If you hear abnormally delirious shrieks of joy, disappointment or just plain revelry coming from the 8th Street Ale House in Hoquiam this coming Sunday, there is no need to call the police: it’s just the Seahawk Girls.
The group of diehard Seattle fans is made up of Tracy Dugas, Jennifer Durney, Vicki Jewell, Tracy Wood, Nancy Peterson and Jenna Garner, and for the past four years the women have convened at the bar to watch their team every Sunday.
But, this group of Seahawk supporters isn’t your average fan crew. The women pull out all the stops on game day, sitting at a table that is a consummate example of extreme fandom, lined with Hawk knick-knacks and odds and ends. A miniature Lego replica of CenturyLink Stadium’s Red Zone adorns the table, along with “Sherman” the stuffed lizard, a Russell Wilson doll, Seahawk beads, and a green-haired troll, to name a few.
Most of the items are brought by Wood, while the rest are provided by other members of the group, including a Seahawks banner festooned above the ladies’ table.
“This isn’t all I have,” says Wood with a grin. She explains that in her home she keeps a Seahawk shrine.
With this peculiar assortment of dolls and trinkets, fellow bar patrons might think the group was preparing for some type of voodoo ritual. And, the girls make it clear that the assumption might not be too far off. As an act of superstition, they move the items to different tables during the game.
If the Seahawks do well with the items at certain tables, they keep them there. If Seattle is struggling, they will be moved to a different location in the bar to see if their luck changes.
Durney and Dugas even brought a gnome from the table to a 49ers game this season as a good luck charm. Unfortunately, the doll was lost in a rental car during the trip.
“I’m down a gnome in case you run across one,” said Wood, who plays with a toy troll’s hair when she’s nervous during a game. During the NFC championship, she had one in hand quite a bit.
“He (the troll) lost some hair,” said Jewell. “She was choking it real bad.”
John Garner, Jenna’s husband, has seen the girls cheering for the Hawks first-hand and knows what rowdy bunch they can become.
“You can probably hear them outside on any given Sunday. They’re loud,” he said.
The group can go overboard sometimes, explained Durney.
“We’ve had people move from our table before,” she said.
As they are for any other game, the posse will be at the Ale House on Sunday for the big game, and they’re all optimistic about the outcome. But, at the same time, the anticipation hasn’t been easy to take.
“This is stressful,” said Durney, lamenting the days leading up to the contest.
Jewell said she had to take a Tylenol PM to fall asleep earlier this week. The comment could have been an attempt at humor, but with this group of nervous fans, it’s very hard to tell.
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