‘My dad bought tickets in 1976’: For Seahawks superfan, Rams rivalry brings back decades of deafening memories

When the Seahawks take the field against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Lumen Field, Daniel Israel will be doing what he has done for nearly five decades — living every snap as if the outcome depends on it.

Israel is considered by many, because there is no official county, to be the longest-standing Seahawks season ticket holder. His father bought season tickets during the franchise’s inaugural season. Israel still holds those original tickets.

“I think I’m the youngest original season ticket holder they have. My dad bought the tickets, I think it was July 28, 1976,” Israel explained. “I was just about 3 years old, and he put them in my name.”

Israel’s memories stretch across the franchise’s defining moments, including some of the loudest games ever played in Seattle. He vividly remembers the 2013 NFC championship game against San Francisco, when Richard Sherman tipped Colin Kaepernick’s pass, and Malcolm Smith intercepted it in the end zone to send Seattle to the Super Bowl.

“It was beautiful … all those unforgettable plays are just absolutely amazing,” Israel shared. “I just knew in my heart of hearts that was exactly what was going to happen.”

Seahawks superfan predicts ending of several important games

In fact, Israel told KIRO Newsradio, he’s predicted several plays and outcomes for some of the Hawks’ most important games over the decades. Call it experience from watching so many games, or a gut feeling.

“I’m not trying to declare that I’m clairvoyant or anything, but I kind of see it happening before it happens. I’ve actually been lucky that way with a lot of the plays,” Israel said.

In the Seahawks’ 2006, 21-10, Super Bowl loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Detroit, Israel said he got a bad feeling going into the stadium as, then, President of the Seahawks Fan Club.

“I remember I went there with a bunch of the guys from the front office, Mike Flood, and a couple of the guys, and we had Seahawks flags. We had boxes of them. We wanted to pass them out to everyone. We weren’t going to sell them, I just wanted to pass them out,” Israel explained as the first sign the football tide may have been tipped in favor of the Steelers. “They wouldn’t let us bring the boxes, which really upset me. And then, of course, we got into the stadium, and there were terrible towels everywhere. Like giving them away everywhere.”

Seven years later, walking into MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for Super Bowl XLVIII, Israel’s gut told him just the opposite. The Hawks dominated the Denver Broncos from the opening snap of that game, winning 43-8.

“Oh God, it felt like a home game, are you kidding me?” Israel said. “From beginning to end, there must have been a heck of a lot more 12s than there were Denver fans there.”

The following year, Israel was forced to miss Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona, against the New England Patriots, after his appendix burst.

“I had a tube sticking out of my stomach, and I was stuck in my seat,” he shared, remembering the Russell Wilson interception that ended the Hawks’ comeback in the 28-24 loss. “But as soon as that play happened, I just turned the TV off; still to this day, it bothers me.”

Looking at Sunday’s championship game

Sunday’s matchup against the Rams carries extra weight. The NFC West rivals have spent years trading blows, derailing each other’s playoff hopes and turning routine regular-season games into nerve-wracking tests. For Israel, the Rams are one of the few opponents that still bring a familiar edge of anxiety, even after decades of success. He explained he’s been getting mixed feelings based on Hawks quarterback Sam Darnold’s past playoff mishaps on other teams.

“My only concern is that I don’t want to badmouth anyone, but I just, I can’t fully put my stock into Darnold yet,” Israel explained. “He’s either on or he’s not, so hopefully he’s on. But even if he’s not, you know, I think our defense can take it for us.”

Over the years, Israel has attended almost every home game. The noise at the Kingdome and now Lumen Field, he said, has always been part of Seattle’s identity. After big games, he often returned home unable to speak for days — his voice gone from shouting alongside tens of thousands of fellow fans.

Israel said he wouldn’t trade any of it, however, including the many losing seasons or low points for the franchise, because they are part of what defines the Seahawks.

“I remember back in the day, I couldn’t even give away my tickets. I beg friends to go with me. Be like, ‘Come on, I’ll buy you a beer.’ They’re like, ‘I don’t want to go to that game,'” Israel said. “So, it’s kind of a huge 180, but after waiting so long, it’s been a wild ride, man. And I’m super excited about what the future holds for the Hawks.”

At home, Israel’s fandom is unmistakable. Neon “12” signs glow in his windows. Seahawks flags fly outside. His living room is lined with memorabilia, including a model of the Kingdome, a Seahawks cuckoo clock, and an engraved bottle of champagne given to him after a championship victory.

Daniel Israel’s Seahawks memorabilia. (Photos courtesy of Daniel Israel)

The same gear for every game

He also revealed he wears the same Seahawks’ gear to every game.

“I wear my 12 jersey with my name on it, and a really cool neon green sweatshirt that was actually given to Dave Chappelle by Marshawn Lynch, and Chappelle didn’t want it,” Israel explained, as he managed a club years ago. “So, he gave it to me. I wear that underneath my jersey. That’s the same thing I wear to every single game, always have.”

But for Israel, being a 12 goes beyond memorabilia.

That sense of belonging is why games like Sunday’s matchup against the Rams still matter so deeply. Israel described himself as cautiously optimistic, confident in Seattle’s defense, aware of how unpredictable rivalry games can be.

“There is something really special about it. There’s a, there’s really a kinship and, especially, when you’re down at the games around with the rest of the fans,” Israel said. “It’s just like one big family.”

As kickoff approaches at Lumen Field, Israel will take his seat — the same seats his family has held since the beginning — surrounded by a stadium full of fans ready to make noise once again.

Win or lose, he said, the connection remains unchanged.

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