Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest I have always called this area my home.  Never, over the course of my lifetime, have I ever been more excited to be a fan of professional sports.

Even the amazing run of the Seattle Mariners into the 1995 postseason pales in comparison to what our regional fan base has experienced with the incredible ride that the Seahawks have given us in the past two seasons. A ride that is currently headed straight to Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona.

Taking nothing away from the national level titles garnered by the former Super Sonics, Seattle Storm or the Seattle Sounders FC which has brought significant acknowledgements, fans and money into our region, the Seattle Seahawks are currently operating at an entirely different level as a team and as individuals.

Professional sports has become as much of a money-making entertainment industry as it is about the basic fundamentals of the competitive games it plays.

After this past week’s NFC Championship game between Seattle and Green Bay, I doubt any other collective fan base could have been any more riveted or entertained with the lowest of lows to the highest of highs than we were. More importantly we were humbled as fans by what occurred during the last three minutes of a single game and in the aftermath of the win.

What is so special about the Seahawks at this period of time, with this group of players, is their commitment to each other and the lessons of faith and perseverance they are teaching all of us by examples they set both on and off the field.

In the face of staggering mistakes and adversity, the ability to stay focused, on task and keep doing your job is something that is very easy to say and extremely difficult to execute no matter how much you are being paid for it at the time. It is so easy to lose momentum, throw in the towel and make excuses when things start to go in a direction that you don’t like or want.

What really came to light from this latest game was the fact that they never gave up on each other which is a mindset that many of us could and should embrace a little more often in our everyday lives.

Jermaine Kearse did not catch a single one of the five previous passes that Russell Wilson threw his way. Yet, Wilson’s unwavering faith and trust in Kearse’s ability had him throwing 35 yards for the single overtime catch completion that decided the fate of an entire division.

As a fan of sports I am very excited that the Seahawks are headed back to the Super Bowl. As a fan of life I am humbled and grateful by what I have seen and heard from this special group of men. Go Hawks!

“The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That’s real glory. That’s the essence of it.” — Vince Lombardi