Ladies & Gentlemen - I Present to You......

[savvyman]

This Generation Oakland Raiders.

One result of the Seahawks making the Superbowl is that they will be Un-officially crowned America's "Bad Boy" team.

https://blogs.emory.edu/sportsmarketing ... r-markets/

[monkey]

It's funny, this is something my brother and I have talked at length about regarding the Seahawks, their "bad boy" image, and whether or not it actually makes a difference.
It's debatable how much of any real impact a teams image makes, there's simply no way to quantify such a thing obviously. Also as obviously, by far the biggest factor, as always, is TALENT!
I'm not going to bore you all with my thinking, just suffice to say, I really believe there is something to our bad boy image that has this team playing as well as it has this year. The defense has a street fighting mentality that I haven't seen in evidence since the 80's defenses.
I honestly believe that, the only way the Seahawks are ever going to finally break through and win it all is with a bad boy, Carpe Diem, do absolutely whatever it takes to win, mentality that the Seahawks have never really had before in their history.

In many ways this team reflects the image that Lynch and Sherman project. I believe that is necessary for the Seahawks to finally win it all. I cannot prove it, and you can find flaws in my argument (I know I can), but I believe it regardless.

GREAT article BTW!!! Loved seeing what I've always intuitively known confirmed by research.

[Irish Greg 2.0]

Hatred is misplaced jealousy. Simple as that.

[monkey]

Hatred is misplaced jealousy. Simple as that.

I agree, but if you look at what the article said about other teams, it gets VERY interesting, and definitely shows that the Seahawks image outside of Seattle is one of being a bunch of bad guys, unlike MANY other very successful teams.
So it's not just jealousy...there are other forces at work ehre, much of it, intentional image crafting by none other than Richard Sherman.

[Irish Greg 2.0]

Hatred is misplaced jealousy. Simple as that.

I agree, but if you look at what the article said about other teams, it gets VERY interesting, and definitely shows that the Seahawks image outside of Seattle is one of being a bunch of bad guys, unlike MANY other very successful teams.
So it's not just jealousy...there are other forces at work ehre, much of it, intentional image crafting by none other than Richard Sherman.

True... although most opposing fans will not allow themselves to be swayed by common sense or facts. They have bought into the PED and suspension drama, they don't like Carroll's rah rah stuff and still hold the USC fiasco (on his exit) against him, they don't like Sherman's mouth, they think we pipe noise into the C Link, etc.

I have fun debates with my friends that are 49ers, Patriots, Cowboys fans. They all hate Sherman, but when I say "and you'd take him and his 16 interceptions the last two seasons in about 3 seconds" they say yeah, they would.

[monkey]

Hatred is misplaced jealousy. Simple as that.

I agree, but if you look at what the article said about other teams, it gets VERY interesting, and definitely shows that the Seahawks image outside of Seattle is one of being a bunch of bad guys, unlike MANY other very successful teams.
So it's not just jealousy...there are other forces at work ehre, much of it, intentional image crafting by none other than Richard Sherman.

True... although most opposing fans will not allow themselves to be swayed by common sense or facts. They have bought into the PED and suspension drama, they don't like Carroll's rah rah stuff and still hold the USC fiasco (on his exit) against him, they don't like Sherman's mouth, they think we pipe noise into the C Link, etc.

I have fun debates with my friends that are 49ers, Patriots, Cowboys fans. They all hate Sherman, but when I say "and you'd take him and his 16 interceptions the last two seasons in about 3 seconds" they say yeah, they would.

