The Seattle Seahawks have one of the most passionate fans in the world. To put their passion into numbers, the Seattle crowd, affectionately known as the 12s, previously held the Guinness World Record after unleashing a deafening roar of 137.6 dB during the Legion of Boom’s victory over the Saints. They also never shy away from channeling their passion into fierce rivalry, as a Seattle-area town pulled off one of the wackiest stunts by banning cheese in the buildup to the NFC Championship match against the Packers. Yes, you read it right. The Seahawks banned cheese.
Advertisement
A day before the highly anticipated bout, the city hall manager of Bainbridge Island issued a cheeky order, banning all cheese from the city hall, aiming to provoke the Packers fanbase, the Cheeseheads. A portion of the order read:
“Fans of the Green Bay Packers are frequently seen wearing obnoxious wedge-shaped foam hats painted yellow,” followed by, “Due to the relationship between the Green Bay Packers, their fans, and cheese, the possession of and/or consumption of cheese or cheese flavored products shall be banned in Bainbridge Island City Hall.”
While the execution order certainly evoked chuckles all around the NFL world, things took an eerie turn on the day of the matchup.
Did The Cheese Ban Work for The Seattle Seahawks?
In the showdown, the Aaron Rodgers-led Acme Packers had a stellar first half with a 16-0 lead. After a complete domination like this, very few opponents manage to mount a comeback. During the third quarter, Jon Ryan’s fake field goal for a touchdown put the Seahawks on the scoreboard. However, the Russell Wilson-led Seahawks had a long way to go in order to catch up.
Wilson showcased his athletic prowess in the final quarter with a rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion, followed by Marshawn Lynch’s 24-yard rushing score. The Seahawks’ secondary was able to limit Rodgers’ side as well, preventing them from advancing past the red zone, and allowing only two field goals to keep them at bay.
With a 48-yard field goal from the Packers, the scoreboard read 22-22 with seconds remaining on the clock, eventually leading to overtime. After an 87-yard drive in 6 plays, Wilson found Jermaine Kearse for the game-sealing 35-yard touchdown, securing their third Super Bowl berth.
While no one knows how an all-star Packers side bottled a one-side lead, the romantic in us attributes it to the cheese ban. And this is also why we would like to propose a similar deal for the San Francisco 49ers, who are about to lock horns against the Chiefs in the rematch of Super Bowl LIV.
If anyone from the 49ers Faithful is reading this, we would suggest you guys ban barbecues and grills ahead of the showdown in Sin City. Who knows? This could actually be the turning point against the barbecue hotspot. The Niners have had an incredible run so far and having an extra bit of luck for one last time won’t be a bad deal for them. If it fails, it’s great banter. And if it works, it will be an urban legend in the making and possibly more creative banter from teams in the time to come!
