Can the Seattle Seahawks' '12th Man' be a 747? Boeing says yes
To celebrate the Seahawks' appearance in this Sunday's Super Bowl, the aviation giant has painted one of its 747-8 freighters in the NFL team's livery.
As a San Francisco 49ers fan, it pains me to write this. As a fan of airplanes, and especially Boeing 747s, I'm a lot happier about it.
Boeing said today that to commemorate the Seattle Seahawks' NFC championship and the team's appearance in this Sunday's Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos, it has painted one of its 747-8 freighters in Seahawks livery. The Boeing-owned plane will make its first flight with the new paint job tomorrow.
This, of course, is nothing but a bit of fun being had by the aviation giant, which though it has its corporate headquarters in Chicago, builds 747s in Everett, Wash., just a few miles up the road from Seattle, and has a long history in and around the Emerald City. Broncos fans, however, may find themselves wishing Airbus was based in the Rockies.
To go along with photos of the plane -- which features a big "12" on its tail, a reference to the fact that Seattle fans have come to be known as the "12th man" thanks to the record-breaking noise they make at home games -- Boeing offered up a few humorous tidbits about the plane.
For example, Boeing pointed out, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson's longest pass went for 80 yards -- or 240 feet -- almost the same length as the fuselage of a 747-8 (243.5 feet). Similarly, Wilson threw for a total of 3,357 yards (10,071 feet) during the 2013 season, just short of the 10,650 feet a 747-8 needs to take off. And, finally, a 747-8 at takeoff goes fast enough that it can cover the length of a football field in just one second.
That's all cool, of course. But as a 49ers fan, I just can't find myself rooting for the Seahawks. Bring on the flames, but go Broncos.