dollar bet and 73 steps to turn me into a lifetime fan of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
Six seasons ago I believed gridiron was a sport I would never get into. On a Sunday morning in 2010, one man and one run changed things for me, very quickly. Now the man behind that run, Marshawn Lynch, has retired, and from all the way from Australia, I just want to say, I’m thankful.
On that fateful day, I was at home, flicking through my TV and found that an NFL playoffs game was on. I am a sports fan in general and although my knowledge of the game was scratchy I decided to settle in and watch it. I also thought I’d place a small cheeky bet to make it more interesting.
I learnt that one team, the New Orleans Saints, were favoured heavily over the Seattle Seahawks, a team I heard had barely scraped into the post-season. Always one for the underdog, I backed Seattle. The Saints took an early lead, and my only concern was that my bet was going to lose. But this not-so-fancied Seattle team hit back, and every time New Orleans scored, the Seahawks roped them back in!
Seattle took the lead before half-time and I began to imagine what I could do with that sweet $25 I might have at my disposal. It was hugely entertaining, and suddenly this very small profit I was set to make sucked me into a fist-pumping, clapping, NFL fan.
As the Saints drew closer, I found myself really wanting this Seattle team to win. With three and a half minutes to go, the Seahawks led narrowly as they lined up about 70 yards from the endzone on a second down. What happened next became one of my all-time favourite sporting memories.
Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, the player furthest back on the field, was handed the ball. To say he ran would be an understatement. He charged forward. Bulldozed. Steamrolled. As he hit the cluster of defenders, he refused to go down, ignoring the mass of flailing arms, instead blazing through any resistance like a speeding comet.
When he finally looked caught, he turned around to the pursuing defender and with one arm gave one of the greatest fend-offs you will ever see, not losing any pace in the process. Seventy-three gargantuan steps to the endzone and eight defenders beaten. Touchdown!
It was christened the ‘BeastQuake’, a play on Lynch’s nickname ‘Beast Mode’. I would come to watch this play over and over again. Seventy-three steps that brought a city to its feet. It was amazing, and for the first time I had seen what the NFL was capable of providing.
Seattle soon won that game, and I couldn’t wait for next week. I didn’t care about my bet anymore. I wanted to see the bloke in the No.24 run riot once again. I was officially a Seahawks fan.
Six years later and he never let me down once. He was one of the league’s best players throughout 2012-14, finishing two seasons with the most running touchdowns. It was a constant thrill when he got the ball, always bringing with him a small glimmering hope that he was going to do something spectacular – and often times he would, showing superhuman strength to break tackles and charge forward like a man possessed.
As far as athletes go, Lynch is easily one of the most impressive and exciting I have ever had the privilege of watching.
One day he was captured snacking on Skittles mid-game. He later revealed his mother had always given him a packet before his games. It was then common practice for Seattle fans to throw them onto the field whenever Lynch scored, like candy fireworks.
He became better known in later years for his reluctance to comply with the NFL’s ridiculous media laws, but that made me like him even more. Finally, the world’s most professional football league had a rogue cowboy who wouldn’t fall in line. His press conferences became headlines around the world; either refusing to talk at all or giving the same generic answer in what was a monumental stand for privacy and a big middle finger to NFL headquarters.
On one occasion he answered every question with “Yeah”. On another, “I’m thankful”. After getting fined for his act of rebellion, he fronted up to the next media day answering each query, “I’m only here so I won’t get fined”. Brilliant.
For the NFL he was a conundrum; a powerhouse on the field but difficult off it. To fans of the game he only became more popular, especially when he did show his personality on rare occasions – a laid-back, humble, all-around good guy with immeasurable passion and ambition, who put people before archaic rules.
I never thought an NFL running back would be my favourite sportsperson, but as it stands he currently sits atop my list. Watching NFL as a Seahawks fan will never be the same without Lynch leaping into the endzone under a shower of Skittles. Marshawn Lynch, I’m very thankful."
http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/03/18/fa ... -skittles/
