The Seahawks just kicked off their regular season with a gritty 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots today, but the Emerald City faithful held their breath early when Sam Darnold went down. Talk about a rollercoaster to start the year! Our guys battled through, securing a crucial opening win across the globe, and the 12s showed up in force.
Our Global Takeover: The 12s Invade Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia, has officially gone full NFL mode, and you know our Legion of Boom fan base was leading the charge. While San Francisco 49ers fans seemed to be everywhere, and there were plenty of Rams devotees too, the true spirit of football showed up loud and proud for the Hawks. We even heard about a father and son, Ravens fans for 25 years, who traveled from Perth and Brisbane just to hit a watch party. They said everyone was told to “come and represent our teams,” and boy did Seattle fans ever. The Imperial Pub, known as *the* Seahawks bar in Melbourne, was completely packed to the rafters for our season opener. You couldn’t even get a decent view, not if you’re like me at 4’11.5″, though our buddy Vic Tafur at 6’6″ probably saw everything. The cheers for our Hawks were so loud, you could hear them a block away! Even the rooftop bar was jammed, with the stairs literally reading “12s everywhere.” If that’s not cultivating a market well, I don’t know what is.
A Scare, a Win, and a Fantasy League Jab
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. The game definitely “started poorly for them” when Sam Darnold went down. You just know everyone watching, whether in Melbourne or back home in the Pacific Northwest, had their heart in their throat. But our guys, they fought. They clawed their way to that 13-10 victory over the Patriots. We even found a few seats at a gaming lounge called Welcome Stranger after another pub didn’t open until noon (seriously, they really don’t get NFL opening day importance yet). It was wild, one Australian Seahawks fan, rocking a Darnold jersey, was completely shut out of the Imperial Pub. And then, the best part: another Aussie shouted to him, “Glad I didn’t start you in my fantasy league, mate.” If that doesn’t scream “the NFL has truly arrived,” I don’t know what does.
What a way to kick off the regular season! A road win, a scare with Darnold, and our fan base showing out louder than ever on the other side of the planet. Next up, we gotta carry this momentum forward. This early grit and the incredible global reach of the 12s prove we’re ready for whatever this season throws at us. Let’s keep that energy rolling, Seattle!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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