How They Got Their Name: Seattle Seahawks

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In 1957, discussions began around the city of Seattle for constructing a domed stadium that could host a professional football team.  It wasn’t until 17 years later, however, that the NFL awarded its 28th franchise to Seattle.  The team was scheduled to begin play in 1976.  So, in 1975, a “name the team” contest was held, which reeled in a total of 20,365 entries.  Of those, 1,741 were unique entries.  “It’s overwhelming, simply overwhelming.  We expected only about one-tenth this many entries,” said Herman Sarkowsky, a general managing partner of the team at the time.  The name Seahawks was submitted by 153 people and was chosen as the new name.

It actually wasn’t the first time the Seahawks name was used for a sports team in Seattle.  During the 1950s, a Seattle minor league hockey team used the name, which contributed to some fans wanting to bring that name back to the city.  It also wasn’t the first time a professional football team was named the Seahawks.  The Miami Seahawks were an All-America Football Conference team in 1946, before they relocated to Baltimore.  Some of the popular names the Seahawks beat out were the Seagulls, Lumberjacks, Pioneers, and Skippers.  And while the Lumberjacks would have been cool, the Seahawks name was a great fit.  Said general manager John Thompson after the name was chosen, “Our new name suggests aggressiveness, reflects our soaring Northwest heritage, and belongs to no other major league team.”

Garett