12s expected to be huge force in San Diego for Seahawks road opener

Even though the Seahawks face the Chargers Sunday at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium, it could feel a lot more like a home game thanks to the thousands of 12s expected to crowd the stands.

Seahawks fans have become an increasingly visible and vocal force in opposing stadiums, especially over the last year.

“To hear Seahawk cheers on the road at every game,
I mean that’s a pretty big accomplishment to be able to do that as a fan base,” says Tansey Allen, co-founder of the Seahawks Road Crew.

The Port Angeles native and lifelong Seahawks fan started getting fans together back in 2007, after moving to Los Angeles and feeling lonely as a 12. What began as a few viewing parties and an occasional trip to a game became hugely popular bar takeovers, tailgate parties and other events wherever the Seahawks play.

“After the playoffs in Atlanta where we almost pulled off a win, we decided it needed to be every away game. That we needed to make sure that fans have a place to go, have a home on the road with their 12s,” she says.

While some road games have attracted several thousand fans such as a memorable Monday night in Arizona last season, Sunday’s game could see one of the largest contingents of 12s yet.

San Diego is a particularly popular destination for traveling 12s. Its location and beauty make it an easy and attractive place for many to get to. The Seahawks have always had a huge following in Southern California.

“People are pumped,” says Cedric James Morris, co-founder of the SoCal Seattle Seahawks. The group, which boasts over 2,900 members on its Facebook page, is planning a huge tailgate party and bar takeover in San Diego that will include Seahawks star Richard Sherman’s mother, father and extended family.

“We started with just one party bus, then it became four. We’ve got the Sherman’s RV. It’ll be crazy. We could have several thousand people joining us in the parking lot,” he predicts.

Allen’s group is planning several events in San Diego as well that she expects will draw hundreds if not several thousand fans as well.

She says with so many more people jumping on the bandwagon, interest in attending all of the other road games is at an all time high.

“Last year, we had venues that were booked for between 500 and 1,000 people, and we kept filling them. We want to make sure that we can accommodate all of the fans so we’re booking even bigger venues this year,” she says.