When the Seahawks got whooped by the Steelers, I was very disappointed. When they lost to the winless Saints, I was mad. Then they beat the Rams (ho-hum--no statement there) rather handily. My mindset for these last 3 weeks has been to disappear, and I did. I believe my daily beer consumption rose by 10%. I ran all the scenarios through my head, projected the Seahawks matchups to come, and realized something: We Seahawks fans are not accustomed to a capable team who deserve to have high expectations placed on them. 

     Through the '80's, I held some hope for glory with Steve Largent (ALL HAIL STEVE LARGENT!) and the crew, but I wasn't fired up like I have been these past 4 years or so. At the end of the '05 season, I said more than once, "I don't know how to feel about this!" We Seahawks fans are not conditioned to high expectations like, say, 49ers fans, or Cowboys fans. The emotional roller coaster of a fan whose team should win, or at the least, show up, is something that I am not used to. Of course, I cannot speak for all Seahawks fans, but I, for one, almost wish for the days when a loss on Sunday didn't leave me sleepless (get it?), involuntarily replaying all the mistakes or missed plays, when I should be sleeping to be ready for work in the real world, where the rest of us live.

     So, to those who responded to my blog before the Steelers game: Yes, the Steelers own the Seahawks. There you go. I can't argue. That's why I am no longer indifferent about them. I will root against the Steelers any time they play, unless the 'Hawks need their opponent to lose. This is what we call "rivalry", boys and girls!

     As for the rest of the season, I hold out for the 'Hawks to pull themselves together and play the way we all know they are capable of. Their defense is, all things considered, pretty darn good. Their offense should be much, much better than they have shown (indeed, I think all fans are scratching their heads, wondering why). It seems silly for me (or any NFL fan) to say this, but Sunday's contest in Cleveland will be a test to see what we got. Nine games to...let's gooo, Seahawks! Now is the time! Buck up!