You're absolutely right, all those things are factors in why the Seahawks are disliked.
But that's sort of the whole point for me I guess...the Seahawks USED to be the NFL's doormat, and always were thought of (when they were thought of at all) as just a team, neither loved nor hated. Most of my friends would tell me, "I don't hate the Seahawks, I just don't care at all about them". Or else they would say that, "I sort of like them, they're OK I guess".
Now for the first time ever, I am hearing, "Man I hate the Seahawks! They are a bunch of (insert appropriate phrase here)".
For all of those reasons, the Seahawks are really getting an image that they've never had before.
Personally, I love it! I never thought I would like seeing my team being hated on, but I am loving it!
I think of it like we're the wrestling bad guy, it's a manufactured image, but one that can work FOR us. I see it as a necessary thing to finally get us over the top.

I think there are a lot of teams that have won championships, that did so by banding together with a "us against the world" mentality, they were the bad boys that no one liked except their hometown fans; teams like the Raiders and the Pistons are perfect examples of this.
I really believe the Seahawks are next.

[c_hawkbob]

So the article is based entirely on twitter posts right? So basically it's what peoples kids think ...

[Irish Greg 2.0]

Good stuff, monkey.

And lol Bob, you dinosaur!

[Eaglehawk]

So the article is based entirely on twitter posts right? So basically it's what peoples kids think ...

BINGO!

[rottweiler]

Hatred is misplaced jealousy. Simple as that.

+1000.

[Eaglehawk]

+1000.

And BINGO WAS HIS NAME OH!

[RiverDog]

The people outside our market must not know a lot about Russell Wilson.

[Steady_Hawk]

Great, now can we get a poll put together based on people have have hit puberty?

[HumanCockroach]

Good. Been my experience that not a lot of folks love or like the bully of the neighborhood, which at this point is exactly what Seattle is becoming, I gladly accept the hate, disdain, and jealousy that comes with being the best at what they do. Works for me. Personally, don't want a feel good "Cinderella" underdog story once every ten years, I prefer to be the "team to beat" from week one through week 21....

[monkey]

Good. Been my experience that not a lot of folks love or like the bully of the neighborhood, which at this point is exactly what Seattle is becoming, I gladly accept the hate, disdain, and jealousy that comes with being the best at what they do. Works for me. Personally, don't want a feel good "Cinderella" underdog story once every ten years, I prefer to be the "team to beat" from week one through week 21....

Now THAT is the BINGO!!!
This is the whole point that I came away with, we've become the bully...GOOD! People don't like the Seahawks, GOOD!
I'm so tired of being the Cinderella who is always just flying under the radar. All that ever translates into is, a cute run ending in defeat.
This is SO much better!!

[savvyman]

Good. Been my experience that not a lot of folks love or like the bully of the neighborhood, which at this point is exactly what Seattle is becoming, I gladly accept the hate, disdain, and jealousy that comes with being the best at what they do. Works for me. Personally, don't want a feel good "Cinderella" underdog story once every ten years, I prefer to be the "team to beat" from week one through week 21....

Now THAT is the BINGO!!!
This is the whole point that I came away with, we've become the bully...GOOD! People don't like the Seahawks, GOOD!
I'm so tired of being the Cinderella who is always just flying under the radar. All that ever translates into is, a cute run ending in defeat.
This is SO much better!!

Agree with both comments. Lets wear our bad boy badge of shame with honor.

[burrrton]

What I love best about that article is reflecting on the differences in my feelings to Sherm's "U MAD BRO" picture.

It horrified me last year (maybe slightly overstated), but now I see it as his playful nature (maybe slight understated).

[Zorn76]

The Seahawks are still vastly under reported in proportion to the talent and success they've had the last couple years, IMO.

And the twitter discrepancy between home and outside markets is only going to grow during Seattle's media week in NY this February:)

[savvyman]

What I love best about that article is reflecting on the differences in my feelings to Sherm's "U MAD BRO" picture.

It horrified me last year (maybe slightly overstated), but now I see it as his playful nature (maybe slight understated).

"U Mad Bro"

You have to think long and search hard for 7 letters that changed everything so much for another team in any sport.........

