Seattle, WA
Seattle Seahawks fans eager to know who will raise the 12 Flag on Sunday
Who will raise the 12 flag in Seattle on Sunday?
Raising the 12 flag at Lumen Field is a Seattle Seahawks fan favorite, a pregame tradition for more than two decades. But as the NFC Championship game approaches, 12’s are wondering who will do the honors?
SEATTLE – Seattle Seahawks fans know how to bring the noise on game day at Lumen Field. One pregame tradition, the raising of the 12 Flag, always sets the tone at the stadium.
The home-field ritual is a powerful tribute to fans, passionately known as the “12th Man.” Back in 1984, the Seahawks retired jersey number 12 as a salute to the fans, recognizing them as an integral part of the team.
“The 12th Man flag raising is just so important to all of us. And the fact that the team recognizes the importance of the fans in that way,” said Anna Peterson, president of the Seahawkers Booster Club.
The History:
On October 12, 2003, 12 original season ticket holders lifted the 12 Flag for the first time. Since then, before every home kick off, the flag is hoisted high at the stadium.
The ritual has been trusted in the hands of honorable guests, from Seahawks legends like Cortez Kennedy, to Supersonics NBA All-Star Detlef Shrempf, Basketball Hall of Famer Sue Bird, even heroes such as Tuskegee airman George Hickman, and the first responders of the Oso Slide.
“We all want to be there to see it for every game. We all speculate who it’s going to be,” said Peterson.
Now, speculation is buzzing ahead of the NFC Championship game on Sunday.
“It’s like this nervous energy and it’s really hard to focus on my paying job this week because it’s all I can think about,” said Peterson.
Dig deeper:
In previous NFC Championship games, the one person who held that pregame responsibility was Paul Allen. The team owner raised the flag in January 2006, 2014, and 2015, and each year, the Seahawks won the NFC title.
The team hasn’t appeared in the championship since then, and Paul Allen died in 2018.
SEATTLE, WA – FEBRUARY 05: Team Owner Paul Allen of the Seattle Seahawks holds the Lombardi Trophy during ceremonies following the Super Bowl XLVIII Victory Parade at CenturyLink Field on February 5, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule
Now that the team is one game away from the Super Bowl, there’s a lot of online chatter about who will do the honor of raising the flag. Several fans said a natural fit would be Allen’s sister, Jody Allen, chair of the Seahawks.
“I am agreeing with some of the chatter that I would love to see Jody Allen,” said Anna Williams, a Seahawkers Booster Club member. “And it would be pretty cool to see Paul Allen’s face up there because, of course, we all owe him so much for saving our Seahawks.”
Some fans, however, think the team might want to start the game “beast-quake” style.
“I think maybe we’re talking about Marshawn Lynch!” said Peterson. “Lots of speculation that it could be Pete Carroll. I would love nothing more. Maybe it was Mike McDonald who was talking about if it were up to him, it would be Ken Griffey Jr. every time.”
What’s next:
The Seattle Seahawks keep the flag raiser a secret until it’s game time. 12’s said whoever is chosen, it’s that person’s responsibility to get the crowd loud, hopefully loud enough for an NFC win.
“It definitely feels like there’s a cohesion between all the players and the coaches,” said Williams. “One game away from the big dance.”
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The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
Ranger Suarez carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Friday night.
Suarez (3-3) struck out five and walked three in 6 2/3 innings. His no-hit bid ended with Josh Naylor’s one-out double in the seventh.
The 30-year-old lefty earned his first win since April 27 against Toronto.
Caleb Durbin put the Red Sox ahead with a second-inning solo homer, his fifth of the year. Durbin had his second three-hit game this season, with his first coming against Tampa Bay on June 10.
Ceddanne Rafaela scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, and Marcelo Mayer drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single.
Carlos Narváez added a sacrifice fly before Seattle finally escaped the inning on a diving catch by Dominic Canzone in right field.
Suarez issued a two-out walk that loaded the bases in the seventh on his final pitch of the night, but Justin Slaten ended the threat by striking out pinch-hitter J.P. Crawford to preserve a 5-0 lead.
Mayer added one more insurance run with a ninth-inning RBI double. The Mariners got on the board thanks to Julio Rodríguez’s two-run homer in the ninth.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller (3-1) struck out seven in five innings. He allowed three hits and one run.
Luis Castillo, who has started in all but three of his 258 career appearances, gave up five runs in four innings of relief as the Mariners revived their “piggyback” rotation.
Up next
Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (5-5, 3.81 ERA) starts opposite Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (5-3, 3.28) on Saturday night.
