Matt Calkins: Here's one way Seahawks can guarantee fans will keep Lumen Field rocking

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Dec 21, 2024

Published in Football

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SEATTLE — Two answers, both sincere, but just one got it right.

The first came from Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf when speaking about the hometown support.

“I looked around and there were a lot of Green Bay fans. They did a great job traveling, but just wishing us 12s didn’t sell as many tickets as they did to make sure we kept the home-field advantage,” said Metcalf on Wednesday.

DK’s words reflect how a lot of folks around here feel, as that Packers game wasn’t the first time opposing fans took up a sizable chunk of the Lumen Field crowd. The Bills game, the 49ers game, the Broncos game — all replete with jerseys and colors from that other team.

But it was Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith who delivered the appropriate response when asked about the subject the next day.

“As far as opposing fans and ticket sales, you can’t really control that. That’s not in our control,” Smith said. “What we can do is go out there and be the best team at home, you know. Give our fans something to cheer about. Give them something to want to pack the stadium and be a part of it.”

Correct. A major Seahawks theme over the past couple years has been the team’s middling record at Lumen Field, the stadium once thought to provide the greatest home-field advantage in the NFL. It’s the only venue I’ve been in where the press box shook upon a crowd eruption, and it’s happened more than once. Oh, and it was just last year when the Panthers were called for eight false starts vs. the Seahawks, thanks namely to the clamor provided by the 12s.

That doesn’t change the following, though: The Seahawks are 13-12 in their past 25 home games (3-5 this year), as opposing fans have populated Lumen Field. Season-ticket holders’ fault? No. It’s the Seahawks’ fault. They aren’t losing because they have less local support, they have less local support because they’re losing.

First of all, as long as the internet exists, you are going to get fans of the opponents coming into your stadium. There are going to be people who can essentially break even on their season-ticket costs by selling their seats for one high-demand game. Moreover, ticket brokers control a good chunk of the seating, meaning even the most loyal fan bases can’t keep opposing fans completely at bay.

But if a team wants to maximize its home support, it has to make every one of their games an event. Winning and winning often is the only surefire way to do that. The Seahawks haven’t delivered on that front.

There is no doubt that Seattle sports fans are among the most passionate in the country when the city’s teams are thriving. The Mariners led MLB in attendance in the early 2000s. The Sounders have long been near the top of MLS attendance, as were the Storm in the WNBA during their championship years. Kelsey Plum would sell out Hec Ed her senior year, and the Kraken sold 10,000 season tickets 12 minutes after they went on sale.

But Lumen Field is where larynxes worked their hardest in this city. The early Pete Carroll days, when Marshawn Lynch, and Russell Wilson and the Legion of Boom took the field is when the rest of the country took notice of just how loud that stadium could get.

Smith made note of that on Thursday, saying “when I was on other teams, you know, before I got to the league, there was always the aura of the 12s. Playing in Seattle has always been like a tough task for anybody. I think it still is.”

Right again. Lumen Field might not feel like it did in the mid 2010s, when the Seahawks A) had overwhelming home support and B) silenced any opposing support with their dominance, but it can still be intimidating. And in regards to the aforementioned Niners, Bills and Packers games … the difference between a home roar and an away roar was still clear.

But it’s not like it was. Doesn’t mean it can’t be again.

Before mentioning those Green Bay fans, Metcalf did say how “it would mean a lot” to get a win over Minnesota Sunday in the team’s regular-season home finale.

“Especially with them (the 12s) behind us,” he said.

A victory vs. the Vikings could end up being the difference in the Seahawks (8-6) making the playoffs or not. For that reason, they’ve got to win now.

But to get those home fans taking over Lumen? They’ve got to win again and again and again.

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