WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of the state of Washington
recognize extraordinary merit and achievement in all forms of
endeavors; and
WHEREAS, The Seattle Seahawks organization, and its legion of loyal
fans across this great state and country, deserve such recognition for
the outstanding accomplishment they made in becoming champions to the
people of Washington and supporters nationwide; and
WHEREAS, With an experienced coaching staff, MVP running back, Pro
Bowl quarterback, dominant offensive line, young, but stifling defense,
and electric special teams, the Seahawks posted a franchise-best 13-3
regular season record, including a first-ever 11-game winning streak;
and
WHEREAS, During this incredible run, the Seahawks dominated by
scoring 57 touchdowns to their opponents' 24, 5,915 total yards to
their opponents' 5,069, 361 first downs to their opponents' 295, and 50
sacks to their opponents' 27; and
WHEREAS, The Seahawks played in their first Super Bowl in franchise
history on February 5, 2006 - Super Bowl XL - where they lost to the
Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10 due partly to questionable referee calls,
including 70 penalty yards compared to just 20 for Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, Super Bowl XL was distributed internationally to more than
230 countries and nationally to more than 200 television stations
throughout the United States, where hundreds of millions of people got
to experience Seahawks football and a taste of Seattle; and
WHEREAS, The Seahawks play in one of the most state-of-the-art
facilities in all of professional sports, providing a raucous and loud
environment that intimidates opposing teams; and
WHEREAS, The spirit of the "12th Man" reached every part of this
great state and each Seahawks fan across the country, and played a
central role in the team's success, much to the chagrin of Texas A&M
University; and
WHEREAS, Seahawks Head Coach, Mike Holmgren, began his coaching
career in 1971 at his alma mater Lincoln High School in San Francisco,
California, where he also taught history; and
WHEREAS, Seahawks Head Coach, Mike Holmgren, has been with the team
since January 9, 1999, guiding the Seahawks to a 22-13 record over
their last 35 regular-season games, and once again leading a team to
the Super Bowl; and
WHEREAS, In the same year that the Seahawks went to the Super Bowl
for the first time in franchise history, a former player and current
broadcaster, Warren Moon, became the first African-American quarterback
named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, The Seahawks make as big of an impact off the field as
they do on the field through their Charitable Foundation, which
promotes the healthy social, emotional, intellectual, and physical
development of youth by enhancing opportunities for participation in
sports and fitness activities, including the Blue Ribbon Partner
Program, a collaboration among Seattle youth service organizations, the
Seahawks, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and the Seahawks
Leadership Academy for at-risk youth;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives
express its recognition and pride for all that the Seahawks
accomplished over the 2005-2006 season, both as a team and as
individuals, and acknowledge that a new and exciting era of Seahawks
football has been ushered in to the delight of appreciative fans
everywhere; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be
immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of
Representatives to Seattle Seahawks front office personnel, Paul G.
Allen, Jody Patton, and Mike Flood, as well as Coach Mike Holmgren and
Governor Gregoire.