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Who belongs most on the 2017 list of 12 flag raisers?

Among fairly recently retired players only

By John Fraley
bonus points if you can identify both Seahawks

Raising the Flag of the Twelves is serious business. You need a rotation of solid local sports stars, sympathetic figures, cult favorites, sentimental choices and real-life heroes. Gotta keep things spicy and relevant while noding to history and tradition.

Fortunately, life is always busy creating heroes out of what could have been tragic circumstances; just as fortunately, Seattle Seahawks keep retiring. Like, after every season, they retire. The flag-raiser supply is in no danger of exhaustion.

Some of the guys in the polls below will eventually raise the 12 flag. It has been foretold. It is known. That’s because the choices are limited to recently retired Seahawks, who either spent most their career here or who shone brightly in their brief time at the CLink.

In the comments, we’d also gladly accept any non-football-player suggestions. Front office personnel, coaches, even stars from other sports. 16 times, a Seattle Mariner has raised the flag. 18 times it’s been a hoops star such as Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp or Spencer Haywood. Even Bill Russell.

But for the purposes of our polls, the options are restricted to football players. Some names will make you scratch your head, others will make it hard to choose. Polls, man. At least we gave you two today, one for defense, one for offense.

Poll

DEFENSE ONLY: Which recently retired Seahawk really, really needs to be on the list of 12 Flag raisers for the 2017 season? Who should not have to wait another season for the honor?

This poll is closed

  • 6%
    Rocky Bernard (02-08)
    (51 votes)
  • 57%
    Red Bryant (08-13)
    (441 votes)
  • 18%
    Chris Clemons (10-13)
    (142 votes)
  • 0%
    Bryce Fisher (05-07)
    (3 votes)
  • 0%
    Deon Grant (07-09)
    (0 votes)
  • 6%
    Ken Hamlin (03-06)
    (47 votes)
  • 5%
    LeRoy Hill (05-12)
    (39 votes)
  • 1%
    Patrick Kerney (07-09)
    (10 votes)
  • 0%
    Ken Lucas (01-04 and 09)
    (4 votes)
  • 1%
    Julian Peterson (06-08)
    (9 votes)
  • 1%
    Darryl Tapp (06-09)
    (8 votes)
  • 0%
    Josh Wilson (07-09)
    (1 vote)
  • 0%
    Other
    (7 votes)
762 votes total Vote Now

Taking Matt Hasselbeck and Lofa Tatupu off the list pre-emptively, by the way. They’ve been officially retired for some time now. It is inevitable* that both men will raise the flag someday, with the timing is the only kink to work out. Much more fun to see how you guys regard the names on the rest of the list.

*ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent inevitable

Poll

OFFENSE ONLY: Which recently retired Seahawk really, really needs to be on the list of 12 Flag raisers for the 2017 season? Who should not have to wait another season for the honor?

This poll is closed

  • 0%
    John Carlson (08-10)
    (6 votes)
  • 62%
    Bobby Engram (01-08)
    (430 votes)
  • 9%
    Zach Miller (11-14)
    (68 votes)
  • 2%
    Ben Obomanu (07-12)
    (15 votes)
  • 14%
    Sidney Rice (11-13)
    (99 votes)
  • 0%
    Chris Spencer (05-10)
    (4 votes)
  • 3%
    Seneca Wallace (05-09)
    (26 votes)
  • 4%
    Leon Washington (10-12)
    (33 votes)
  • 1%
    Other
    (7 votes)
688 votes total Vote Now

Also didn’t want to slant the poll too much so I had to leave Nick Reed off. Apologies.

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