Seattle Seahawks and Old Women: One Last Yard

(Editor's Note: We all deal with Post-Super Bowl Depression in a different way. The wrenching, shocking finale inspired Kathe to get her feelings written down almost instantly. My reaction was to think about the game as little as possible for several days, hence the late publication of this post. Please enjoy the last "Seattle Seahawks and Old Women" until September.)

Contributed by Kathe Frahm

One old woman was not in the rec room. She did call and say she was in Maui and would forgo the waves and beach and sun to stay inside and watch the game. The old women appreciated her sacrifice for their Seahawks.

The snack table was loaded with every kind of food. None of it real expensive and most of it homemade. The Hawk blue and green cake did not get made. The old woman in charge of that had a painful attack of shingles and just couldn't bake. There was plenty to eat though. One old woman put a big 12 candle on her toffee cookies.

Everything was laid out carefully with all the spoons, forks, plates and napkins so no one had to get up to get anything during the game.

Old women watch TV. A lot of TV. They work to keep up with the predictions, point spreads and Vegas odds making, but not understanding all that leaves them unsure of just what is going on. Listening to explanations from some of the more informed old women doesn't much help. They just want the game to be on, their boys to win and the snack table fully stocked.

A highlight is always the million dollar commercials. The most giggles were for the Viagra spoof for Fiat and awwws for the Budweiser puppy and Clydesdales. 

The National anthem and fighter jet fly-over always brings cheers from the old women and the scene of our troops far away brought a few tears.

The game was everything the old women hoped it would be. Losing hurt. Their boys played so well with all they had and as was typical of the season's games, it all came down to the last few minutes. It seemed so easy for Russell to just hand off the ball at the Patriots' goal to Marshawn and win. That didn't happen.

The old women picked up the leftover snacks, put the couch back in the hall and just went to their apartments. This was one loss they all shared. They have had many other losses much worse than that of a football game. They still hope for the best.

One old woman said that the Hawks will see to it that many of their boys will get much bigger contracts for 2015. So many of the players are all still under 30 years old and have good prospects for their future football careers.

It is the nature of old women to look toward better times. Some have left the bad days behind. Others carry them around. But for a time, the rec room was a place for shared screams, laughter and really inappropriate comments on the nature of watching beautiful young men in tight pants.

Seattle Seahawks and Old Women: Sent Packing

It was quiet in the rec room during the first half of the Green Bay Packers game. The old women's "can't lose" attitude was a little shaky with their boys down 16 to 0. They all wanted to just give Russell a hug and tell him it was going to be OK 

Some old women who threw up their hands in defeat were roundly booed and told to cut it out and keep cheering their boys on. One old man who was born in Wisconsin as a Packers fan came in for a while. He had to leave though when the Hawks started getting some momentum going and the old women screamed. Two other old men stuck it out and one even helped serve food. The perfect host.

The one old woman who was counting down how long it takes to make a TD for the Hawks to catch up was getting anxious. Most said to relax and remember when Russell threw TDs in the last few seconds to win games. Knowing it wasn't over, made the old women hope for a Russell, Marshawn or Kam miracle play.

They got to overtime after the Chris Matthews got the ball on an onside kick. Marshawn took it in for a TD to tie and it just got better from there.

In overtime Russell threw 3 perfect passes to move down the field. The last one found Jermaine Kearse in the end zone and the miracle win.

Some of the old women wept right along with Russell during his post-game interview. It has been a long season for them. But they saw how fun and how much it meant to show up, scream loud and long, and share this Seahawk team.

The Packers and Aaron Rodgers with Eddy Lacy played a remarkable and fierce game.

The old women were fearful their boys would not catch up. Every Hawk offensive play was stopped short. When Russell took it in while the Packers' defense was mobbing Marshawn on the other side of the goal, the old women were hopeful this game could be turned around. The tide did seem to turn when punter Jon Ryan faked the punt and and passed it to Garry Gilliam for a complete surprise TD. The old women just shrieked and laughed and loved the show.

Plans were being made for Super Bowl Game day. The old women and the one old man who stayed sorted out who was going to bring what food and maybe some spiked Hawaiian punch. A '12' banner and a beefcake picture of Russell on the bulletin board set the tone. The old man wasn't too pleased and said if he put a scantily clad female picture up there the old women would have a fit. One woman said, "Whatever."

The old women and their Hawks need the 2 week rest until the Superbowl. They hope all that sun and warmth in Arizona won't distract their boys.

Seattle Seahawks and Old Women: Panther Kittens

Contributed by Kathe Frahm

The old women are happy. They are just waiting for their boys to drop Cam Newton, in his tracks. The last time the Hawks beat this team, Newton made a real display of arrogance the old women found excessively annoying. True, the Panthers had won 5 of their last games, but the old women couldn't wait for Russell, Chancellor, Wagner and Kearse to give them a football clinic.

One old woman bet the others Newton would challenge Richard Sherman and throw to his side of the field. They know QBs avoiding Sherman is a sign of respect and his ability to make big interceptions. Richard picked him off. The forced fumbles also made the old women scream. Kam Chancellor's 89 yard TD interception and 2 leaps OVER the Panther's line to block field goal attempts for some old women were the highlights of the whole year. They do love showmanship and they got it in this game.

Russell is confident and calculates in split seconds that his receivers are where he wants them to be. Some favorites of the old women are Luke Willson and of course their Marshawn. Luke has so much fun when he gets to into the end zone. Marshawn is the one Hawk nearly all the old women would want on their side in a fight. They marvel at his power to just keep going and his way of dragging any team's defenders with him.

