For those who are coming in late: The Seahawks won the Super Bowl on Sunday. Now, pretty much all of downtown is shut down for a parade in their honor. If, like me, you're busy working and can't make it to the parade, you can watch a live-stream of Q13's coverage at Seahawks.com. We've got reporters on the scene, and I'll be updating this post with updates as the parade makes its way through downtown. (If you're downtown and you'd like to share your photos with Slog, feel free to send me an e-mail with your pictures.)
UPDATE 11:36 AM: The parade is late to start, and Seattlish's Hanna Brooks Olsen has this to say about it:
Heard a rumor from SPD that we're waiting for a player who missed the bus. Unconfirmed, but could be why the delay. #Celebrate48 #12parade
— Hanna Brooks Olsen (@mshannabrooks) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 11:45 AM: What possesses someone to do this kind of thing?
At Seahawks Super Bowl celebration at Century Link. This guy has guts, plain and simple. @darrenrovell #Celebrate48 pic.twitter.com/BqWKVA93jg
— Jay Adams (@CAVEmagJay) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 11:48 AM: Jesus, that's a lot of people:
Downtown Seattle is absolutely mobbed right now despite being 34F and breezy #12Parade #Celebrate48 ! pic.twitter.com/MHzROEFSJC
— WJPG (@will_gulliver) February 5, 2014
@KING5Seattle the view from @PRRSocial #12parade #Celebrate48 pic.twitter.com/Tt2WJzJ8zv
— Luke Baron (@Lwbaron) February 5, 2014
(See also Nick Eaton's long-distance shot from Pioneer Square.)
UPDATE 11:52 AM: The Seahawks appear to all have been loaded onto the Ride the Ducks car/boats, and they're finally starting to move away from Seattle Center, about an hour late. These folks at the Central Branch of the Library will be waiting for a while:
The @SPLBuzz is packed, from the outside #12thman #Celebrate48 #gohawks #12parade pic.twitter.com/mMWe7yQwCH
— Tarik (@TarikSPL) February 5, 2014
UPDATE NOON: Slog tipper Kathryn says bus routes are down from the south: "traveling on my bike towards downtown through Beacon Hill, every single bus stop has 10 people at it!" Meanwhile, they're finally letting people into Century Link, according to the Seattle PI's Nick Eaton:
The general admission gates have opened up here at CenturyLink Field. #12parade #seahawksparade #12thMan pic.twitter.com/zpfsLUdgxS
— Nick Eaton (@njeaton) February 5, 2014
View from the Central Library—can't wait for the parade! @SPLBuzz #GoSeahawks pic.twitter.com/XVcwC0gzSr
— elizwindsor (@elizwindsor) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 12:05 PM: Marshawn Lynch is reportedly throwing Skittles into the crowd. We're coming up on the Inslee-approved "Moment of Loudness" at 12:12, which of course makes me think of this:
UPDATE 12:07 PM: Goldy and Dominic Holden both report that there's no parking downtown. Kshama Sawant is celebrating the day, too:
At the #SeahawksParade ! pic.twitter.com/knNwAPd20U
— CM Kshama Sawant (@cmkshama) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 12:12 PM: Scream real loud! (Here at stately Stranger headquarters, we hear one lonely man whistling as loudly and as frequently as he can. I imagine it's slightly louder downtown.)
UPDATE 12:15 PM: According to Q13, the SPD just confirmed a crowd of 700,000 people in downtown Seattle right now. (Seattle's population is 634,000 people.) And Slog tipper Matt says that Boeing just scheduled a flight plan for the Seahawks 747 to leave Everett Paine Field at 12:40 pm for "a half hour flight, at 6,000 feet altitude... returning to Paine Field at 1:07."
UPDATE 12:19 PM: Kelly O managed to get around the complete clusterfuck of cell phone service downtown to file a couple photos:
Skippin Skool! Thanks, mom #SeahawkParade pic.twitter.com/1cQCjIalhc
— Kelly O (@drunkoftheweek) February 5, 2014
So many people climbing on so any things, Part I #SeahawkParade pic.twitter.com/1VbdE6giSv
— Kelly O (@drunkoftheweek) February 5, 2014
Bucket seats!!!! #SeahawkParade pic.twitter.com/lKIpuemgxe
— Kelly O (@drunkoftheweek) February 5, 2014
The Century Link party is scheduled to start at 3 pm now.
UPDATE 12:25 PM: Wow:
Rock out w mo' Hawk out! #SeahawkParade pic.twitter.com/vp6lBrxhO3
— Kelly O (@drunkoftheweek) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 12:27 PM: Here's what Emily Nokes is looking at right now:
- Emily Nokes
UPDATE 12:32 PM: Holy cow.
Here is a view of some of the crowds from the top of the SMT tower... pretty incredible!! pic.twitter.com/VhR3B8h6CE
— seattledot (@seattledot) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 12:37 PM: Bethany Jean Clement says that people at the parade do not know who the mayor is, announcing "It's the governor!" when Murray waves. She points out that they're not entirely face-blind, though: "They do recognize the Hawks coach!"
UPDATE 12:46 PM: Apparently, Ed Murray, Dow Constantine, and Maria Cantwell want Richard Sherman to run for president:
Cantwell, @Mayor_Ed_Murray & @kcexec launch a new campaign: #Sherman4Prez. #Celebrate48 pic.twitter.com/RqzFLIBQWH
— Sen. Maria Cantwell (@CantwellPress) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 12:49 PM: Apparently, Seattle schools should've just taken the goddamned day off:
From Seattle Public Schools: 13,523 students and 565 teachers absent this morning - probably headed to #Seahawksparade. #12thMan.
