The Seattle Seahawks’ second Super Bowl parade in the team’s 50-year history is under way in the Emerald City, where an estimated 1 million fans were expected to line the route from Lumen Field to the neighborhood of Belltown.
Led by second-year head coach Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks trounced the AFC-champion New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX on Sunday in Santa Clara.
Thursday’s festivities were set to begin with a trophy presentation at Lumen Field at 10am local time, followed by the parade, which was expected to take a couple of hours.
Unlike Philadelphia and Kansas City, which closed schools in the wake of recent Super Bowl victories, Seattle’s educational institutions remained in operation Wednesday, potentially limiting the crowds and definitely angering some locals.
‘Well, @SeaPubSchools you’re just wrong in this situation,’ one critic wrote on X. ‘Get over it. Families should enjoy these very rare events together!’
The school district will not consider parade attendance to be an excused absence. This marks a slight departure from 2014, when the Seahawks won their first Lombardi Trophy. At the time, Seattle schools were left open with regular attendance policies in place, only for the district to allow individual school principals to rule on absences.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald greets fans before Wednesday’s parade
Sam Darnold, the journeyman quarterback who led Seattle to its second title, raises the trophy
One Seattle Seahawks fan enjoys a large can of Monster Energy before Wednesday’s parade
Seattle Seahawks fans begin to line the street before the team’s second Super Bowl parade
For what it’s worth, Seattle Police did issue an absence letter, which refers to Seahawks by their nickname, ‘the 12,’ as in ’12th man.’
‘This letter serves as official notification that the 12 in possession of this letter has been drafted into emergency service by the City of Seattle,’ read the letter from Sgt. Patrick Nichaud.
‘Following the Seahawks’ victory, we have identified a critical shortage of decibel levels in the downtown corridor,’ the letter continued. ‘Due to a documented history as a “Certified 12,” your employee/student has been identified as a person of interest.’
The letter goes on to threaten ‘an infinite loop of the “Safety Dance” playing over your office speakers,’ in reference to Canadian new wave band Men Without Hats’ 1982 hit.
‘Please consider this absence “Excused for Greatness,”‘ the letter concluded. ‘We’ll return them to you tomorrow, though they will likely be hoarse and smell faintly of victory.’
Seahawks fans refer to themselves as the team’s ’12th man,’ which explains the flags
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets a big laugh during Wednesday’s rally
Seattle Seahawks fans begin to gather at Lumen Field ahead of the team’s parade
A person looks out from the balcony as Seattle Seahawks fans gather ahead of the parade
Several Seahawks players were seen wearing t-shirts emblazed with a doctored image of quarterback Sam Darnold, who is seen smoking and flipping the bird.
‘I’ve been saying it all year,’ linebacker Ernest Jones IV told NFL Network’s Kay Adams before the parade. ‘That’s my dude. And to come, he gave me his blessing, he was OK with us wearing the shirts, the couple of us that have them on. That’s my guy. Thank you, Sam, for getting us to this [Super Bowl].’
‘Is that a cigarette in his mouth?’ Adams asked.
‘Yeah, a little cig,’ Jones answered.
As Jones explained, a local store was able to help him print the shirts within a ‘couple of hours, so it’s perfect.’
As for the fans, most were dressed in team colors, but a few stood out for their mode of transportation.
‘Hawks fans on horses,’ one person captioned a clip on X, showing two Seattle supporters riding along the parade route. ‘It’s all happening.’
