Seattle's 12th Man Is A Traitor

What do a majority of Seattle fans have in common with the rest of the country? They're all rooting against the Seahawks this Sunday.

According to a poll on the Seattle Times website, most Seattleites want the Seahawks to lose to the Rams this week. Sure, maybe web polls aren't the most foolproof measure, but we doubt people in St. Louis care enough to stuff the ballot box here.

So what's this about? If you're worried about being the first 7-9 playoff team and embarrassing the league and the division, don't be. The NFL's got enough on its plate, and the NFC West has three other teams doing their share to make it a laughingstock.

No, this is about draft position, and a not-insignificant swing is in play here. If they make the playoffs, regardless of regular season record, they get one of the last 12 picks. But if they miss out, their record guarantees them a pick somewhere between 6th and 11th overall. That's a difference of 10 to 15 spots, all based on Sunday's game.

Now, we have nothing against tanking. If your team's eliminated, by all means, lose out. There's a big difference in potential draftees for the 2-win Panthers and any other team that needs a QB, like, say, the 4-win Bengals. But the key phrase is "once your team's out of it." The Seahawks can make the playoffs, for god's sake. It's unacceptable to root against a playoff appearance for draft positioning.

Win Sunday, and they're in. And then it's a 12-team shootout, when anything can happen. Remember just two years ago, when a crappy Cardinals team rode the back of their two superstars to within a score of a Lombardi Trophy? All the Seahawks would need to do is get carried for four games by their own superstars, like...um...okay, you know what? Root for the Rams.