A Face Beyond Saving Fans Feel Betrayed, But Not Over Losing Behrings

On Dec. 15, 1984, the Seattle Seahawks retired jersey No. 12 to honor the Twelfth Man - their fans.

On Thursday, they retired the fans altogether.

Among the team’s supporters in Eastern Washington, a sense of profound alienation and betrayal greeted the reports that Seahawks majority owner Ken Behring intends to move the franchise to Southern California.

Behring told King County officials that seismic repairs to the Kingdome would be too expensive, creating what he saw as a lease loophole through which he could escape to Pasadena.

It was seismic, indeed, sending shock waves radiating across the state.

“It’s almost like losing a part of your family,” said Paul Fitzhugh, a former president of the Spokane Seahawkers fan club. “I’m really having trouble sorting out my feelings and trying to be a man about it.”

Dave Walker, a Coeur d’Alene travel agent and season-ticket holder for 13 years, was jolted by the news.

“I’m just sick to my stomach,” said Walker, a fan whose friends have labeled as Mr. Seahawk. “My only wish is we could go back in time when the Nordstroms were getting ready to sell to Behring and grab them by the lapels and shake them and say, ‘You’re selling this to some (jerk) from California, don’t you realize what’s going to happen?”’

Brenda Hawkins, current president of the local Seahawkers club - which boasts membership of more than 100 - said she never believed the team would move, despite heavy rumors.

“I cried,” Hawkins said. “I firmly believe they’re not going to get nearly the fan support down there, but that doesn’t matter to Ken. It’s all about money to Ken.”

Behring, who bought the team in 1988, drew almost violent criticism.

“I think he is a very rich slob,” said Fitzhugh, who rues the day he bought Behring a drink at a Seahawkers meeting once.

Fitzhugh echoed several fans’ sentiments when he said he suspected Behring of running the franchise down with poor management just so he could move the team.

“I think it’s a possibility … to deplete the franchise so the people wouldn’t come, and then he could take them to California,” Fitzhugh said. “I think he’s smart enough to know what’s going to happen when they released the amount of talent they did over the years - they’re going to take a nosedive.”

Walker, whose seats are in the first row of the 100 level, said he had a chance to get his feelings toward Behring off his chest this season. As Behring walked past him one time, Walker yelled, “You’re an extortionist.”

One of his fondest memories, in fact, was of a play in which quarterback Rick Mirer scrambled out of bounds and slammed into Behring on the sideline.

“He knocked Behring right on his ass; it was the play of the year as far as I was concerned,” Walker said.

While Walker said the team’s move breaks his heart, he won’t miss Behring. “The first year that he bought the team, my tickets went up 90 percent, from 10 bucks to 19 bucks,” Walker said.

Mike Schierman of Big 5 Sporting Goods said that he didn’t expect the move to affect sales dramatically because “during the past couple years, our Seahawk merchandise wasn’t moving very well; we’re probably going to try to push it out, now.”

As a fan, though, Schierman voiced distaste for Behring. “There was such an arrogant attitude that Behring had,” Schierman said. “There was such a lack of a willingness to negotiate; he had the attitude that ‘this is my team and I can do anything I want and you can’t stop me’.”

Lon Lee, general manager at KHQ-TV, which carries Seahawks games, said it’s too early to tell what effect the move will have on scheduling.

“It may give us a little more flexibility in what games we carry,” he said. “But I really don’t have a clue right now.”

From a financial standpoint, Lee said Fox has done well without carrying the regional team, and that just having an NFL game from any location - is a drawing card.

“Still, having an almost-hometown football team is certainly a revenue generator,” Lee said.

Many of the die-hard Seahawks fans have decided that their loyalty to the team does not extend to Southern California.

“I won’t follow them,” Hawkins said. “That’s not my team, not in Pasadena.”

Walker has an elaborate - and symbolic - plan to send off the franchise.

“Somebody needs to make a plan and get all the Seahawks fans together and have everybody show up at one place,” Walker said. “They could throw all their Seahawks’ stuff in one spot, in one big pile, and have a huge bonfire. That might be fun.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo Graphic: A look back at the Seahawks