loves soccer. Like quite a bit fewer Germans, he means the American sort, and the Seattle Seahawks particularly.
He likes the Seahawks a lot that he flew practically 5,200 miles from Stuttgart to Seattle to absorb the spectacle of his group’s season opener in September.
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“It’s very totally different from the classical European sports activities occasion,” he mentioned, pointing to extravagant pregame tailgating and opposing followers commingling within the stands. “Perhaps there’s a little bit of smack speak,” he mentioned, “however very not often are there ever bodily altercations.”
Soccer reigns supreme throughout Europe, however increasingly more Germans are enduring a five-or-more hour time distinction to observe American soccer and the Seahawks are their group. They also have a German Sea Hawkers fan membership.
This Sunday, Mr. Spiess and his fellow German fanatics will benefit from the Nationwide Soccer League’s first-ever regular-season recreation in Germany when the Seahawks tackle the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers are technically the house group, but when the German Sea Hawkers membership has its manner, its group will take the turf at Munich’s 75,000-seat Allianz Enviornment with one thing of a home-field benefit.
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German fan Lukas Spiess on the Seahawks’ season opener in Seattle.
Photograph:
Patrick Dinger
The NFL has hosted regular-season video games since 2007 within the U.Ok., the place the Seahawks are also common. After a 2018 matchup there towards the then-Oakland Raiders, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll mentioned it “felt like a house recreation.”
How did the Seahawks wind up with so many European followers? The NFL’s European advertising and marketing push spanned a decade when the Seahawks have been stringing collectively deep playoff runs with a colourful and charismatic group of stars that then included operating again
Marshawn Lynch
and cornerback
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Richard Sherman.
On the similar time, German TV station ProSieben Maxx was providing free telecasts of extra video games.
In January 2014,
Daniel Humburg,
then a pupil, was flipping via channels when he got here throughout the Seahawks’ first postseason recreation in what turned their march to the Tremendous Bowl.
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“I’m in my room, watching a sport I don’t perceive, and I’m fully into it,” he recalled. He stayed up watching till about 5 a.m., two hours earlier than courses started.
Some German followers started rooting for the Seahawks years in the past when operating again Marshawn Lynch, pictured in 2019, was a star.
Photograph:
Alika Jenner/Getty Photos
He was transfixed by a operating again nicknamed Beast Mode. “It was Marshawn Lynch bursting via D-lines like they have been little youngsters,” mentioned Mr. Humburg, now finding out to change into a high-school instructor.
Max Länge,
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a Leipzig resident, suspects he was the primary particular person in Germany to personal Mr. Lynch’s jersey. He mentioned he was received over to the Seahawks by the “swagger” of Mr. Sherman and the remainder of their trash-talking defensive secondary, generally known as the “Legion of Growth,” throughout that run to a 2014 Tremendous Bowl victory.
Max Länge, founding father of the German Sea Hawkers fan membership, at a recreation in Seattle in 2013.
Photograph:
Max Länge
Mr. Länge gathered about 15 fellow followers later that 12 months and utilized to create a German chapter of the Sea Hawkers, a semiofficial booster membership that already had a foothold within the U.Ok.
The group turned a vanguard of Germany’s American soccer zeitgeist, as new followers gravitated towards the very best groups, corresponding to Seattle and the New England Patriots. “Nobody would change into a Browns fan,” Mr. Länge mentioned, referencing the chronically unsuccessful Cleveland franchise.
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The German Sea Hawkers have grown to extra 1,800 than members. A digital media arm reaches extra with German-language evaluation and merchandise. Group-specific podcasts and different social-media pages have sprouted lately as streaming choices for video games have expanded.
Nonetheless, the Seahawks are removed from a family identify, mentioned
Simon Kell,
an information-technology skilled who lives outdoors of Düsseldorf. “Most Germans don’t know the place Seattle is in the US,” he mentioned.
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A gathering of the German Sea Hawkers in Wiesbaden, Germany, final November.