— Vanessa Ho (@vanessaho) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 12:56 PM: Here's what Emily Nokes is looking at now:
- Emily Nokes
- Emily Nokes
- Emily Nokes
- Emily Nokes
UPDATE 1PM: What the 12th Man eats:
All painted up and no place to go, Billy takes a lunch break before resuming quest for parade viewing spot. pic.twitter.com/rou1ZhM6Dp
— David Goldstein (@GoldyHA) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 1:01 PM: Emily Nokes, calling in from the scene, sounds euphoric: "There is a pony, and its hair is dyed blue and green, and it is amazing," she says. May I quote you on that? "PLEASE."
UPDATE 1:05 PM: The parade just passed the Central Library:
Passing the @SPLBuzz #LOUDER #Celebrate48 pic.twitter.com/8k3eitIphs
— Mahina (@mahinainseattle) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 1:09 PM: This wins my vote for maybe the most melancholic tweet of the day:
It's great to see the city having so much fun
— Mike McGinn (@mayormcginn) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 1:25 PM:
Criminy! pic.twitter.com/9yFtit2VIf
— Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 1:30 PM:
@strangerslog This is the crowd outside the CLINK: #Celebrate48 pic.twitter.com/7wLKNRy7UD
— Brian G (@biznotic) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 1:34 PM: The Q13 hosts just led the crowd at Century Link Field in a cheer for Paul Allen. It was not the most energetic cheer of the day.
UPDATE 1:48 PM: We got this press release from the city:
As giant parade winds down: patience, patience, patience
SEATTLE — As one of the largest — and most exuberant — parades in Seattle history winds down, Seattle, public safety officials are urging people to continue exercising patience as they head back home.
“Seahawks fans have been their usual well-behaved, patient and loud selves, braving freezing temperatures and treating the team and each other with respect,” said Barb Graff, director of Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management.
“Now, as folks are getting ready to leave for home, we are asking them to remember: it took six or seven hours for everyone to get downtown for the parade; and it will likely take at least that long for transportation systems to return to normal.
“Above all, please be kind out there today,” Graff said. “The 12s keep proving we are all MVPs.”
With an extra 700,000 people in downtown Seattle today, phone and internet traffic is heavy; so Seattle officials ask everyone who can to stay off their phones and computers to help keep 911 lines open.
The amazing 12s can continue to help celebrate Seahawks victory by:
· Staying calm and patient
· Limit use of mobile phones and web access so important 911 calls can get through
· Consider staying downtown and going home later – lots of great restaurants nearby
· Walk home or to nearby neighborhoods
· Check on each otherUse the following links to plan your exit from downtown Seattle:
· Seahawks live-stream
· City of Seattle’s Alerts Blog
· King County Metro Trip Planner
· Sound Transit Trip Planner
· Community Transit
· More parade questions and answers
· Hashtag on social media: #Celebrate48
UPDATE 1:52 PM:
#Seahawks RB @MoneyLynch leads parade and throws fistfull of @Skittles back in #seattle. #Celebrate48. pic.twitter.com/JrvfcEZX70
— Ken Lambert (@SeaTimesFotoKen) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 1:57 PM: Slog tipper Matt again reports that the Seahawks 747 is circling near Lake Tapps, waiting for the cue to fly over Century Link.
UPDATE 2:13 PM:
Soooooo cold! #SeahawkParade pic.twitter.com/LiVGPF2Tzc
— Kelly O (@drunkoftheweek) February 5, 2014
Soooooooo HOT!!! #SeahawkParade pic.twitter.com/k9wo6PQixF
— Kelly O (@drunkoftheweek) February 5, 2014
UPDATE 2:14 PM: The Q13 anchors say the Seahawks are currently being sized for their Super Bowl rings. Meanwhile, this Bartell Drugs commercial is making Seattleites cry on Twitter:
UPDATE 2:30 PM: The rally at Century Link is now underway, with a drum line and a video presentation of the year in review.
UPDATE 2:54 PM: Now, after a Sea Gals show, the Seahawks are taking the field, walking nonchalantly between columns that are shooting fire into the air. Marshawn Lynch came out with a bottle of Dom Perignon and a drum, which people seemed to enjoy.
UPDATE 3 PM: The person speaking now made mention of the Seattle Storm's two WNBA titles, which was great. He's introducing Mayor Ed Murray to the podium. Murray beings, "Welcome home, Seahawks, to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest!"
UPDATE 3:02 PM: Murray lists a bunch of "incredible" aspects of the Seahawks, culminating in an "incredible leader" in Paul Allen. Allen takes the stage and says "I was told there were more than a million people out there in the streets. How amazing is that?" Allen pays lip service to the fans. "As an owner who was born and raised here," Allen says, "it's the fulfillment of a dream."
UPDATE 3:15 PM: Richard Sherman says Seattle fans are "the best fans in the world...we appreciate all of you." The Seahawks seem to be coming up, one-by-one, to the microphone to praise the fans.
UPDATE 3:24 PM: And it's all over, with a promise to "see you right here next year" after the next Seahawks win. They're playing Macklemore, naturally.