Seattle Seahawks: Are fan expectations too high?
By Keith Myers
Seattle Seahawks fans are expecting another Super Bowl win this season, but are we just setting ourselves up to be disappointed?
The Seattle Seahawks are currently the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Only the New England Patriots have better odds for winning the title. Fan have latched on to these expectations and currently are holding on to a “Super Bowl or bust” mentality.
So I have to ask the question: Are our expectations too high for the 2016 season?
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The Seahawks didn’t even win their division last year. The offense was a disaster for much of the year and in the playoffs. The team also lost considerable talent in free agency. Let’s also not forget the current state of the offensive line.
Is anything short of a Super Bowl championship going to be a disappointment? Is that truly the spot we’re in right now?
This is a topic that I’ve struggled with every year since 2013. This is a very talented roster, but high expectations always leave me open to be disappointed. I tend to prefer to have more guarded expectations, and then if things go right then I get to be pleasantly surprised.
I’m the same way with movies. I expect them all to be bad (and I’m right more often than not), so when a movie is average or even good the surprise of finding a worthwhile film just adds to the fun.
If that sounds cynical, well, that’s because it is. I like to think that being a Seattle sports fan in the 80s and 90s is a reasonable explanation for my cynicism. Those of you who lived through the entire history of the Mariners, as well as the excruciating years between Chuck Knox and Mike Holmgren for the Seahawks, will know what I’m talking about.
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So let’s ask the question again: Are our expectations for 2016 too high?
Obviously we’ll have to wait and see. For now though, the answer appears to be: No. It feels like 2013 all over again, and that is a good thing.