Seahawks Touchdown City bigger and better than ever
Sep 9, 2016, 9:10 AM | Updated: 9:35 am
Hours before every Seahawks home game, fans begin lining up outside the stadium. But they’re not waiting to get into CenturyLink Field. Instead, the thousands of 12s are itching to get in to the big pre-game block party known as Touchdown City.
More than 20,000 pack the CenturyLink Field Event Center on Seahawks Sunday to take in the activities.
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Fans can watch the early NFL games on huge screens while bands entertain the crowd, meet famous former Seahawks, the Sea Gals and Taima the hawk. They can throw passes at targets, kick field goals and run timed 40-yard dashes. They can also watch Dori Monson and the crew broadcast the pregame show live on KIRO Radio and 710 ESPN Seattle.
It’s a special celebration first started way back in 2004. Best of all, any one can go — whether they have a game ticket or not.
“We wanted a place that our fans could come and gather before the game and watch those games and engage in displays of their fandom and also engage with the Seahawks … and do so in a safe, family-friendly environment,” said David Young, general manager of CenturyLink Field.
He says the Seahawks strive to make Touchdown City better every year, this year adding some new surprise programming to the stage along with several other activities.
“That goes back to our philosophy of always exceeding the expectations of our fans. We never want to remain stagnant either on the field or off” Young said.
His favorite is last year’s addition of a walk-through Seahawks museum, which includes artifacts and exhibits from throughout the team’s 41 year history.
My favorite thing to do is watch frustrated ex-jocks and weekend warriors pull a groin or tweak a hamstring running the timed 40-yard-dash against their kids.
And I had to ask if they keep track of the numbered injured over the years.
“We don’t keep official statistics on that,” Young laughed. “But I will say we’ve had a couple, even an employee or two that tried to get out there and best some times. Yeah, there’s been a couple.”
Touchdown City is free and open to all Seahawks fans three hours before each home game inside the CenturyLink Field Event Center, which is connected to the south end of CenturyLink Field off Occidental Avenue.
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