Seattle, WA
Seattle fans pack waterfront hours early as USA defeats Australia, advances in World Cup
SEATTLE — Soccer fans descended on Seattle’s waterfront well before kickoff Friday, staking out their spots early to watch a highly anticipated World Cup matchup at Seattle Stadium between the United States and Australia. That patience paid off as Team USA won the match and now advances to the knockout round.
The atmosphere at Pier 62 was electric from the start, with fans lining up for prime viewing positions, whether down on the water’s edge or taking in the sweeping scene from the waterfront overlook above.
“I mean, look at all these people that are here hours beforehand to celebrate this incredible game,” said Paul Hanson, who was rooting for Team USA. “The hairs are going up on the arm.”
The energy was a draw in itself.
“The energy is amazing, everyone’s in a great mood, it’s just a lot of fun to be down here,” Maggie McNeil said.
Not everyone in the crowd was wearing red, white, and blue.
Lizzie Manning hails from Melbourne, Australia, and is now living in the Pacific Northwest.
Manning told KOMO News she hasn’t been back home in nearly a decade, but taking in the U.S.A-Australia match with the waterfront crowd gave her a taste of it.
“Whenever I see another Australian I’m like, ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy,’” she said. “I feel so close to home. I need a meat pie, life’s good.”
“I’ve met so many people who are visiting from other countries,” Seattle resident Maddie Chaplain said. “I sat next to a couple yesterday who was eating dumplings for the first time from Argentina, that was so awesome.”
With Team USA advancing, fans like Aaron Olson say they’ll be back for more.
“USA’s gonna win it,” Olson said. “I will come down here every game. This is spectacular.”
The World Cup watch parties continue on Pier 62 throughout the tournament. They are free and open to the public with online registration, but capacity is limited.
Seattle News Weekly S1E44: FIFA Frenzy hits the PNW
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is off and running as Seattle prepares to host the United States vs. Australia match on Friday. With more matches to be played in the Emerald City after that, FOX 13’s David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane are taking a closer look at the biggest stories surrounding the international tournament. Dan is hearing from fans on Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to turn on CCTV cameras during the World Cup, Austin is taking a deeper dive into why ties are a good thing in the group stage, and David revisits the lessons learned from the first match hosted in Seattle between Egypt and Belgium.
SEATTLE – The FIFA World Cup has taken Seattle by storm, bringing global excitement to our city and visitors from across the world.
On this week’s episode of the ‘Seattle News Weekly’ podcast, David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane discuss the top headlines of the week that have emerged alongside the buzz about the FIFA World Cup 2026.
A Massive Tournament Expansion
The hosts open the podcast with a discussion on how historically large this year’s FIFA World Cup is compared to years past. Expanded to 48 teams (up from 32), the tournament features a record 104 matches over 39 days across 16 host cities. Seattle is hosting six of those matches.
Austin explains the value of “ties” in the group stage—especially with the new format where 32 teams advance to the knockout stage instead of 16—meaning a single point from a tie carries significant weight.
At the time of recording, the US had already defeated Paraguay and is preparing to face Australia at “Seattle Stadium,” where a win would guarantee advancement.
Transit Tactics
Dan Griffin reports on the city’s transit system, noting that while the light rail is moving a massive influx of people smoothly, transit authorities are actively “throttling” passengers.
This practice involves controlling crowd flow onto platforms to ensure safety, which has caused wait times of over an hour for some fans on TikTok. Transit officials recommend that fans walk to stations slightly further away from the stadium district to get moving faster.
The CCTV Security Debate
The hosts talk about how security is a major focal point. The FBI has already had to confiscate drones being flown illegally downtown. More prominently, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson activated controversial closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the Stadium District following “general but credible threats” identified by law enforcement.
While an activist group called Community, Not Cameras expressed fears that the surveillance puts vulnerable populations at risk due to federal agency presence, visitors and fans interviewed largely welcomed the extra layer of security. The cameras are expected to be turned off after the World Cup concludes.
Cultural Celebrations and Fan Experiences
The hosts play a clip from reporter Lauren Donovan who provides a colorful look at the fan festivities happening in the city. She highlights the “March to the Match,” describing Monday morning where Belgian fans swarmed Victory Hall alongside middle school band directors from the Stanwood-Camano district who were recruited to drum for them.
She also joins celebrating Egyptian fans, whose match against Belgium ended in an enthusiastic tie. The hosts note that international fans (like those from Australia) are already flooding local attractions, including Seattle Mariners baseball games, turning the sporting event into a broader West Coast vacation.
Seattle News Weekly is a podcast that goes in depth and gives context to the stories that matter to the western Washington community. Check back every Thursday for a new episode on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Audible or YouTube.
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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
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