Photograph:
Christopher Mettken
Mr. Kell visited New Orleans final month to observe the Seahawks play. He likes the X’s and O’s of soccer technique, in addition to the tradition round it: anthem singing, flag waving and occasional flyovers by jet fighters. “Every little thing is greater,” he mentioned.
When tickets went on sale for the Munich recreation, Mr. Kell discovered himself behind about 600,000 different followers with a web based vendor. “I used to be fortunate that I had mates who received tickets,” he mentioned, including that he would have coughed up 500 euros, or practically $500 a seat. Tickets have since offered in resale markets for hundreds apiece.
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Tom Lang has been a Seahawks fan since residing close to Seattle as a part of a high-school trade program.
Photograph:
Dave Fleming
As out-of-town followers descend on Munich, air-traffic controller
Tom Lang,
who lives outdoors the town, plans to function an area information. “I’m getting concerned in all types of loopy stuff occurring,” he mentioned.
Mr. Lang has been a Seahawks fan since 1986, when he lived close to Seattle as a part of a high-school trade program. A season ticket-holder for six years, he visits Seattle recurrently to attend video games with a buddy, promoting or making a gift of unused tickets.
The German Sea Hawkers have offered greater than 800 tickets for a celebration at a Munich beer corridor the night earlier than kickoff. An Instagram publish promoting the occasion describes it as a “Heimspeil Celebration,” or home-game occasion, with conventional wheat beer and Bavarian delicacies.
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Mr. Länge, the Leipzig resident who based the German Sea Hawkers, mentioned the gathering will probably be a fruits of years spent making an attempt to carry followers in his nation collectively.
“I will probably be there, watching folks and smiling, and shedding some tears,” he mentioned. “It’s simply what I dreamed of.”
Seahawks vast receiver Tyler Lockett throughout a recreation in October.
On Thursday night, it was announced that Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh had finished 12th in the American League MVP voting. This concluded an unbelievable award season for the M’s catcher. In addition to finishing 12th in the MVP voting, Raleigh was a finalist for the American League Silver Slugger. He also won both the Gold Glove at catcher and the Platinum Glove in the American League.
However, the MVP news wasn’t the biggest piece of Raleigh-related news on Thursday. According to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, Raleigh dropped agent Scott Boras in favor Excel Sports Management.
Seattle Mariners Gold Glove catcher Cal Raleigh has switched his representation to Excel Sports Management, per sources.
Now, we don’t officially know the reason for the change, but some Mariners fans online took it to mean that the M’s have a greater chance of signing Raleigh to an extension now.
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Take @MarinerMuse for example:
Fine, I’ll say it out loud:
This is the move you make if you want to sign an extension and you have the free agency manipulation agent.
Fine, I’ll say it out loud:
This is the move you make if you want to sign an extension and you have the free agency manipulation agent.
Raleigh is headed into arbitration this season and is under contract through the 2027 regardless. The M’s certainly would want to lock Raleigh up long-term as he’s one of the best catchers in all of baseball, but it only gets harder to do as he gets closer to free agency.
Furthermore, he’s 27 years old now, making an extension that takes him to 32-33 more desirable than giving him a long-term deal in the future. He’ll be 30 when his rookie deal ends and any extension would likely take him deep into his mid-30s.
Raleigh hit 34 homers this year to lead all catchers. He drove in 100 runs also, in addition to his defensive prowess.
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE:
Seattle Sounders FC (16-9-9, fourth in the Western Conference during the regular season) vs. Los Angeles FC (19-8-7, first in the Conference during the regular season)
The MLB offseason is in full swing, but things have been rather quiet for the Seattle Mariners so far.
Seattle Mariners have a new TV situation, according to The Athletic
President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander are both on record saying the team is looking to add to its offense, particularly on the infield. But the team hasn’t been committal to how exactly they’ll approach that.
Seattle could look to upgrade in free agency. This year’s class isn’t very strong on the infield, but there are still a handful of options that seem to fit the club’s needs.
