Local News

Your guide to the latest news from around the Northwest

Staff reporter Jack Broom is making the rounds today in Pioneer Square, watching fans settle in, and roar their encouragement for the Seahawks:

4:52 p.m: Victory is sealed

“I’m speechless. This is awesome,” shouted a hoarse Chris Shreeve, as time expired, sealing the Seahawks’ victory.

Shreeve, 24, was in a group of about 20 friends who watched the game at Sluggers Sports Bar, cheering every play that broke in the Hawks’ favor.

“What you’re going to see now is that Seattle is going to go crazy,” he predicted.

4:15 p.m: The earth moves under Pioneer Square

That tremor you may have felt at 3:59 p.m.?

It could have been coming from Sluggers, where the crowd went into a sustained roar as the Seahawks pulled ahead for the first time.

“Did you see that? Marshawn ran through six guys!” said Tom Sullivan, 24. 

And the roar grew to even a high decibel level a few minutes later, when the Seahawks recovered a Washington fumble and scored again: Seattle 24, Washington 14.

3:52 p.m:  Are we too nervous to be having fun?

After a scoreless third quarter, the mood at The Hawks Nest is tense.

“We need to keep things moving, have a couple of deep threats, keep the Redskins on their heels,” said Patrick Siegler, 30.

He estimated the Seahawks’ chance of winning at 60 percent. 

3:13 p.m. At McRory’s, nerves during 1st quarter, give way to hope in 2nd

A terrific second quarter for the Seahawks, in which they cut Washington’s lead to a single point, put the life back into the crowd at F.X. McRory’s.

“It was a terrible start, but now we’ve got things rolling,” said Chase Dean, 27, of Seattle.

Dean, wearing a Russell Wilson jersey, said that in the second half, “we’ve got to keep them guessing.”

1:26 p.m: Redskins fans brave a Seahawks bar

At Fuel Seattle, on South Washington Street, two red Redskins jerseys stood out in a sea of Seahawks blue before the game.

The fans, Yenew Kassaye of Seattle and Parker Ayers of Tacoma, both predict a close Washington victory. Kassaye grew up in D.C.; Ayers in Richmond, Va.

Are they getting hassled for showing their colors? “Just a little bit. Nothing too bad,” Ayers said. But before the game started, they headed to another nearby bar, Swannies, a gathering place for fans supporting that “other Washington” team.

Washington fans Tony Pitts, left, Parker Ayers and Yenew Kassaye gather at Fuel in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood to watch the wildcard-round playoff game.

12:50 p.m: How sweet: A couple dressed in Marshawn Lynch jerseys

At The Hawks Nest, just east of CenturyLink Field, early arrivals included Seahawks season-ticket holders Darren and Laurel Trautmann of Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood. They were in place by 11:30 and were joined by about 10 friends in the bar, which has TVs on every wall.

Both Trautmanns were wearing blue and white Marshawn Lynch jerseys. “It will be closer than a lot of people think,” said Darren, 28. “I’m saying 28-21 Hawks.”

Seattle Seahawks fans Jun Dizon and Jill Bartuska eat breakfast and scored early seats to watch the game  at F.X. McRory’s in Seattle’s Pioneer Square.

12:20 p.m: Fans get ready early in Pioneer Square

By noon –  an hour and a half before kickoff — many of the best seats were already filled at Pioneer Square bars where fans will watch the game.

“I say it’s a close game and Seattle squeaks it out,” said Bill Newton, 43, of Bellevue, He and two friends had been waiting outside Sluggers Sports Bar when it opened at 10.

One of Newton’s companions, Michael Manson, 40, of Bothell, said he’s worried that Washington will win, so it was up to Dave Schneider, 42, of Kirkland, to break the tie.

“My prediction is the Seahawks will win,” he said. “But that’s what I always predict.”