After growing up most of my life in Vancouver, Wash., I missed out on quite a few home games. Even after eight years in the Seattle area, I've never owned season tickets and have spent many great Seahawks moments sitting on my rump at home.
Sure you get cheap drinks, good food and a comfortable seat at home, but there's nothing quite like melding your voice with 67,000 hollering fans. If you don't walk away from a game with shredded vocal cords, then you didn't get the full experience.
With that said, here's the top five games I missed seeing at Qwest Field or the Kingdome. I'm narrowing the list to when I was of age to adequately appreciate the experience, so the list only contains games since 1996.
To continue...
5. Jan. 2, 2005 - Seahawks vs. Falcons
The 2005 season was one of extreme highs and lows for the Seahawks. But in the final game of the season, they had a chance to end the regular season on the highest of high notes--a division title. Needing a win to top the Rams, the Seahawks faced a very tough Falcons opponent, who had already clinched their own division and a first-round bye. The Falcons struck first and led at the half, but Seattle would take the lead for good in the third quarter after Matt Hasselbeck threw for his second touchdown of the game. It would all come down to literally the final offensive play of the game with the Falcons coming just inches shy of tying the game on a two-point conversion. Game over, and the first of four-straight division titles.
4. Sept 29, 2003 - Seahawks vs. Vikings
This is the second time I've talked about this game. For all his great performances as a Seahawk, perhaps Shaun Alexander's greatest came during this Sunday night game on national television. Five touchdowns in a single half is something special, and it's not often one gets a chance to witness history. This game also helped signal the Seahawks' coming out as an offensive force in the league and put them on the map.
3. Oct. 26, 1997 - Seahawks vs. Raiders
There was a time when the Raiders were still the most hated team in Seahawks land and Warren Moon was still the most accomplished quarterback ever in Seattle sports. Almost 20 years after he last played a snap for the University of Washington, Moon had returned to quarterback the Seahawks in '97. Like fine wine, he was still a Pro Bowler at the age of 41. Perhaps his best day in the silver and blue came in this game. Going for 409 yards and five touchdowns through the air, Moon led the Seahawks back from a 13-point second half deficit to beat the Jeff George-led Raiders. With 20 unanswered points to close the game, Seattle won 45-34. Suck on that one Al Davis.
2. Jan. 6, 2007 - Seahawks vs. Cowboys
I've been pretty good about attending most of the home playoff games at Qwest Field, but I missed this little gem. Not only was it just a great game, but it contains one of the most infamous moments in Cowboys history--Tony Romo's botched hold. Now I don't hold the hatred for Romo and the Cowboys like many Seahwks fans, but that flub brightened the day for me and just about every other non-Cowboys fan in the country. Many playoff wins come and go without much historical relevance, but this one will be remembered for years to come.
1. Jan. 22, 2006 - Seahawks vs. Panthers
How on Earth did I miss this game? After spending a couple hundred bucks to see the single greatest Seahawks game of my life the week before, I let finances do the talking on this one and was content to watch it from home. And boy did I miss out. The whole second half was a party at Qwest Field. For about two hours, the 67,837 people in attendance got to celebrate the franchise's first-ever conference championship. It was the single greatest moment in Seahawks history, and I missed it. Needless to say, that's the first and last conference championship in Seattle I'll ever miss.
Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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