Super Bowl XLIX: Can the 12s play a part for the Seattle Seahawks?
Friday 23 January 2015 16:54, UK
The Seattle Seahawks will bid for a Super Bowl repeat in Glendale next weekend, no doubt backed by their usual vociferous support, but can they have the same effect away from CenturyLink Field?
As NFL crowds go, the Seahawks are probably the loudest...and they are proud of it. So much so they pay Texas A&M University a monthly fee to use the name '12th Man' and sell as much merchandise as they possibly can to the 60,000+ fans who turn up eight times a year for their home games.
The result? A record of 26-2 at CenturyLink Field over the last three seasons, four of those victories coming in play-off games, including the incredible comeback against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game last Sunday.
While that victory may have been more down to the skills of quarterback Russell Wilson and running back Marshawn Lynch, and the negative plan from Packers coaches Mike McCarthy and Dom Capers, it was evident the crowd stayed firmly behind their boys...apart from those foolish few who gave up and headed for home before the fireworks started.
It was funny to see the pictures of desolate 12s watching the game on TV screens outside the stadium, and humorous to read of Seahawks fan Holly Risin's decision to cancel her Super Bowl travel plans with less than three minutes left in the game (she managed to re-book for a small fee), but these guys are human...and on going days, you will struggle to find a better bunch.
The legend
Seattle retired the No 12 in honour of their fans more than 30 years ago, and they have long been thought of among the loudest support in the NFL, but that has ramped up a gear or two since they opened their stadium early this millennium.
Owner Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates, insisted that his new pride and joy be built to keep the sound in...and it does just that.
The Seahawks proudly state on their website - albeit without any particular concern for their cheering fans - that the record decibel level of 137.6 (set last year) comes in between standing on a busy aircraft carrier flight deck and a jet taking off from 100 metres away.
Bear in mind a level of 100 decibels is enough to provide 'serious hearing damage' and you wonder whether it is worth quickly studying otology (impossible, I know) and becoming an ear specialist in the Pacific Northwest region.
The noise effect
The numbers are impressive, but what does the deafening noise actually mean for the players on the field?
Well, among the other proud boasts on the Seahawks website is the stat that they force 2.36 false start penalties per game - big plays have been overturned because of it, and opposing quarterbacks have to work around the noise to get their plays through...while offensive linemen often have to take touch signals to start plays instead of listening out for specific calls.
Particularly damaged were the 2005 New York Giants, who were called for 11 false starts in one game and missed three field goals at CenturyLink, enough for then coach Mike Holmgren to dedicate the game ball to 'The 12'.
Live NFL - Super Bowl XLIX
And let us not forget the 'Beast Quake' from January 8, 2011, when a 67-yard touchdown run from Marshawn 'Beast Mode' Lynch, that saw him famously break through nine tackles, against the New Orleans Saints actually registered as a 'small seismic event' on a nearby seismometer.
That legend has grown in recent seasons, up to the decibel record against those Saints late in 2013, and although there was a shock defeat at home to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this season, the crowd played a part in a couple of late rallies to victory as the campaign progressed - don't forget three months ago, this was a team that started 3-3 and was some way adrift of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.
Who will be able to go?
Now to the future, especially the Arizona showpiece on February 1.
We can be fairly sure, Glendale being closer to Seattle than Boston, that there will be a fair few thousand 12s in the Super Bowl crowd, but it will be nothing like the regular Sunday attendance at CenturyLink.
Much like the FA Cup final in England, tickets are harder to come by for regular fans. All 32 NFL franchises receive an allocation and thousands go to sponsors, celebrities, and footballing icons.
The Seahawks will receive the usual 17.5 per cent allocation, but even that will be diluted as the franchise gives tickets to players, employees, etc.
Tickets do become available on resale websites but, according to reports, prices have already reached $3,000 on average. Those prices usually drop in the run-up to the game, but by then organising flights, hotels, etc, probably becomes a bigger issue.
So we can be fairly sure the numbers will be down, but what about the noise?
It would be a surprise if the noise is a major issue for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, certainly not a game-changer as he will have dealt with similar situations dozens of times, but you can be sure the television screens will be dominated by Seahawks fans in costumes ranging from fully kitted-up to the downright bizarre, while face paint levels could be depleted and voices will undoubtedly crack.
No doubt, 12 will be prominent - it is Brady's number as well - and the atmosphere will surely hit rowdy, but you can bet Brady is thrilled this game is taking place in the desert, rather than Washington state, where most of the 12s will be packing bars and pubs...or hiding behind the sofa at home as they bid for that rare Super Bowl repeat.
But then again, we could still be talking about deflated balls by then...
Super Bowl XLIX will be live on Sunday February 1 at 10pm on Sky Sports 1 HD & Sky Sports 3 HD. You can also watch the Pro Bowl live on Sky Sports 1 on Sunday night, coverage starts at midnight.
