The Seahawks – Living Up to Their Potential?
Or merely rising to the occasion?
I was reading sports websites during my lunch break yesterday, because that’s how I roll during football season. I read a comment that just stuck in my head and it wasn’t until I pulled into the driveway after work that I realized why it bothered me so much.
The writer was speculating regarding the possibility of the Seahawks winning the Monday Night Football game. The phrase he used was “the Seahawks will probably rise to the occasion.” Although you’ think I’d be happy to read that, the phrase grated on me throughout the afternoon.
“Rising to the occasion” sucks. I think the better phrase would be “living up to their potential.”
The problem with ‘rising to the occasion’ is that the phrase makes it sound like Seahawks don’t put it all out on the field every single game. Or that they spend half their time wallowing around in their ‘west-coast-ness’ and from time to time throw out this good game just to keep the rest of the NFL guessing.
I maintain that we’re seeing now is the Seahawks finally living up to their potential. The team that Pete and John have spent 3 years building is moving beyond their individual gifts and finding out how good they can be as a team. They’re embracing the concept of relying on each other, as well as knowing that there are talented depth players able to come in and contribute if need be.
They’re realizing that they have a coaching staff that supports the players, coaches that slap backs and thump helmets when the players come off the field. A coaching staff that can make half time corrections that are the envy of the NFL. No more coaches lamenting on local sports radio that he “needs dirtbags” or wondering why his center has a cast on his right hand and is snapping left handed.
This is the team that the 12th man has waited for. Our confidence is alive. We know that there exists the possibility that we could win each and every game this year. That possibility intrigues us.
As much as our Seahawks may confuse the rest of the NFL, the 12th man totally gets them.