So many of their boys have shown great talent and courage in this season. Last year even the most faithful of Hawk fans went into this part of the play-offs with a certain dread and fear of failure. The old-timers were promising a Hawk melt-down. Like always. Not so many naysayers this year. Watching Pete Carroll shepherd these remarkable young athletes to a winning season, has been a wonderful way to spend game day together, eating junk food and working to out scream each other.

The Green Bay Packers are not a team to take for granted. Even injured with an calf strain, their QB Aaron Rodgers is worthy of respect. RB Eddie Lacy is said to be fierce much like Marshawn, but may be limited in play due to a bad knee.

One of the old men called an old woman sick because she said all their boys have to do is aim for Rodgers' bad leg. You'd think he had learned that the blue-tinted pin curl and fluff disguises the fierce "just win" competitor inside.

Sometimes the old women ask each other why these beautiful young men, their team, are important to them. They have had heroes in the past. Famous people, men and women, moved through their lives. Now, the sheer fun of winning almost all the time fills a need to claim some ownership of accomplishment. A small thing, but important just the same.

Seattle Seahawks and Old Women: Battering Rams

Contributed by Kathe Frahm

Old women like that their Seattle Seahawks beat the St Louis Rams. They are not sure about all the wild card playoff stuff, they just know their boys won. They are also glad their Hawks get a week to rest while the other teams are fighting it out to see who will play them. Winning home field advantage is good. The 12s will make it real noisy for any of the opposing teams. The old women can scream and yell with the best of them and they do.

The Rams got a little comfortable with their 6 point lead in the first part of the game. The old women encouraged each other by saying that's not going to last. They have not forgotten the embarrassment of having the Rams beat their boys earlier in the season.

The Rams' QB for this game was an older player, another substitute, Shaun Hill. The pressure from the Seahawks' defense was just as intense and aggressive as the old women hoped it would be.

Wagner, Chancellor and Bennett led the best defense in the league, holding the Rams to a couple of field goals. They shut down any kind of running game the Rams tried, making a statement that the Hawks had come to play.

The old women could not believe the fumble by Marshawn Lynch and the rare interception thrown by Russell Wilson. Russell did recover 2 of his own fumbles which made the old women proud.

Key plays just got better and better. Bruce Irvin's interception and 49 yard TD run. Earl Thomas' strip, forcing a touchback. Big Jordan Hill's interception was a treat for the old women. They loved the look on his face: pure joy.

Hawks players all around celebrated his catch. Marshawn's 9 yard TD and the Hawks defense dropping the Ram's Receiver, Tavon
Austin for a loss fit right into the game plan.

Old women in this rec aren't given to swaggering. Not a lot in their lives are worthy of that. But the fun of making this team of talented young football players their boys gives an opportunity for a little bit of a strut.

The old women will try to figure out which teams might play the Hawks in the play off count-down to the Super Bowl February first. But for now they are ready to get together in the rec room at the home, eat unhealthy snacks and show the old men how to properly cheer for their Hawks.

Seattle Seahawks and Old Women: Pluck the Cardinals Again

Contributed by Kathe Frahm

The old women in the rec room today are excited. They've followed their Seahawks all year and know this game with the Arizona Cardinals is a really important game to win. Many don't understand seeds, ties, and point spreads, but they do know by winning today their boys could have home field advantage for the playoffs and make them the winners of the NFC West.

The snack table is full of holiday creations, not one of which is good for you.

The Cardinals get on the board first. The old women are not pleased. The first field goal is where their boys start. After watching the hapless Cardinals' Ryan Lindley work to find his way as a starting QB, the old women relaxed and just watched the Hawks dismantle the Cardinal defense and offense. Seeing Wagner, Chancellor and Bennett throw Cardinal players around to get at Lindley brought out the blood-thirsty side of the old women. Even the 2 men in the room were taken aback by the ferocity of the screams to drop the QB. The old women commented that if the kid was going to learn anything it might as well be from the most aggressive front line in the game.

Touch downs and interceptions by their boys reduce the old women to raucous yells and applause. The disbelief that the kicker, Steve Haushka missed 3 field goal attempts did quiet the old women down a bit. Motherly excuses took over the conversation: maybe he didn't feel well, maybe he had problems at home or on the team. That last was dispelled when he was encouraged that it was OK by his team.

Richard Sherman picking off a Lindley pass and getting going in the right direction was pure Sherman. The old women think he has got the spirit of the Hawks.

Russell Wilson just destroyed the Cardinal defense's game plan of keeping him in the pocket. They learned you can't blink and still keep up with his scrambling to the goal line. The old women scream “run Russell run” loud enough to have other residents on the upper floors come down to see what is going on. Three of the Hawks TDs were classic Russell. On the mark passes and trademark hustle is his game now. The earlier season shakiness seems to have passed.

Watching Marshawn drag Cardinals all over the field to the end zone is something they love. The old women were worried when he did not come out to play early in the first quarter. Many did offer a shoulder or tummy rub for him if that would help. They didn't sound too Motherly with subsequent very risque comments. Old women say they could always kiss it and make it better. Must be a Mom thing.

Luke Willson, a former Canadian Lacrosse player, brought the rec room group to their feet with his touchdown run. He is one of the fastest tight ends and was just having so much fun. The old women cheered him on as he lumbered down the field.

Winning this game and looking forward to burying the Rams next week makes these shared afternoons/evenings a gift well appreciated. Noisy teasing and constant shushing keep them together, keep them caring for one another.

All the old women were a bit hoarse and one said she clapped so much her arthritic hands hurt. They did all over-eat so there was not much food to take back to their little rooms. Old women share. They know some can really use it.