No Apologies

With their victory over the St. Louis Rams last night, your Seattle Seahawks became first team in the storied history of the National Football League to waltz into the playoffs with a losing record. The team, in clear rebuilding mode after several years of futility, would have had the seventh pick in the draft had they lost. Instead, they'll now have a pick somewhere in the low 20s, well beyond their competition in the NFC West. As I write this, ESPN is openly ridiculing the Hawks, comparing them to the two 10-win teams that didn't make the playoffs and the San Diego Chargers, who had the best offense and defense in the league statistically, yet failed to reach the post-season. The Seahawks finished last in the league in rushing offense and don't have a clear answer at quarterback, as career backup Charlie Whitehurst and injured veteran Matt Hasselbeck shared the position for the second half of the season. This foray into the post-season may cost the Hawks a shot at the talented QB class of 2011, as Luck, Locker, Mallet, and Newton are all likely to be off the board by the time GM John Schneider gets a shot at making a pick.

However, the Seahawks' victory yesterday provided something that no amount of ridicule or draft consequences can diffuse: hope. How long has it been since fans in Seattle have been treated to a meaningful game? The Seahawks were the last to provide such excitement, but that was back in 2007.The Mariners haven't been to the playoffs in 10 years. Worse, the Thunder, who's final days as the Sonics were marked by horrible teams and high draft picks, are now fielding a young, talented team with real playoff aspirations. 

Although I've been doubtful and cynical about the Hawks all year, last night something changed and I found myself pulling for them to make the playoffs, if for no other reason than to bring some excitement to Seattle. The upcoming match-up with the Saints, who pummeled the Hawks earlier, is troubling and unlikely to yield positive results for Seattle. Frankly, I, along with many other fans, do not care. One of the joys of being a fan is believing that your team has a chance, no matter how slim, to make it to the big game. Will the Hawks lose to a far superior team led by an all-time great quarterback on Saturday? Probably. But that's not the point. The point is, they get the chance to compete in front of 80,000 of the loudest fans in football at Qwest Field in the most meaningful game they've played in three years. The players have already come to the realization that fans are now coming to: we, as the fans, coaches, and players of Seattle, don't need to apologize to anyone for anything.