Seahawks: Familiar Surroundings

So less than a week after my last day at the newspaper, I was back “in my office” working at Sunday’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets.

No, not the offices of the Seattle Times, I mean Qwest Field, which for years has been one of my “offices” — the place I go to work.

I was shooting for someone other than the paper, of course, but even then I couldn’t escape the Times. When I contacted the Seahawks to request credentials, they asked my to just wear the season credential I’d already been issued, since it has my photo on it for identification. Problem is, the affiliation says, “The Seattle Times”.

Apparently, you can go home again.

It was weird to enter the photo workroom and not sit down at my accustomed seat, where I’d set up my laptop and gear for the past seven seasons. Former co-worker Jim Bates was set up in that area, and I set up my gear on another table and went over to say hi.

Signing in for my NFL-mandated photo vest, the person spoke aloud as he recorded my name, credential number and affiliation. “Rod Mar, Seattle Times…”.

“Um, no. Not anymore,” I corrected him. Same dork, different affiliation. There’s a reason this face is usually BEHIND a camera…Anyway, thanks to Ted Warren of the AP for sending over this photo of me. That way, if my mom see it, she’ll know I’m still working for someone.

(Photo courtesy Ted Warren/Associated Press)

Once the game began, everything was comfortable and familiar.

Except — I wasn’t there to cover the game for the paper — telling the story of the game wasn’t my job. I was there to shoot a couple of specific things, and I needed to concentrate on them and not fall into my old familiar habits.

As it turned out, the things I needed to photograph didn’t really pan out the way we needed them to. It was frustrating, but shooting in the snowy conditions did make for unusual photos, at least for Seattle.

Despite a week of heavy snow and more forecast for game day, fans showed up in droves, in part because it was the final home game of the season, and more so because it was the last game that Mike Holmgren would coach as head of the Seahawks.

Snow did interesting things to the various blue and green hairdos in the stands. This gives a new meaning to the term “frosted tips”.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

(Nikon D3, VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

Employees with shovels and brooms were stationed around the field to keep the sidelines and yard lines visible. Some of them were members of the Mariners grounds crew, who pitched into help at neighboring Qwest Field.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

Fans seated high in the north end zone “Hawks Nest” made snow benches to sit on.
(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

Those in the lower levels built a “snowfan” to occupy one of the rare vacant seats.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

The conditions played predictable havoc on the game, and especially in the first half, both the ball and the field were slick. Seattle tight end Will Heller fumbled, and the Jets recovered, then lost it, and finally recovered it for good.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

However, on the next series, Seattle’s Josh Wilson intercepted the first of his two passes off of New York’s Brett Favre. That’s a Jets player coming off the sidelines at right nearly obscuring the play.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

While the snow was messing with the players, it was also messing with the autofocus on my cameras and lenses. I’d like to tell you I’m being arty and focusing on snowflakes, but really, that’s a camera front focusing on snow as Seattle running back Maurice Morris runs for yardage.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

Olindo Mare’s field goal gave Seattle a 10-3 lead as the snow fell.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

New York’s Laveranues Coles is an offensive player who ended up playing defense on Seattle’s Josh Wilson to prevent an interception in the second half.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1600th sec.,f2.8)

After Seattle sealed the win, the entire stadium squarely placed its focus on Mike Holmgren. He reunited with his former quarterback in Green Bay, Brett Favre.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1250, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 w/ flash)

Holmgren then took a lap around the field and waved to fans. He said it was his way of saying thanks to them.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 24mm, ISO 1250, 1/250th sec.,f5.0 w/ flash)

One way this fan said thanks to Holmgren was getting a tattoo of him on his calf. I guess that will have to do until they put him in the team’s Ring of Honor.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor VR 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/1250th sec.,f2.8)

I actually had the opportunity to talk to the coach well after the game was over. We ended up in the parking lot at the same time. I’ve covered him for 10 years and have shot numerous portraits of him, so we know each other a little and I went over to say goodbye.

We chatted for a moment, and I told him I wouldn’t be going to the season finale in Arizona next week and so I wanted to thank him for all his cooperation over the years. When he learned that I’d left the paper, he wished me luck and told he was sure I’d find continued success.

After we shook hands and were parting, he turned and with a twinkle in his eye said, “Rod — how come in EVERY picture in the Seattle Times I’m yelling at someone?”

I was taken aback for a quick second before replying, “Sorry coach — I just take pictures of what I see.”

We laughed and went on our separate ways.