Had a conference in New York City that began on Sunday, January 11th--meaning I had to fly out on Saturday the 10th. Well that's fine. If I have to be out of town on a weekend, New York--even frigid New York--is a terrific place to be.
Airline reservations - check.
Hotel reservations - check.
Conference reservations - check.
I'm golden. What could possibly go wrong? Only the 2015 NFC Divisional Championship game. Oh snap. The 12th man doesn't fly during Seahawks playoff games!
A moment of panic, a quick web search--good news--the game had an 8PM kickoff, four hours after arriving in NYC. There would be plenty of time to check-in at the hotel (see my Waldorf Astoria review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/waldorf-astoria-new-york-new-york?hrid=_bUYtuodGxDQlMg84vgxYQ) and head over to a bar to watch the game.
But what bar? There are literally thousands in the city.
As one would expect, Yelp provided the answer: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Seahawks+Bar&find_loc=New+York%2C+NY and the website for the NYC Seattle Seahawks Meetup Group confirmed it.
"The official Seahawks bar in NYC is Carlow East, located on Lexington Ave between 84th and 85th. Come and watch all the Seahawks games on MULTIPLE flatscreens with FULL GAME AUDIO!
Fast forward to the 10th. It's freezing in NYC--temperatures in the teens as I make my way to the Upper East Side. Forty-five minutes before kickoff and there's a line waiting to enter. Well that makes sense I suppose. There is an earlier game, after all. As that game ends a very few people start straggling out and the bouncer starts allowing new people in. "All the way to the back", he tells us. "That's the only area with room." As I enter I can't help but wonder what his definition of "room" is. Carlow East is quite literally the most crowded room I have ever been in. It is also one of the most energetic. There is green and blue EVERYWHERE.
I get a beer and start visiting with people around me. Asking the question, "What's your connection to Seattle?" is enough to get a lively conversation going. There are business travelers like myself, ex-pats, students and a surprising number of people with no direct connection but who simply love the Seahawks.
The game begins and I grab another beer. The guys behind the counter are busting their butts keeping the crowd lubricated. Over the next three hours-plus, they never slow down, never miss an order, never lose their patience. Short of the actual players on the field, these guys are the hardest working people in sports that day.
The game starts off slow, but the crowd never doubts, never waivers. The energy is euphoric. The beer flows continuously and, while it's near impossible to move more than an inch or two in any direction there is no pushing, rudeness or antagonism.
As the game enters the fourth quarter, it is impossibly tight with the Seahawks holding onto a four-point lead. Within seconds the Seahawks open up some breathing room with a field goal. A bit over four minutes later, they double the lead with a touchdown and four-plus minutes after that, another touchdown. Everyone at Carlow East is out of their minds. It is one of the most electric sports moments I have ever been a part of. And, although Carolina scores another touchdown with 2:34 left, that does nothing to dampen the celebration.
As the game comes to an end, the crowd counts down the final ten seconds. A few locals climb onto chairs--or maybe they were tables, I couldn't really see--and leads everyone in a few cheers. Quickly though the bar starts to empty. It's around midnight now and the temperature outside is in the teens. No reason to put off the inevitable freeze. Still, as I head into the night and towards the subway, my heart is warm. Warm with the glow of a Seahawks victory and warm with the community that I met at New York City's greatest Seattle sports bar, Carlow East. read more