This is basically psychological torture... I don't know why we do it to ourselves.

Before I delve into the Seahawks-Broncos Game experience, I feel I need to first explain exactly why I was so eager to fly half-way across the country to see a team play that normally I can take a bus across town to go see any one of 8 times a year. You see, dating back to the halcyon AFC West John Elway days, I always thought of Mile High Stadium as one of these storied sports venues, an Olympus of sorts for the football gods, and the sort of venue any real football fan needs to one day experience.

Unfortunately, John Elway retired, Mile High was replaced with a Stadium called "Invesco Field" and torn down... but my sister Did move to Colordao, get married to a Broncos fan, and the Seahawks were scheduled for a date there December 3rd, and my sister grabbed some tix off Ebay, and Tyler and I made the plans to fly out non-rev and watch some Football. It was only two weeks ago that the game was moved to a night start, and then only recently the weather decided to get butt-ass cold.

It actually worked out to our favor that the game was moved to the Sunday Night slot, which allowed Tyler and I to fly out Sunday morning -- we had already decided getting out Sunday night, even with the normal afternoon start, would be difficult at best, and had arranged for today (Monday) off to return home. We arrived about noon Mountain time, to a clear, sunny, but cold Colorado day, our carry-on bags stuffed with long underwear and fleece layers. After grabbing a late breakfast and stopping by Corey's mom's house in nearby Fort Lupton (where we would also be crashing Sunday night) to start donning our layers, we headed into Denver to pre-func at the Wynkoop Brewery in LoDo.

We made a bit of a logistical error in departing the Wynkoop a bit early to head over to [Invesco Stadium at] Mile High, and on a frigid evening we ended up just walking around to maintain warmth. But in due time, we grabbed some beverages and headed to our seats for pre-game festivities.

Now, I suspect most of you saw the game, so there is no sense carrying on about the details. I will say that about midway through the first quarter I figured I was probably going to freeze my ass off to watch a frightfully dull game end with a score something like 13-10. I just hoped for a good ending and a Seahawks victory.

As far as the temperature, I have found in previous experiences that when it is Just cold, and not cold and windy or snowing or both, it really isn't all that bad. The main problem is with the fingers and toes, and at some point you are more or less resigned to shrugging your shoulders and deciding that a certain amount of numbness is to be expected, and if the feeling doesn't come back and it starts turning weird colors you might have to go see a doctor. Sure, its cold, and its not as comfortable as, say, a July evening on the porch sipping a hefeweizen, but if you are properly attired, and have located the nearby beer stand offering up Blue Moon and Fat Tire, it isn't necessarily the most miserable experience you've ever had. What will indeed make the experience miserable is when your football team is essentially making a mess of the game and looking more or less as though they have no interest in winning.

I will say I that when Broncos QB Jay Cutler, the rookie making his first start in place of the benched Jake Plummer, threw the comically bad 2nd quarter interception for TD that kept the Hawks in the game, after shouting a few unkind things about his alma mater, Vanderbilt, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and yelled, "I'm going to call the Plummer." I got some chuckles out of that one. I'm quite proud of myself. That was, frankly, about the only highlight...until...

Then the 4th quarter happened. One of the great sports experiences of my life. There were random bear hugs with other Seahawks fans leaving the stadium, and a general sense of euphoria that the Hawks had just found a way to pull another one out of their ass, and a frigid evening, and all the logistical wrangling that had gone in to putting it together, hadn't been spent in total frustration. Walking back to the car, reflecting on the game and the season so far, I uttered the sentence that started this entry.


view from the [not exactly] cheap seats


Woo Hoo! We're cold!

Some random thoughts about the game;
1) I don't know how good the Seahawks Really are, and frankly am becoming bored with the topic. The fact is they Will win their division, barring a historic collapse, and they are in a three-way race with Dallas and New Orleans for the #2 seed and 1st-round playoff bye. This is their clear goal for the season. Every year there seems to be 1 or 2 NFL teams that seem to never really be all that great, but always hang around, figure out a way to keep pulling off wins, I never really think much of them, and then they end up playing for the Conference championship, maybe even going to and winning the Super Bowl. It doesn't bother me ONE BIT if the 2006 Seahawks are this year's version of that team.

2) I was shocked, even aghast, at "Bronco Nation's" fixation with John Elway. Jill had told me that Elway was the King of Colorado, and having been there a few times before I got the impression that he could be governor if he wanted to be, but Broncos fans are going to ruin Jay Cutler, as they already apparently have Jake Plummer, if they don't let go of this obsession. There will never be another John Elway... get over it!

3) I was surprised at the number of Seahawks fans at the stadium. Tyler pointed out that maybe it was the same effect as when you buy a new car, you keep noticing that car on the roads, and that may be true, but it Really did seem like there were quite a few Seahawks jerseys (or sweatshirts, jackets, et al.) at the game.

4) It struck me driving home after the game Sunday night how much this Broncos season resembles SOOO many Hawks seasons in the past... I have a little bit of sympathy for Broncos fans, to the extent that THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER JOHN ELWAY, SO GET OVER IT ALREADY!

5) I saw this in the PI today: Hawks record with BOTH Alexander and Hasselbeck in the lineup is 5-0. Chew on that. Also chew on what has gone on with their offensive line playing much of the season with only 2 of their 5 starters from last year (Hutchinson gone in Free Agency and Locklear and Tobeck with injury ailments). Throw in the illness to Bobby Engram, the loss of Marcus Tubbs and you have the type of "injury bug" that has crippled a lot of expectant teams. To some extent, the Seahawks Have been hit with the Super Bowl losers curse, and they have persevered through it.

6) There is nothing I can say here that hasn't been said about Josh Brown, but I have to mention how totally clutch Josh Brown is.