You can take the girl out of Seattle, but not the Seattle out of the girl! The Seattle Seahawks are the professional football team of my hometown, and win or lose, they're the best!

The National Football League (NFL) is divided into two conferences. The Seahawks are in the National Football Conference (NFC) - west division. The other conference is the American Football Conference (AFC). The overall winner from each of these conferences match up in the grand-daddy sports event of all time.... The SUPER BOWL!!

The Seahawks had their first, and last trip to the Super Bowl in 2006. Unfortunately, they lost the game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Local fans grumbled for a while after the game, claiming that it was "stolen" by poor officiating and/or a bias in favor of East Coast teams. Since that time, however, the Hawks have had impressive seasons the past two years. They'll get another chance to prove themselves again. Take a look at the key players on the team below!

Who are Seahawks?

Deion Branch (Seahawks)

Julian Peterson (Seahawks)

Lofa Tatupu (Seahawks)

Marcus Pollard (Seahawks)

Marcus Trufant (Seahawks)

Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks)

Nate Burleson (Seahawks)

Patrick Kerney (Seahawks)

Shaun Alexander (Seahawks)

What is a "Seahawk?"

You won't find an actual Seahawk in the natural world (other than the burly football team that claims the mascot). There is no such thing as a "Seahawk" gliding over Elliott Bay. For that matter, the team might be called the Seattle Griffins, or Unicorns, or another fanciful creature. However, the mighty hawk emblazoned on the team's uniforms and helmets looks fierce enough to thwart opponents and give loyal fans something to cheer about. As shown above, the team colors are green and Seahawk (steel) blue. The blue-gray color is specially created for the team.

The 12th Man

One of the team's recent claims to fame is the effect of its overwhelming support of its fans. Crowded into the new Quest Field at home games, the noise from the stadium is so deafening, it can disrupt opponents' plays. For this, Seahawks fans are called the "12th Man." In other words, the fans are the 12th player for the Seahawks. During important games, including the 2005-06 playoffs, a giant "12" flag flew from the top of the Space Needle.

The fans designation of themselves as the "12th Man" actually caused some controversy in 2006. Texas A&M University claimed that it had come up with the "12th Man" idea for its football team, and initiated litigation to stop the Seahawks from using the "12th Man" in any form. Both teams' use of the phrase dated back many years. A&M said that it started the 12th Man in the 1920s. The Seahawks had been using references to the 12th Man since the 1980s when cheering in the Kingdome could easily drown out play calls.

Fortunately, the lawyers managed to settle the litigation in time for the 2006 Super Bowl. A&M has a copyright on the 12th Man term, and the Seahawks have a license to use it. For now, you can find the 12th Man in both Texas and Seattle....

Quest Field (Seahawks Stadium)

The relatively new stadium now known as Quest Field is the home of the Seahawks. It sits just across the street to the north of Safeco Field, the home of the Seattle Mariners. Both stadiums were built in an 8 year period in approximately the same location as the lumpy gray eyesore that locals and tourists to Seattle knew as the Kingdome. The Kingdome was demolished in 2000, after only a little over 20 years of service. Voters were asked to approve bonds to fund construction of both new stadiums, as well as increased taxes on lodging, etc. Many people worried about the impacts to the area of Seattle known as SODO (south of the dome) with two new stadiums and associated traffic. Others fretted about the fairness of supporting rich professional teams by building them stadiums that they could afford to construct themselves. All this, and the stadiums were open to the elements in what is known to be a rainy city!

All of this is history now. It was about a year before a sponsor was determined for the new football stadium. During this time, it was simply known as Seahawks Stadium. Now, its Quest Field. A phenomenal structural acheivement, there is nothing like going to a game at Quest Field. Even if you're not a football fan, you'll be swept away with the emotions and frenetic energy the stadium seems to radiate on game days.

Its always a good day to go out and watch a football game. With the added perspective of a Seattle gal, perhaps you can enjoy the Seahawks with a deeper appreciation of this awesome team. GO HAWKS!!