FX McRory's & Seahawk Sal (continued from previous page)
Next I was introduced to Garrett, the man inside Blitz, the Seahawks’ mascot! My teenage daughters would without a doubt say Garrett is a hottie! Like all the Seahawks fans I met in Seattle, he is a nice guy with great stories to tell. I wasn’t aware that being a mascot is such a dangerous occupation until Garrett told me some of the situations he’s been in. He’s such a likable character that everyone wants to have their photo taken with him, often thrusting their children in his direction for hugs and photo ops. That’s all fine and dandy but too often we forget that he’s a man inside a big, bulky costume with limited visibility and feathers for arms!! That’s why he has to have a “bird keeper” who looks out for his safety and the safety of fans. The bird keeper’s job is to be discreet to the point of not being noticed, and yet be alert to any potential dangers! At the game the next day I specifically looked for the bird keeper and was unable to identify him. I found that amazing!
I was processing a lot of information in a short amount of time so I can’t be certain about these next numbers, but I believe Garrett told me that the temperature is a sweltering 100 degrees F inside the costume and that the costume weighs 80 pounds. He is perpetually drenched in sweat, a fact I can attest to after hugging him at the game! In any case, it’s hard work being a team mascot. It’s something you’ve got to want to do, love doing, and stay in shape to do. Garrett’s got the enthusiasm and the drive to be the best Blitz we could have! I walked away with a lot of admiration for the man who makes Blitz come to life on the sidelines and at social functions for children and adults alike! He’s my hero!
At some point in time Brian Oakes, MCing the event on behalf of SeahawkSal who wasn’t able to make it gave a welcome speech and introduced the dignitaries. Among the notable people were Kiltman and Cannonball, Hall of Fame fans; SeaGal Kiera; Blitz; Mike Flood; the San Francisco 49er fan who always shows up soused at these events; Jerry Martinez with his Seahawks Express painted motorhome; and yours truly. I was surprised and flattered when Brian included me in the list, introducing me as “Becky of Beckys-place.com, .net, .org, .edu, .gov, dot-everything!!!” I was laughing so hard I nearly cried, and it was great to share the fun with my long time cyber friends sitting beside me.
Some time in-between table hopping, the waitress miraculously chased me down and took my order for dinner. Pat had said earlier in the day that he wanted a big, fat, juicy steak; the thought worked on me long enough that I didn’t consider any other options! F.X. McRory’s did a good job with it but shockingly enough I can’t for the life of me recall what, if anything, was served with it. I know that I was talking to a whole lot of people about a whole lot of Seahawks stuff, and then coming back to the table to excitedly repeat it all to Karyn, Craig and Pat. I remember sitting down to eat and I remember that the meal was good, but the rest of the details are gone. Just gone! Lost in a blur of names and faces and stories and laughter.
While we finished our meals, the hat came around with the chance to purchase raffle tickets. It was a bit steep at $20 a pop but we all chipped in – the jovial atmosphere made it seem the sensible thing to do at the time! Craig won a Seahawks cap; Jerry Martinez won the cash prize. They gave away a football and a jersey, and a handful of other Seahawky things as well. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.
And then they started sucking helium out of balloons!! It is a riot to see grown adults screaming Seahawks cheers in squeaky, girly voices! The Seahawk family is anything but a dull family!
Chapter Four
Game Day
More! More! I want to keep reading!
To search this site, enter keywords and press search. To see more links, please choose from the menu below.
FastCounter by bCentral