The
Seahawks and 49ers learned
a
lesson today
By
Shannon Love
November
20th 2005
It was a beautiful
day in
San Francisco, and the Seahawks were coming to town to play the once proud 49ers in a
must win. They left town
with the win, and an unexpected new
respect for an organization, that more then likely will come to play in
the next several years.
As I arrived dressed in full Seahawk blue, I entered the alumni
gathering with past hall-of-fame players, team officials and the 49ers
gold rush cheerleaders. They
greeted me and other Seahawks fans with respect; you could tell they were
hurt, not so much because Seahawk fans were in their hollowed ground, but
because they know where the came from – they are as proud as fans that
I’ve seen.
During the first half, the 49ers fans were still and unmoved,
waiting for the game to be over it appeared. They dressed, brought their
flags, some with face paint, and some with wigs.
As I spoke with them they reminded me of their championship rings
they had collected, then turned and lowered their heads. I almost felt
bad, the fight had left them at 2 and 8.
As I was tak
ing
pictures of Seahawk fans, some would frown, some would smile, I could tell
they were wondering what this was all about, why was I so excited.
It’s about being a fan I told them, stand up and be proud as I
was pounding my chest, be proud, show me what you got.
They liked that and proudly declared their pride for all to see.
What I have learned over the years is the fans are part of this game
and always will be. You can
change a game and inspire your team to new heights, or you can sit on you
hands and do nothing and watch the ship sink in a sea of lackluster
enthusiasm that will bring all near you down, including your team.
Perhaps in the past with their show so spectacular, the fans never
got involved to the degree as Seahawks fans have.
We had to and learned to rise above.
There is nothing
like home! Although away games
are a lot of fun -- I enjoy meeting fans from around the country and
experiencing the home crowds antics, or there lack of.
There was a Seahawk fan
thrown out of the game near where I was, he went peaceful like, no ideal
what that was about. The 49ers
fans are very proud fans. And
they should be treated as such; all fans deserve the home team respect
from visiting fans. I mean I
would never get up and lead cheers in an away stadium or go toe to toe
with a 49er fan, it’s not respectful of their house.
However, I will cheer loud and jump up and cheer good plays, I will
high-five those around me. But
I will also applaud good play by the home team.
I am an NFL fan. I have
every right to be in that stadium, but I also need to conduct myself
accordingly, and as I said, there are a different set of rules for when
you’re home or away. As I
tell the fans back home, be respectful of visiting fans, and they will
respect you – the game needs us both.
I felt honored to be in their stadium, and I was glad to be there for
Steve Young’s, Hall of Fame ring presentation. 
At half time, Steve
Young gave a tearful emotional speech to the crowd while accepting
his Hall of Fame ring at the 50 yard line, his emotions inspired players
and fans alike for the 2nd half.
Combine that with the 49ers first touchdown in a long, long time
the stadium
felt energized. The
local newspapers stated the stadium has not been this loud in years. (I
never heard the noise, but hey, I’m from
Seattle
where it does get loud) I will say the fans were more involved and the
49ers did shut out the Seahawks in the 4th quarter, and that
kept the fans in the game as well. The
Seahawks were flat on this day, and the 49ers played inspired.
Lessons were learned today for both teams and the following weeks
are sure to be different for both teams, the 49ers are coming to
Seattle
in several weeks, and we shall see what we both have learned.
