This universal sentiment of most football fans is enough to make most Seattle Seahawks fans wince. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck uttered his most recognizable quote during the coin flip for overtime of a 2003 NFC playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Hasselbeck was then promptly picked off by Al Harris, who returned the interception for a Packers touchdown.
“We’ll never forget that one, will we?” said Tom Spindler, president of the Mat-Su chapter of the Sea Hawkers Booster Club. “I was watching that game and I thought, “Holy cow, that’s confidence.’”
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For a team that has only been to one Super Bowl since its inception in 1976 — a 2005 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers — it’s that glass-is-half-full optimism that defines its fan base.
“I’ve been a Hawks fans since 1976, since the beginning,” said Spindler, who also goes by the handle Tomahawker. “Whether they win or lose, we take the losses personal, we take the wins personal. We have the greatest fans. The Seahawks are the only NFL team to retire jersey No. 12 (dedicated) to the fans.”
It’s that feeling of family that draws the Sea Hawkers Booster Club to Tailgaters Bar and Grill in Wasilla each Sunday during the football season. This past weekend, a small, vocal group gathered in the corner of Tailgaters to cheer their Seahawks on against the Chicago Bears.
Early on, there was plenty to cheer about. Seattle scored early and built a 13-0 lead. It seemed 14-year-old fan Joel Payne was halfway to realizing his pre-game prediction of a 28-14 Seahawks win.
“We’re gonna win, of course,” he said, adding he believes the Seahawks are bound for another trip to the Super Bowl “this year.”
Keith Foncree was also all smiles, confident in his prediction that “we’re going to kill the Bears.”
Whether through kismet, divine intervention or simple bad luck, the Bears rallied to thump Seattle 25-19. Another typical day for a Seattle Seahawks fan.
“For me, being a fan is about having a passion for the game,” Spindler said. “It’s not always about the wins. True fans stick with your team — win, lose or draw.”
And for the past six years, the Mat-Su Sea Hawkers club has been doing just that. Whether from home, Tailgaters or from his season ticket seats in Seattle, Spindler is blue and silver through and through.
“I always tell people, if you want to see the game from all the different angles, watch it on television,” he said. “If you want to experience the game, go to the game.”
He recalls being in the stands for the NFC championship game in 2005 when the Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl. It’s his most memorable moment in 33 years of cheering on his beloved Hawks.
“Oh man, I’m gonna have to say finally getting to the Super Bowl is the best memory,” Spindler said. “I was at that NFC championship game, and we actually finally won, and the crowd was just electric.”
Dennis MInshall sits next to Foncree nursing a beverage before the start of Sunday’s game. It was a time to reminisce about some of the Seahawks greats. He feels sympathy for Jim Zorn, the franchise’s first quarterback who is now under close scrutiny as head coach of the Washington Redskins. He thinks second-string quarterback Seneca Wallace — starting in place of an injured Hasselbeck — needs to be taller. And he struggles to pronounce the team’s off-season free-agent signee wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
“How do you say that?” he asks. “Who’s your mamma?”
Whether celebrating success or suffering through a losing season, doing it with a group of friends and fans makes cheering for the Seahawks more personal, said Bob Davey. An eternal optimist who seems to always sport a wide grin, Davey calls the Seahawks “glamorous” and shrugged off Sunday’s loss to the Bears. “We’re just getting warmed up.”
The booster club also does more than gather once a week to cheer on the Seahawks, Spindler said. The group is also dedicated to community service, raising funds for the local Boys and Girls Club, the fight against diabetes and supporting the many charitable efforts of past and present players.
But for now, the focus is on Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts and how to contain quarterback Peyton Manning, Spindler said.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a pretty game,” he said about facing a future hall-of-famer and dealing with numerous injuries. “We have eight to 10 starters already standing on the sidelines. To me, the key is we’re going to have to run the ball, don’t even let (Manning) get out there.”
Seahawks fans have been true to their team for 33 years without a Super Bowl victory. When will it finally happen?
“We’re always hopeful,” Spindler said, “but not this year.”
Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.
BREAKOUTS
MORE INFO
The Mat-Su chapter of the Sea Hawkers Booster Club meets at Tailgaters Bar and Grill in Wasilla on game days. To learn more about the club and its activities, contact president Tom Spindler at 232-5921 or visit www.seahawkers.org.
FAST FACTS
• The Seattle Seahawks was an NFL expansion franchise that entered the league in 1976.
• The Seattle Seahawks have an overall record of 258-277 over its 33-year history.
• The team is 7-10 all time in the postseason.
• Seattle has been to a conference championship game twice. In 1983, the Seahawks lost 30-14 to the Raiders in the AFC title game, and beat the Carolina Panthers 34-14 in the 2005 NFC title game.
• The team’s first draft pick was Steve Niehaus, a defensive tackle who went on to be named the 1976 rookie of the year.
• From 1984 to 2005, Seattle had the longest drought of playoff victories for any NFL team.
Comments
2 comment(s)Seachickens.... wrote on Oct 4, 2009 12:08 PM:
Tom Spindler wrote on Oct 4, 2009 9:01 AM:
While we are great fans of the Seahawks, we wanted to be more than just beer drinking football fans (not a bad thing). We want to be supporters of Mat-Su youth sport activities and other community functions. Mat-Su Sea Hawkers is an all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit charity. Our mission: "Supporting Mat-Su Youth Sports." We raise funds to assist with various local youth sport activities, events fees, and scholarships. Membership information is available at our website - matsuseahawkers.com "