Seattle and the surrounding communities, actually, the whole state of Washington has gone Seahawks crazy!!! Everywhere you go, you see the 12th Man flags on cars going by, on buildings, on houses. The Superbowl is just two days away and the fans are ready! Shopping in Snohomish today I saw Seahawks cookies, cupcakes, bow ties, headbands and tuttus. One of the local sports stores said the sales of Seahawks gear has far exceeded their Christmas sales! For those who do not love football, I suppose this Seahawks fever could be annoying, but for the rest of us, there is a buzz in the air and excited anticipation for the upcoming game.

I have to admit that I do love football. Growing up in Brasil, soccer (or futebol) was the big sport, and both our sons played soccer when they were young. Once my younger son made the decision to switch to tackle football when he was going into sixth grade, I had to switch gears and learn what football was all about. You see, I grew up with a father that was not interested in sports much, never went to games, or watched any sports on TV. He had played some basketball, and loved to swim, but that was about it. I was a cheerleader in junior high, but other than yelling, "First and ten, do it again!" and "Touchdown!", I really had no clue what was going on during the game. High school and college football games were simply social events for me! So, when my son decided to play the game, I did what any mom who grows up in a reading family would do, I bought a book about the game called, Football for Dummies. Ok, I did know what the quarterback did, and the running back, but that's about it! I knew my husband liked to watch the games without interruptions and he was often filming the games for the team to watch later. I learned all the positions for offense and defense and their roles, the penalties, and how to identify basic defense formations like cover 2, nickel, and dime, and offense formations like the I formation, wing T, and spread option. As I watched my son and his team playing, it all began to make sense and made watching the game so much fun! On game days, as he was heading out the door, I would often say, "Remember Psalm 18:29, "With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." or Psalm 18:32, "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect, He makes my feet like the feet of a deer."

My son went on to play football all through high school and two years in college, so I watched and cheered him and his team on in many a game. He was a three sport athlete, playing basketball and baseball as well. When he was in high school, I asked him once, "If you had to name one, which sport is your favorite?" Though he loved playing all three, his response was something like, "I would have to say football, because it requires every player on the field to do his job in order to win." There you have it...football is truly a team sport! And to be honest, I know he loved the "Friday night lights" and all the super fans as his team went to State his senior year. (Incidentally, Dane's nickname in football was "Danegerous" and Russell Wilson's is "DangeRuss."...something only a mother would notice!!!). We Seahawk fans are proud of our team....Go Hawks!