The 12s used to rock Lumen Field for the Seattle Seahawks. Now visiting fans are creating just as much noise when they invade Lumen Field. Some fans are throwing blame everywhere but where it belongs; on themselves.
There has been a lot of buzz about the disappearance of the Seahawks home field advantage of late. It really ramped up after the ignominious Week 8 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Note to Cardinals fans: that means it sucked. Anyway, the Bills Mafia - their version of the 12s - are well-known as great travelers, routinely invading opposing stadiums. Hey, if you lived in Buffalo, you'd travel at every opportunity too.
Many 12 s have taken offense at this characterization of their support. There's just one problem with their anger. Too often, it isn't directed where it should be, which is at themselves. As Gregg Bell wrote for The News Tribune, the home-field advantage has left Lumen Field. Let's look at some of the reasoning behind the change and see what can be done about it.
The Seattle Seahawks need their home advantage back
Bell cites many reasons for the loss of that advantage. At the root of it all is that the 12s simply aren't filling up Lumen Field anymore. There's no single reason for this; relatively little in the world can be cast in stark black and white. One factor, certainly, is the recent Hawks home record. Seattle is only 15-15 in their last 30 games at home.
You can play the chicken or the egg game with that one all you like. Are the Seahawks worse because they aren't getting enough fan support, or are the fans not turning out because the Hawks are losing? Like I said, it's not a binary world. Each doubtless feeds the other in a nasty spiral.
Some fans have gone as far as blaming Geno Smith for calling them out. They might as well; they blame him for the Seahawks' poor blocking, the lousy run defense, and probably the national debt. The funny thing is, he didn't blame anyone or anything. He only commented on a fact. Some 12s even denied his statement that it felt like a road game at times.
Unfortunately for them, the Bills head coach Sean McDermott not only backed up Smith's comment but expounded on it in detail. Quoted by si.com's Kyle Silagyi, McDermott said, "Did you hear them out there? I’ve never heard this place like that, in all my years in the NFL. Been out here a number of years, I’ve never heard that." Yeah, it seems like the Bills Mafia traveled too well.
So why is this happening? Ticket costs are certainly a factor. As Bell wrote, prices for the Niners visit started at $300. Although, as of this moment, tickets for the Rams game can be found for less than $90. So jump on those tickets, 12s. Overall, prices are practically out of control. Of course, that's no different than any other NFL stadium, so 12s can't use that as an excuse.
I get that money is tight these days. My day gig is teaching, so believe me, I get it. But money's tight in the other 31 NFL cities, too. No, the Seahawks are no longer in the glory days of the LOB. Seattle was 85-35 at home once Pete Caroll righted the ship. That is until they started falling off again in 2017 when they went 4-4.
No, not all 12s are to blame, of course not. There are many season ticket holders who simply can't pass up the opportunity to double their investment by reselling their tickets. Again, from Bell's article, one "fan" tweeted this: “Knowingly sold tickets for the Rams game (this weekend) to a Rams fan, but I’m going to get a nice 12 pack, lunch, and make a profit to watch the L at home.”
Nice attitude for a fan, "to watch the L at home." He may well be right (yes, it was a he, based on his name), but is that what a true fan thinks? Is that what a true fan does, only watch his team in person if he's certain of a win? That's not how you support a team. Frankly, there are far too many "fans" who don't have the Seahawks back now.
