Wed
10
Nov
2010
If you're a fan of the National Football League, you know how important tradition is. Dallas and Detroit are supposed to play football games every Thanksgiving. Madden has to bring a
twelve-legged turkey to the game. There's a reason they called it the Ice Bowl, and it doesn't matter if non-fans understand what we are talking about. These traditions give the sport we love its
own unique flavor and appeal. The Seattle Seahawks, despite only having been in the league since 1976, have an important tradition of their own - and it is one that every fan of football can
appreciate. It involves the team's acknowledgement of that all-important 12th Man
Defining the 12th Man
Of course, football fans almost instantly understand the term "12th Man", but casual observers may find it a little more difficult to grasp. Simply put, the term is a play on the fact that no
team is allowed to field any number of players greater than eleven at a time. The mythical 12th Man is constituted by the combined noise and excitement of the team's supporters sitting in the
stands. Technically, the 12th Man nickname is owned by a college football program - the Aggies of Texas A&M, but through an agreement with the school, the Seattle franchise has permission to
assign the name to their own fan base.
Birth of the 12th Man
For the Aggies, the concept of the 12th Man all stems from the Dixie Classic bowl game of 1922. The Aggies were facing the dominant Centre College team, and were holding their own against their
opponent in all respects save one: so bruising was the first half of play that A&M's injuries threatened to deplete their available roster to the point where they would be unable to finish
the contest. Coach Bible of the Aggies had a novel idea, as he grabbed a student and former team member out of the stands and asked that he get into uniform just in case the team ran out of
players. As the game ended, that player - E. King Gill - was the only uniformed Aggie available on the sidelines, as everyone but the eleven players on the field was injured. That made Gill the
12th Man - the player whose support the team needed to win!
Seahawks usage
Few would argue with the idea that Seattle's fans can produce some noise in their stadium. So raucous is the crowd that the team retired #12 back in 1984 in recognition of those fans' support.
Since that time, the Seahawks raise a flag with that number on it to start each home game, and sells number twelve jerseys to their supporters. It has even gone so far that the team's fans have
been presented with a game ball after a 2005 win against the New York Giants. The fans' screaming on that day spurred the Giants to an incredible eleven penalties for false starts.
Check out this Green Bay Packers Ornament and these New York Giants Ornament