Hey guys, it's me Jacson and, uh... wow, it's bright on the front page. It's, um, a little scary up here, but I'm just going to do what I do whenever I get nervous, which is to imagine myself naked. You're all welcome to do the same, if it makes this easier for you. Now that we're all here picturing ourselves nude, I can -- wait, you're imagining me naked aren't you? At least I remembered to manscape today.
Anyhow, I'm here today because I’ve had some connection to the Field Gulls community for a while now in both the traditional and anecdotal senses. I’ve long considered FG the premier source for Seahawks news and have clicked on this site daily since a friend showed it to me two years ago. I’ve always appreciated the research and insight that John and others have offered over the years, and am thrilled to be a contributor moving forward. Many thanks to Danny for the opportunity.
My connection to some of the administrators here precedes my involvement with Field Gulls, however. I’ve actually played pick-up football with Scruffy Lefty (tackle, of course, ‘cuz he and I are stone-cold badasses), so it‘s been great to discover that he writes for the site and his perspective is much appreciated, especially since John’s departure. Additionally, Danny Kelly and I once sent each other to the hospital after ramming our heads into one another like drunken ibexes during a basketball game like, seven years ago. Hey Dan, remember that? You bled a lot.
Despite being a huge fan, I’ve never fan-posted or commented on Field Gulls before, as I’ve been content to simply enjoy the thoughts of the community. The combined knowledge of the readership makes posting here a bit daunting, as I have tremendous respect for the football acumen regularly displayed by almost all of the members here. The rest of you, you know who you are.
That said, I will still bring my A-game and I welcome your feedback. I’ve been blogging about Seattle sports since 2008, initially for my own personal blog and eventually for larger sites like Next Season Sports and My Northwest’s sports page. My thoughts are often consumed with the heights, fights, and plights of the Seahawks and I’m eager to share some of them here.
Field Gulls has challenged my views of the game and team that I love and I’ll always be grateful for that. I won’t be a daily contributor here, as I am more than happy to leave the heavy lifting to Danny and others, but I’ll be chiming in from time to time and I’m stoked to have you all as my audience.
My Seahawks fanhood goes back to birth, when I blessed the earth with my slimy, hairless (but awe-inspiringly handsome) presence late on a Friday night in September. My parents didn't own a TV, but the hospital room my mom was in had one, so they paid for an extra night there so I could "watch" my first 'Hawks game. Seattle lost that game to the Kansas City Chiefs, a loss that Kenny Easley (probably) said was a result of the euphoric distraction my birth provided the team with.
I remained an enormous fan of the team throughout my childhood, as my little brother Harrison and I re-enacted plays from 'Hawks games in our front yard, each toddling about in plastic helmets with a ball we could barely hold on to. We were adorable. As I got into high school and college, I became less of a fanboy and more of an emotionally-invested observer. How the 'Hawks played was as important to me as whether they won or lost. I've always believed that people/events/teams/etc are better judged by their process than by their results, as cause and effect often have a non-linear relationship in sports.
The result of many years of fanhood is that, I, like many of you, have had my soul grafted into that of the Seahawks collective and can now do little to protect myself from the precipitous highs and subterranean lows that accompany the ebbs and flows of a 'Hawks game/season. It is the delicious pain of vulnerability, but I defiantly resist the temptation to become hardened. The losses, when they come, will continue to hurt, but in permitting them to hurt, I allow myself the unvanquished joy that accompanies Seahawks victories.
It is with that in mind that I present myself to you as a proud, earnest member of the 12th Man. It is a privilege to share my thoughts with you, and I will continue to support this team with the very fiber of my being. I look forward to my interactions with this passionate community of Seahawks fans.
SEA!