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The team also could go the trade route and offload some of its touted hitting prospects or a proven starter from its talented starting rotation to address its offensive needs. It seems more likely the trade route would include a package built around prospects rather than one of the team’s current starting pitchers. Both Dipoto and Hollander have said trading a starter isn’t one of their top options, with Dipoto calling it “Plan Z” during an end-of-season interview.
Seattle Sports’ Michael Bumpus is trying to read between the lines and figure out what the real plan is for the M’s this offseason. During Thursday’s edition of Bump and Stacy, he asked ESPN baseball insider Kiley McDaniel about the team’s offseason approach.
“They’re in a spot now where they have tried for, I guess, a couple offseasons now to shore up the offense while staying within their spending parameters,” McDaniel said. “There was that time four or five years ago (the 2019 season) where there was the quick reset where they underpaid relative to what they could have paid the payroll to then have more money to, then ramp up spending when the team was good. And that has now happened and they need an extra bat or two, but they don’t have the money to go on the free agent market and just pay $20-25 million per year to get the two bats they need.”
That puts the Mariners in a difficult spot decision-wise, McDaniel said. They could trade from the farm system and risk dealing away a future star for a shorter-term solution. Or they could go for under-the-radar signings of cheaper players, which hasn’t worked out in past seasons with the likes of AJ Pollock and Tommy La Stella.
“There’s no easy solution to this the same way that like (if) the Mets or the Dodgers want a hitter, they just get a hitter,” McDaniel said. “The Mariners have a puzzle and they’re missing a piece. So how do they manufacture that extra piece to solve the puzzle, which is basically spending $1 million on a guy that will be worth 20, or not trading a prospect that they think is good and getting a good player. They have to conjure something up kind of magically.”
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McDaniel said the easiest route for the front office may be one fans don’t want to hear after the past two seasons, which is being patient and waiting for the group of hitting prospects to start reaching the majors. Just two of the team’s top hitting prospects are projected to reach the big leagues this year by MLB Pipeline – second baseman Cole Young and catcher Harry Ford. Both played at the Double-A level last season, and Young is expected to start the 2025 season in Triple-A.
“They’ve done a really good job creating a good farm system full of young hitters,” McDaniel said. “So I think unfortunately … the easiest answer is to just wait a year or two until these guys come up and then you maybe have the homegrown solution, but then some of the veterans that are contributing right now, they might be gone, which then creates another problem. … There is not an easy solution to this issue other than raising payroll, which is obviously only up to the owner.”
A free agent fit M’s
McDaniel spoke about a few free agents who would fit the Mariners’ needs. Two were players McDaniel would advise teams not to sign: first basemen Justin Turner and Pete Alonso. Both were included as two of his free agents to avoid this offseason.
Someone who McDaniel thinks makes sense for Seattle to go after, though, is former New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres.
“Gleyber Torres (is) coming off a slightly disappointing year, one of the youngest guys in the free agent market (at) 28. I think two or three years at $15 to 17 (million) a year is probably what it costs,” McDaniel said. “He’s the guy that I think makes a lot of sense to possibly get some upside, get him locked in for multiple years (and he) can play multiple positions.”
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Torres was an All-Star in his first two seasons (2018-19), slugged a career-high 38 home runs during 2019 and produced a 113 OPS+ or higher in four of his first six seasons.
He hit a combined 49 home runs in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but saw his power numbers decline and hit just 15 last season. In 154 games in 2024, he slashed .257/.330/.378 with a 1.7 fWAR.
“You have a chance to spend less than $20 million a year and get a guy,” McDaniel said. “But if you miss on him, now you have almost no money left and you’re forced – if you need to find a hitter – to either get lucky on like a minor-league signing or a one-year deal, or to trades some prospects.”
Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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Seattle Mariners coverage
• Mariners make deal with Rays to reunite with local product • Drayer’s Rebuttal: Why Mariners shouldn’t trade a starting pitcher • Longtime announcer for Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate to retire • Legends Ichiro, Félix among new names on Baseball HOF ballot • What would a Roki Sasaki signing mean for Mariners?
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