5 Things I Love About the Seahawks and Why they Matter to You.

Dear Adeline and River,

Here are 5 reasons I love the Seattle Seahawks and why they matter to you.

1. Marshawn Lynch refuses to play the media game.

Marshawn Lynch, otherwise knows as “Beast Mode” because of things like this:

He hates talking to the media. Like, really hates it. He hates it so much that he does things like this:

Why does it matter to you?

It matters because he is a man with boundaries and that is a good thing. He knows what he is about and knows what he wants. I appreciate somebody who stands for what he or she believes in – no matter the cost. Too few people are willing to be made uncomfortable to hold fast to their deeply-felt convictions.

2. Russell Wilson genuinely cries after winning.

Russell Wilson gave an unprecedented public display of raw emotion. Here is the video:

 

Why does this matter to you?

He is not afraid to show how he feels. He was overwhelmed and let it out. It takes courage and vulnerability to let people see the inner workings of your heart. Sure, you may get back-stabbed if you expose your soul, but hiding and protecting is a far worse fate.

3. Kam Chancellor flattens people harder than Patriots flatten footballs.

Here is what Kam Chancellor does to people. It’s ugly and awesome. I would not want to be on the receiving end of one of these hits:

Why does this matter to you?

I want you to approach life’s challenges like Chancellor approaches receivers trying to catch a ball over the middle. I want you to put your head down and drill them, hard. Sometimes you will lose, sometimes you will win. You will always lose, however, if you back down.

4. Pete Carroll leads from the front.

When you watch Pete Carroll coach, he goes out of his way to congratulate players and interact with them on a personal level. You will frequently see him throwing footballs around before the game. Many think he is eccentric and strange, which he may be – I think he is being intentional. In short, he leads from the front.

 Why does this matter to you?

There are two types of leaders. The first type leads from the back. They bark orders at their lieutenants, refusing to get their hands dirty. In the office, they are the leaders who make somebody else write on the whiteboard while they sit and pontificate. I want you to lead from the front. That means you take risks and get your hands dirty. You stand up and write on the whiteboard, you don’t make the intern do it.

5. Russell Wilson finds a way despite his limitations.

Wilson is too short and not the typical NFL quarterback. He is also frequently maligned and discredited. Yet, he finds a way to win. Here is his winning pass over Green Bay in the NFC Championship game – A game that by all accounts, he shouldn’t have won.

 
Why does this matter to you?

Understand your limits and you will go far. Russell Wilson understands that he isn’t limitless, he understands that he has challenges, and he embraces those limitations. Both of you girls are not perfect and both of you are not the best at everything you do. Find what you are good at, and be ok with not be good at other things. This will get you far.