For soggy Seattle, it’s been a long post-season drought

KIRKLAND, Wash. – Seattle is not unlike Washington – or any of the other six NFL cities still fielding a playoff team.

Its residents are crazed over their team’s success and drooling over their chances for a Super Bowl. They will sell out their team’s stadium – in this case, Qwest Field for today’s NFC playoff game against the Redskins. And they will roar all day into the night.

But none of the other playoff cities is as starved for even a single postseason win, something that hasn’t happened in Seattle for 22 years. And how many of those other cities’ mayors have issued a proclamation commemorating a day for the home team and its fans – before the divisional round?

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels did just that on Thursday. Nickels signed a proclamation calling for “Seattle Seahawks 12th Man Day” in the city. A Seahawks blue-and-green flag emblazoned with the fans’ No. 12 snapped in the wind and rain atop the Space Needle this week.

With social and now even political expectations upon them, has it become more than a goal for the top-seeded Seahawks (13-3) to beat the sixth-seeded Redskins (11-6) in the first home divisional round game in Seattle history?

Pro Bowl fullback Mack Strong, a member of the Seahawks for all 13 of his NFL seasons, laughed at the suggestion that it has become sort of a civic duty for the team to win its first playoff game since 1984.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “It seems like right now, there is this light shining, this hope, this inspiration that this city hasn’t had in a long time.

“People I don’t even know are flashing the thumbs-up sign to me around town. I definitely feel a sense to do it for ourselves, for our families, for each other – and for everyone in the city.”

Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones, with the Seahawks since 1997, and NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, in Seattle since 2000, agree they have a community obligation to extend this wondrous season.

“It is a great responsibility that we have,” Alexander said.

It’s not like Seattle is New York. Or Boston. Or any other city where postseason wins are expected – where championships are usually within the realm of possibility. Seattle hasn’t enjoyed a men’s professional sports title since 1979, when the SuperSonics ruled the NBA. When tickets went on sale for today’s game, all 10,000 were gone within 10 minutes.

“The thing that I’ve learned through the course of this week is that it means a lot to a lot of people,” said quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, yet another Seahawks Pro Bowler.

“Some of those people are former players here,” Hasselbeck said. “Some are coaches that have been around or people in the building. Or maybe it’s just some of the people from Seattle who have followed the team since 1976. It would mean a great deal to them.”

Hence, the mayor’s proclamation. It went on to state, “WHEREAS, without the support of the 12th Man none of this would be possible. Qwest Field has sold out 24 consecutive games, the noise in the stadium continues to rise with each Seahawks victory, hampering opposing teams into false starts and frustration.”

Indeed, this hullabaloo over the ‘Hawks is so intense, it could directly affect today’s game. Just ask the New York Giants.

They may have beaten Seattle in regulation instead of losing in overtime at Qwest Field Nov. 27 had they not jumped into false-start penalties an astounding 11 times. That was directly linked to the relentless roar of 67,000.

But not every member of the Seahawks will go so far as to say the team has a civic duty to keep this magic going.

“A civic duty?” coach Mike Holmgren asked, raising his eyebrows. “No. But we’re excited. We have great fans here.”

Holmgren won a Super Bowl in Packers-mad Green Bay after the 1996 season.

“One of the joys of being on a team that wins a championship, really, is to see how the community can enjoy it and participate in the win,” he said.

“That is very gratifying if you can get it done.”