[savvyman]

I think this is called "Confirmation Data"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/re ... story.html

So though I love the city of Seattle and root for MLB’s Mariners and wish the NBA’s SuperSonics were still there, every ounce of NFL blood in my perpetually prone body will be dedicated to seeing someone beat the Seahawks between now and Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seahawks are 13-3 because, with Wilson at quarterback, they play smart offensive football, coupled with bruising defensive football. A fan could fall in love with them, except that they’re already so in love with themselves.

The wide receivers signal first down after every catch. The linebackers pound their chests after every defensive stop. It’s a miracle half the team isn’t on injured reserve from spraining their arms trying to pat themselves on the back.

(FYI: Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is the only Stanford graduate ever to earn a bachelor’s degree in trash-talking.)

Nobody on the Seahawks just makes a play and goes back to the huddle. They are a chirping, preening lot of look-at-me-I’m-the-baddest-man-on-the-planet showboaters.

Sooner or later, the Seahawks are going to give up a touchdown while celebrating a hard hit.

All of this is a reflection of their around-the-clock, strut-and-swagger leader, Pete Carroll.

[c_hawkbob]

Nobody on the Seahawks just makes a play and goes back to the huddle.

I guess he never watches Marshawn just drop the football or flip it to a ref after a TD, or Russell immediately turn to gathering up his offense for a huddle after a big play ... He's decided what he thinks and sees what he wants to see.

[RiverDog]

I think this is called "Confirmation Data"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/re ... story.html

So though I love the city of Seattle and root for MLB’s Mariners and wish the NBA’s SuperSonics were still there, every ounce of NFL blood in my perpetually prone body will be dedicated to seeing someone beat the Seahawks between now and Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seahawks are 13-3 because, with Wilson at quarterback, they play smart offensive football, coupled with bruising defensive football. A fan could fall in love with them, except that they’re already so in love with themselves.

The wide receivers signal first down after every catch. The linebackers pound their chests after every defensive stop. It’s a miracle half the team isn’t on injured reserve from spraining their arms trying to pat themselves on the back.

(FYI: Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is the only Stanford graduate ever to earn a bachelor’s degree in trash-talking.)

Nobody on the Seahawks just makes a play and goes back to the huddle. They are a chirping, preening lot of look-at-me-I’m-the-baddest-man-on-the-planet showboaters.

Sooner or later, the Seahawks are going to give up a touchdown while celebrating a hard hit.

All of this is a reflection of their around-the-clock, strut-and-swagger leader, Pete Carroll.

I don't like the showboating and trash talking any more than this guy does, but he's got his HUA if he thinks it's endemic to the Seahawks. It appears to me as if he's searching for a reason to not like us if that's the best he can come up with. Heck, I've never seen Russell Wilson so much as spike the ball let alone kiss his tattoo (does he even have one to kiss?) or pretend to put on his championship belt like other QB's we all know.

[burrrton]

Yeah, that guy got rubbed the wrong way at some point by something Sherm said (easy to do due to Sherm's over-the-top-ness) so is looking for something to hate, and ignoring whatever he finds when he sees it elsewhere.

This team is confident, and doesn't mind telling you or anyone else about it, but if you think that's unique to the Seahawks, you're either willfully blind or ignorant.

[HumanCockroach]

Everyone in the NFL does that WWF stuff at this point including I am sure a ton of his favorites ( ie Rodgers, Ware, Kaepernik, Bryant, Mathews etc, etc,etc,etc the list is endless.....) sure there are guys like Manning that don't, but they are the exception not the rule. The guy ( and to be fair, a LOT of fans) are searching for "reasons" to hate the bully, and this is "convenient".

[Eaglehawk]

his description is 90 percent of the teams in the NFL, except Dungy's Colts back in the day and the Pats who are more smug than arrogant.

