Seattle Finally Ends Its Championship Drought

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks fans celebrate in the stands after Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

As I prepared to leave New York a day later than expected (thanks mother nature) I found myself reflecting on the significance of the Seahawks championship season and what it means to a city that hasn’t had a championship in a major sport since 1979. That particular championship of course now resides in Oklahoma City (cue groans).

Perhaps the reason the 12th man has been so loud and proud for the past several years is because the Seattle fan base has been so hungry to see a championship come to the city after over 30 years of teams faltering at the worst possible moment. Honestly, looking at some of the history since 1979 brings the word “cursed” to mind.

First there’s the Supersonics, who managed to win 64 games in 1996 only to meet the 72-win Chicago Bulls in the Finals. After losing in six games the Supersonics never made a return trip to the Finals and as I said before they are now taking up residence in Oklahoma City.

Then there’s the Mariners. Only a few years after their amazing “Refuse To Lose” campaign, they managed to tie a Major League record with 116 wins. Heading into the postseason that year it seemed like nothing could stop their quest to win the World Series. Nothing, except the New York Yankees. To add insult to injury, the Seattle Mariners haven’t experienced the postseason since.

Finally there’s the Seahawks, who entered Superbowl XL as the NFC’s No. 1 seed facing the AFC’s sixth-seeded Steelers. How could they lose? Some people may want to blame the officiating but it doesn’t change the fact that Seattle once again had their fingertips on an elusive championship and came up empty.

But on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks weren’t going to let anything stop them from bringing some hardware back to the Pacific Northwest. The 12th man was screaming in MetLife Stadium, green and blue confetti was everywhere, and that tiny metal football podium couldn’t hold anymore Seattle personnel if it tried. Seriously, why is that thing so small?

Maybe this championship is the start of something special in the Emerald City. Perhaps Robinson Cano will be the spark that ignites the Mariners championship hopes. It’s possible the Supersonics could get another team through expansion or relocation (fingers crossed). Or maybe the Seattle Seahawks have dynasty aspirations in the near future.

It’s too early to tell what impact this major moment in Seattle sports history will have on the future, but when the parade rolls into town Wednesday it will signal the end to Seattle’s championship free past.