Seahawks fans flood San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — This story was originally published on mynorthwest.com.

Seahawks fans aren’t just counting down to the Super Bowl from home. They’ve taken over downtown San Francisco.

From packed flights out of Seattle to the streets around the NFL Fan Experience in the Yerba Buena neighborhood, waves of blue and green jerseys have flooded the city days ahead of kickoff. Super fans, families, drumlines, and first-time visitors have turned Super Bowl week into a roaming celebration, even as ticket prices keep most of them out of the stadium.

A flight full of 12s

My Super Bowl experience began at gate D3 inside the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) terminal. A quick survey and I realized the flight would be packed with 12s on their way to the big game – including longtime super fan, Greg Buchanan, and his wife Camila. Buchanan is better known to 12s as Sea-Pope, for his colorful costumes that include a pointed miter – the kind worn by the real Pope Leo. We talked about the Super Bowl and memories of Seahawks past.

“I remember tailgating out of my grandfather’s trunk of his 1964 Impala, and we used to have just sandwiches and coffee and stuff like that,” Buchanan told me. “But, now it’s taken it to a new level.”

Buchanan and his wife Camila said they own part of the Beast Bus, which is a double-decker, rolling tailgating bus painted in Seahawks colors. On its way to San Francisco, it broke down in Medford, Oregon, but Buchanan told me a mechanic on board made repairs and got it rolling again. She also helped organize a planned 12-flag flyover of the Golden Gate Bridge Saturday.

“It’s exciting because you’re going to be there with your fellow Seahawks fans and you all have something in common, you know,” Camila said. “We’re rooting for the Seahawks.”

Blue Thunder brings the beat to the Bay

Also on my flight – Blue Thunder, the Seahawks drumline band that parades around Lumen Field before home games, turning rhythm into a full-on performance, blending powerful, chest-thumping beats with movement, personality, and constant interaction with the crowd. They are in high demand during Super Bowl weekend – straight off the plane, 15 minutes to change and grab their kits, then down to Palo Alto to play at the NFL’s flag football competition, before bussing back up to San Francisco to play for fans at two separate events.

The line’s director, Keith Rousu, explained the experience of playing, “It’s all about providing the energy and getting them set for gameday to be the loudest fans in the NFL.”

In San Francisco, the heart of the party is the NFL Fan Experience inside the city’s Moscone Convention Center. It’s a sprawling attraction stretching the equivalent of nearly 10 football fields across several city blocks. Interactive games, Super Bowl rings, autograph sessions, and live demonstrations draw fans from around the world. Outside, banners and security checkpoints wrap the neighborhood as the NFL effectively takes over downtown.

There, I met 12s from Walla Walla, Spokane, Seattle, and Tacoma, but also from New York to Florida and L.A., and parts in between. Their message to the players is clear.

“Hey, continue to do what you guys have always been doing and dominate, we’ve got this,” one 12 said.

Another added, “You were doubted at the beginning of the year, nobody thought you’d be here, but don’t lose the opportunity, this is your shot, take it and go win the game.”

Stephanie drove down from Sacramento for a day. She told me she would stay longer, but tickets for the big game are still at a premium.

“Do you have any tickets?” she asked. “They are expensive, yeah, I wish they weren’t.”

A sea of blue and green in the Bay

The Seahawks’ presence is impossible to miss in the Bay Area this weekend. However, not everyone is thrilled.

San Francisco is still firmly 49ers territory, and while Seahawks fans are everywhere, local fans outnumber them and aren’t shy about letting visitors know it.

Several 49ers supporters interviewed said they were frustrated by the sheer volume of Seattle jerseys filling their streets, with more than a few heated exchanges needing to be edited for language.

“It sucks, we only want to see our team representing, not our rivals,” one fan said in the nicest way possible. “I hope you guys enjoy the city, but no love for the Seahawks.”

Patriots fans, by contrast, were far quieter. In many spots downtown, Seahawks fans appeared to outnumber New England supporters, drawing confident responses from the 12s about Sunday’s matchup.

“They’re a little delusional about how good their team is right now,” one 12 explained. “I think they’re going to get a taste of it on Sunday.”

Behind the scenes on Radio Row

Inside the nearby convention center, Super Bowl week hums at a different pitch. Radio Row occupies an entire floor, with hundreds of media outlets broadcasting live from compact 10-by-10-foot booths placed side by side. Former NFL players, analysts, and celebrities wander through doing interviews, while fans gather just outside, hoping for a glimpse.

Across the street, security is tight. Roughly four city blocks are closed to traffic, concrete barriers line sidewalks, and metal detectors guard every entrance. Police officers are stationed throughout the area, and K-9 units regularly sweep crowds and equipment bags. Despite the heavy presence, the mood remains upbeat.

Many of the fans roaming the city won’t be inside Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, but they mostly came for the atmosphere, the memories, and the chance to be part of something bigger.

Fathers and sons walked the Fan Experience together, some reliving earlier Super Bowls, others creating first-time memories. One Seattle father, Quinton, brought his son back to the same event he attended years earlier as a child.

As Quinton shared those memories, his young son, Levi, wearing an old school Jim Zorn jersey, hugged his dad and said, “I’m having the best time, I really, really am.”

Kickoff is still days away, but for Seahawks fans in San Francisco, the Super Bowl experience has already begun. And the 12s have come together in ways they haven’t in at least 12 years.

“It’s really a tear-jerker knowing I’m around 12s that are good people,” James, a 12 from San Diego, explained. “Good fans and a good fan base … I’ve never met a bad 12, so it’s just phenomenal.”

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