[monkey]

I think this is called "Confirmation Data"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/re ... story.html

So though I love the city of Seattle and root for MLB’s Mariners and wish the NBA’s SuperSonics were still there, every ounce of NFL blood in my perpetually prone body will be dedicated to seeing someone beat the Seahawks between now and Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seahawks are 13-3 because, with Wilson at quarterback, they play smart offensive football, coupled with bruising defensive football. A fan could fall in love with them, except that they’re already so in love with themselves.

The wide receivers signal first down after every catch. The linebackers pound their chests after every defensive stop. It’s a miracle half the team isn’t on injured reserve from spraining their arms trying to pat themselves on the back.

(FYI: Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is the only Stanford graduate ever to earn a bachelor’s degree in trash-talking.)

Nobody on the Seahawks just makes a play and goes back to the huddle. They are a chirping, preening lot of look-at-me-I’m-the-baddest-man-on-the-planet showboaters.

Sooner or later, the Seahawks are going to give up a touchdown while celebrating a hard hit.

All of this is a reflection of their around-the-clock, strut-and-swagger leader, Pete Carroll.

Great find!!
Of course, the hypocrisy in this article smacked my ocular nerve so hard upon reading it, I may need reading glasses. Still, it's EXACTLY what the country seems to be thinking about the Seahawks right now, I see it everywhere.
I usually go to my favorite sports bar every Sunday to watch Seahawks games, (shout out to Tailgators the best sports bar I've ever been to hands down, and I've been to sports bars all across the country!) but in the years I have done this, I have never before actively heard the bar full of mostly Vikings, Cowboys and Packers fans actively root against the Seahawks,until this year.

Something has changed, the Seahawks have indeed become the new Raiders. It's a combination of Carroll hate, Sherman hate, and hatred of cockiness (which the Seahawks do have more than their fair share of).
How anyone could hate a team like the Seahawks, and root for the Saints, (hello...BOUNTYGATE ANYONE?!?) is way beyond me, but whatever...

Personally I'm just going to revel in this newfound animosity, it makes me all warm and tingly inside. Bring on the hate, it means we're still winning!

[kalibane]

It's not just being the Bully. Think about it. Those Steeler defenses were every bit as cocky as the Seattle defense is. Is Richard Sherman anymore of a trash talker than Joey Porter? I think not.

What I've found is a lot of people seem to have come to the conclusion that you have to do something, meet some mythical standard to express self confidence. One of the reasonings you hear over and over is "you've never won anything, you don't have the right to be cocky". Think about the 2005 Super Bowl and the Jeremy Stevens thing. Stevens said something perfectly innocuous, that he thought the Hawks would win, it wasn't cocky or boastful just a simple statement. Joey Porter goes all over the top talking trash both on the podium and especially once the game started and the majority of people seemed to relish Joey Porter for putting Stevens and the Seahawks "in their place". As if the 4 trophies that Bradshaw won gave Porter the right to be a cocky trash talker.

The sentiment I encounter seems to be that because Seattle doesn't have a decorated history, players and fans, should just be happy to be good but should "know their role", be quiet and go sit at the kids table. Seriously, what does it say when well over a year later, people are still talking about "U Mad Bro?" constantly and Richard Sherman is the worst guy in the league and a legitimate reason to hate a team, meanwhile it's cool to be arroagant about and boast about a 49er's team with Aldon Smith.

If the Hawks win a Superbowl, especially if they win a couple, you'll start to see the sentiment change a little and be thought of more like the 2000 Ravens.

[monkey]

What I've found is a lot of people seem to have come to the conclusion that you have to do something, meet some mythical standard to express self confidence. One of the reasonings you hear over and over is "you've never won anything, you don't have the right to be cocky".

Great point! Though I have no idea where this thinking got it's start, given the fact that it is entirely illogical.
You nailed it though, I've seen variations of the "you haven't earned the right" speech all over the internet.

[THX-1138]

As a fan I like to recite this mantra, stolen and paraphrased from hooligan soccer fans, but none the less apropo:

We are the Seahawks. Nobody likes us. We don't care.