Popeyejones":39ht5a21 said:
Rat":39ht5a21 said:
I think it peaked about three years ago. Between Sherman and Carroll, it was an easy team to hate, but Marshawn Lynch was basically unanimously loved, and the face of the franchise now (Russell Wilson) is one of the most popular and respected athletes in all of sports.
Every team with success will have their irrational haters. We've got some, but it's nowhere near as bad as teams like the Cowboys and Patriots.
Basically this, with a couple variations:
1) I don't think among general NFL fans Wilson is widely loved. I think people are entertained by him, but they're fascinated by him as a curiosity, not showering him with praise. They respect him as a player for sure, but beyond that among general sports fans it's mostly people entertaining themselves by laughing at him.
2) I think Bennett is pretty widely loved and respected as a player among NFL fans. Kam has a good rep too.
3) I think Sherman has really turned around his reputation and by discerning fans is now deeply respected not only as a player but also as a personality. I think he figured out that he got a little too close to the sun with his schtick and after breaking kayfabe people generally like him much, much more.
4) As a player ET3 is widely respected among fans, but kind of a cipher as a personality.
5) The general disinterest (or maybe lack of enthusiasm?) in Booby Wagner outside of Hawks land could maybe be a bit surprising to Hawks fans, I imagine. The mismatch between his stature in Seattle and outside of Seattle has always been kinda noteworthy to me.
Good post.
What tends to irk Niner fans about this particular division rival is the over the top aura of everything the Hawks do. How super duper extremely fired up the Hawks are about every tackle, hit, play they make on defense -- Wagner comes to mind more than most. How Thomas wants to be Jack Tatum on every single play with that bat**** crazy look in his face 24/7 and wanting to decapitate players while they are already being gang tackled and that stupid football punch. In some ways he has surpassed Sherman in that regard who has seemingly calmed down a bit in recent times, and that referee hug thing is interesting...
Sherman recently annoys a lot more with his interaction with his own players and teammates than with opposing players. That whole Falcons debacle was just so nauseating to watch. It reeks of an arrogance that no way in hell can God be burnt on any play.....let's figure out who was responsible. The entire defense dancing with Sherman was very college maybe high school like.
Respect the hell out of Carroll's football knowledge and coaching ability but he can be classier upon getting favorable calls and just his sideline actions in general. He can come off pretty smug at times and unappreciative of good fortune (Fail Mary alone is one for the ages). Call it hating if you want, but he comes off as a sore loser when things don't go his way (Rams game this year) and sets himself up for ridicule with his facial expressions after the end of one Super Bowl and a recent tie game.
Seahawk hating isn't just about being good but a unique type of bravado different from the '90s Cowboys teams that irk fans because they act like they've "never been there before" (except for Lynch with his handshakes). It was tolerable in '12 and maybe '13, but has worn out its welcome since.
The general "we are different from everyone else, operate on another level" annoys fans. Maybe if it produced a 3peat or produced a Patriots level type of success we can suck it up....
I've said plenty in the past about Wilson so won't rehash, but do find that "ball extend" right before going out of bounds when he scrambles down the sideline annoying, lol.
I have this feeling 10-15 years from now when many of the main characters are gone from the Hawks (Carroll, Wilson, LOB), I will have an indifference for them even if they are still good or even great. I will still root hard against the Giants and Ravens because some wounds will never go away, but Seahawks probably will be just another team.
I rooted for the Hawks in one SB, Cards in another. The Rams were the only one I rooted against in an SB. By the Chicago Cubs axiom of rooting for underdogs I really should have no issue with the Seahawks to the level that I do.
This post is gonna come off antagonistic, but doubt you'll see this type of perspective elsewhere.
