To Be Calimquim

I was confused.  I felt hallow.  I felt empty.  In someways, I didn’t know which way to feel.  On January 18, 2015, Seattle played Green Bay for the 2014 NFC Championship.  For the first 57 mins, the defending champion Seahawks didn’t play like they did in the previous 10 weeks.

Down 16-0 in the 3rd Quarter, this game felt the same way when the Seahawks played the Cowboys earlier in the year — they lost.  Today, the Seahawks couldn’t do anything right.  Even my favorite player, Russell Wilson, had already thrown three interceptions.  I gave up hope.  I didn’t want to continue watching my team go down in flames.  However, there was a glimmer of hope.  Seattle was onto its best drive of the game and they were in Packers’ territory.  The team was doing well, but the drive stalled and they had to settle for field goal. Then the most amazing thing happened.  As Steven Hauschka was about to kick, Jon Ryan, the holder, scooped up the ball, got up and scrambled  to the left.  At first I thought it was a botched field goal attempt and Ryan was trying to run for the first down.  However, once I saw Ryan do the passing motion and I saw some big lineman in the end-zone, I just dropped my mouth.  Touchdown! The score was now 16-7.

I kept watching figuring that Seattle had the momentum to start the 4th Quarter.  However, Seattle had another stalled drive in their own territory.  Green Bay would eventually score another field goal, to make the score 19-7. In another drive, Wilson was intercepted for the 4th time of the day.  I gave up.  Game over.  I shut-off the TV and cancelled the Tivo recording the with less than 3 minutes left in the game.  I didn’t want to the see the images of Green Bay celebrating victory at the CLink.  In preparation for the media onslaught, I disconnected my Twitter account, so I wouldn’t be reminded of the Packers’ victory.  I
laid down on my bed and covered my ears with a pillow.  I closed my eyes.

Then it happened.

I checked my iPhone.  The score was 19-14.  Was there a a chance?  I turned the TV back on, and just caught the end of the replays of Russell’s miraculous “hail mary” 2-point conversion.  Seattle was leading 22-19.  There was joy in the stands.  However, there was still a minute and a half left in the game.  All the Packers needed to do was get a field goal to send the game into overtime.  Being the pessimist, I had a funny feeling the Packers would score a touchdown to win the game.  I had flashbacks of the 2012 playoffs vs. Atlanta.  Seattle clinged to a 1-point lead, after Wilson led a furious comeback, from down 20-0 in the 2nd half. We were thirty-one seconds to the NFC Championship game. Unfortunately, the dream was over as Matt Ryan drove the Falcons into field goal range to win it.  Game over. Falcons 30, Seahawks 28.

But wait.  This 2014 team isn’t the same one that lost to Atlanta.  Although Green Bay made their field goal to tie the game, I knew we had a chance because of Wilson.  Luckily, we won the OT coin toss and elected for the take the ball.  A touchdown would win the game.

A few plays occurred.  Then Wilson made a long pass to Doug Baldwin to get into Green Bay territory.  The next play, an audible, Wilson sent a deep pass to Jermaine Kearse for the game winning touching.  Elation.  Shock.  Disbelief.

The 2014 Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, AZ.