Open Letter to SouthCoast Patriots Fans From a Seattle Native
Dear Patriots fans on the SouthCoast,
I have a confession to make, but right off the bat, there are two things you should know about me: I'm from Seattle and I'm a huge football fan. I grew up watching Seahawks games with my dad, always making sure to sit on our couch's "lucky crack," never losing faith that it would somehow force a good play, even when it didn't most of the time.
I barely remember it, but I witnessed the Seahawks go to (and lose) their first Super Bowl in 2006. Season after season, Seattle ended its football season in heartbreak, but everything changed when we landed a whole squad of playmakers, including Russell Wilson, that led the Hawks to our first Super Bowl win in 2014.
You can imagine my excitement when the Hawks made their way back to the biggest game in the league, this time facing the New England Patriots. It was a close game, and it started to look like the Seahawks would take home back-to-back SB victories – that is, until one of the most heartbreaking plays in Seattle sports history. Instead of utilizing powerhouse running back Marshawn Lynch to run a couple of yards and take the lead with less than a minute left, Wilson threw the ball, which was picked off at the goal line by the Patriots' undrafted rookie, Malcolm Butler.
I'll be the first to admit it: I shed some tears. It was a heartbreaking loss, but I'm sure as Patriots fans, you probably look back on Super Bowl XLIX much more fondly.
Despite having a bit of a grudge with the Pats since that game-deciding play in 2015, I'm now living in Massachusetts, a.k.a. the heart of Patriots country. I have to say, as a passionate football fan myself, I can appreciate the passion and dedication Pats fans bring to the table. The pride in your team isn't unfounded in the slightest, either; six Super Bowl wins and 11 total appearances are pretty darn impressive.
So later this year when football season is in full swing, if you see me out at the grocery store or a local SouthCoast restaurant sporting my Seahawks jersey (or a Bills jersey, because my boyfriend hails from Buffalo), let's indulge in some friendly competition and maybe even share an elbow bump, because, ya know, COVID.
Cheers!
Kari, the new voice of your afternoon drive 🙂