13th Man In Mazatlán

With the invasion of the northerners, one has to wonder what the football fans will be doing on any given Sunday. Heck, it's not just the northern birds, us locals have urges too, you know... the Mexicans, Canadians, and USAians among others. When November game season comes, what are we to do?!

Not to worry, there are several sports bars in town. My friends and I rotate some, but one of our favorites is a friendly spot called Yoopers. We decided to watch the Vikings game the other week at this fun little place. Oh, did I mention that the game was being played in Seattle? The home of the 12th Man? Oh, and did I bother to tell you that we are Seahawk fans? It is very compelling to follow this team, a team with a 10-1 record for the season so far. Yes, I even have my dear friend from Pennsylvania hollering with me for this team. Sorry to her brother, Garry. Yes, I have persuaded her, she is now a Seahawk fan. 

It's easy to be swayed. After all, part of their reputation is the 12th Man. You know, the fans in the stands, the ones who broke the Guinness World Record on September 15th, 2013 with 136.6 decibels for the loudest crowd roar in history? Some of you may be smirking now... you may be thinking, so what? And I probably would have agreed with you a few years ago,  but here is how I see it today... from my point of view, mind you. 

As I get older, the idea of life flying by intensifies in my mind. As a result of this thought, a wonderful notion has seeped into my head, the idea that I had better embrace as many moments as I can, just let them fill my insides with joy. Sitting in a room with strangers, all with one common goal... that is to support the Seahawks, is a joyous occasion. The bonus? When I leave the game, I usually have new friends.

Let's go in and meet some of the folks you will see here on a regular basis when it's game day.
We will need to walk by the outside fans first, but don't be afraid. They probably won't notice us; I sometimes believe they think this is the entire bar. They're in their fabulous fantasy mindset, and think they are alone. Dogs are pretty smart. It's my belief that they do know about the other place, the inside, and my bet is they would love to check it out. Maybe it's a good thing the humans don't know about this other place, easier to keep the dogs under control. 


Before we go any further, I need to introduce to Mike, the owner, and his delightful lady, Bonnie. Each and every day, they open their doors to a friendly haven, offering cool refuge with a menu of great food and beverages. And of course, on weekends, they allow us fans to get lost in the magic of the game.

Thanks, Mike and Bonnie.  Here is something that every game needs, the famous 12th Man flag. There are several flags at Yoopers... Mexican, Canadian, USAian, and on game day... 12th Manian. After successfully raising the ceremonial flag, the game is ready to begin!

Now, I believe it's time to let my secret out. I hope it catches on, becomes viral as they say in today's social networking world. My friends and I had an idea, a scheme so inspirational, so fantastic. We are not the 12th Man. How could we be? We're not sitting in the stands of the arena up north. Buuutttt...

We could be the 12th Man from Mazatlán. We thought about this, but quickly dismissed the thought. How can you be a special group to help the team without a name? Ah... then we came up with the perfect words to describe us. We are the 13th Man. After all, 13 is actually a lucky number. Many folks think this. So, there it is. This season, the 13th Man became an entity, we just have to get the word out. The bartender is ready, his winning smile makes you want to order and order and order. Hmmm, is that how a bar makes money, by hiring the best smiler? Ah, Maria. I believe there is a song about you. Maria has help now that the northerners are here, but in the beginning of this season, she kept us locals happy all by herself. She's quick on her feet, always striving to make her patrons happy.  I met this nice couple, true fans of the team I adore. That makes for instant friends. It is true, when you have something in common, there is a great bonding effect. Notice to the right in the back... there's a buffet for tacos that will make your mouth water when you wake up on game day. Yes, it is that good. Fix your own, then sink your taste buds into the delightful treat you may have had thoughts about the entire week. These folks have been coming since the first game of the season. They are fan pros. True fans... yep, they have that thing going on for our beloved team. I wouldn't be honest if I gave the impression that all the game watchers were for the great Seattle team. This table of fans was not there to see my game. Yes, Yoopers actually shows all the games, even for Seahawk non supporters. They were, (gulp) there for the SF 49ers. They were awfully nice though, so what can I say?  Finally, to end this conversation, I would like to introduce you all to the 13th Man Club. I know, there aren't many of us yet. But, when we get the flag and tank tops made up, who knows? It could become an internationally known club, we might be mentioned each week by the sports commentators, we could become a sports fan phenomena!

Time will tell. Until we hear of our fame, I will bid you farewell. And don't forget to watch the Seahawks on Dec. 2nd (yes, that's Monday night) take on the ferocious New Orleans Saints. If we can just get our club noticed by then, I just know we will intimidate the Saints into giving it up for the night. Besides, how many teams have an international club such as the 13th Man? __________________________________________________________
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You can read all about drama in my novels. Check them out at www.cmichaelsbooks.com, author of Twisted Thrillers.
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