Plenty Of Seats To Go Around In Hawks’ Opener Seattle’s Exhibition Games May Not Draw Many Fans
As far as crowd size goes, tonight’s exhibition opener between the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons could be a low point for the hometown franchise.
In the aftermath of owner Ken Behring’s off-season attempt to move the Seahawks to Southern California - a move nixed by the NFL only 36,500 season tickets have been sold. That’s 9,500 fewer than last season’s total, which was an all-time franchise low.
The smallest Kingdome exhibition crowd to date contained just 35,607 fans who turned out to see the Seahawks play St. Louis in their opener last Aug. 5.
Behring quit selling Seahawks season tickets during his attempted move to replace the Raiders and Rams in Los Angeles. Although local billionaire Paul Allen has an option to buy the Seahawks from Behring, Seattle pro football fans haven’t forgotten they almost lost their team.
The Seahawks believe their fans will come back - if they win games. Not necessarily four exhibition games, though. They’re pointing to their regular-season opener in San Diego Sept. 1 and their home opener against Denver Sept. 8.
“My whole goal from now until Sept. 1 is the Chargers,” second-year coach Dennis Erickson said. “If losing all four of these games has something to do with that, then that’s what we’ve got to do.
“I think we can lose all four of them and if we beat the Chargers, we might have a hell of a crowd against Denver.”
Erickson won two national championships at the University of Miami before being lured back to the Northwest by Behring. His first Seahawks team started out 2-6, but finished 6-2 and almost made the playoffs.
The Seahawks think they can make the playoffs this season for the first time since 1988.
“The man wins everywhere he goes,” new Seahawks assistant coach Keith Gilbertson said of Erickson, his longtime friend. “Some guys just have the ability to lead and he does.”
The off-season turmoil left some scars, though. If the fans thought they were being put through a rollercoaster ride by Behring, how about the Seahawks players? “It was crazy, it was hectic,” new starting fullback Mack Strong said. “I know I didn’t make any hard or fast rules. I just waited it out and saw what happened in the end.”
There still is a possibility the Seahawks could move, of course. Allen is expected to exercise his option to buy the team from Behring, but it’s not a sure deal. Allen would like a new outdoor stadium with grass - and he’d like some help building it.
“Luckily, we’re back here in Seattle,” Strong said. “At least for the time being.”