This Thursday I’ll be flying to Phoenix, AZ to attend the Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. It’ll be the second consecutive year I’ve made this trip with friends and family. Truth is, it’s not the first time I’ve flown somewhere just to watch an NFL game.
My mind strolled down Memory Lane…
Hawk-Tober 2016
2016 was a milestone year for me. I bought a house in Lake Stevens, left toxic relationships behind, and was settling in at Costco Woodinville #747 after transferring in late 2015.
Scotty G — travel planner extraordinaire of the Brew Crew — put together a Seahawks vs. Cardinals trip that October. He always loved Phoenix, the heat, and had even toyed with moving there. He booked the house, the car, the tickets (which we paid him back for)… the rest of us just piled in.
I decided to add a game to the weekend: photo-based Bingo. Easy to play while traveling, easy to win. For the prize? My mischievous side won out. Instead of a trophy or bottle of rum, I picked up a tiki doll at Goodwill and decorated it into a hideous “abomination.” The “winner” would be rewarded with this loser of a prize.
By game day, no one had won yet. Then someone from our group spotted a mother-daughter duo in bikini tops and jean shorts tailgating in Seahawks gear. They posed for the photo. Bingo! Bryan Yokoyama won… or so he thought.
His prize? That dumb tiki doll. And to top it off, the game ended in the dumbest way possible: a tie.
Final: Seahawks 6, Cardinals 6 (OT).
Both fanbases walked away dazed. In America, we’re used to winners and losers. That night, everyone felt like they lost.
Last December
Fast forward to December 2024. Scott invited Jason, Charrina, and Jen down for another Seahawks vs. Cardinals matchup. I was still living in Phoenix then.
Alongside the usual tailgating, I brought an official Wilson NFL leather football. Everyone signed it — a tradition inspired by the “game balls” NFL players receive after big milestones. The idea was simple: this ball would carry our memories, photos, and signatures all in one.
I still have it today. For a moment, I considered bringing it down again this year. But it’s a new season, with new participants. So I bought a fresh football, ready for fresh memories.
Final: Seahawks 30, Cardinals 18.
From Runway to End Zone
WCP and I are literally flying in just to land, start tailgating, and then roll straight into the game. No build-up, no long anticipation — just ready, set, GO.
I can’t wait to see my Arizona friends and family… if they’ll have me. (I’m sure they will.) This time I’ll be armed with a blank football, much like my upcoming Tabula Rasa Day — a clean slate for new signatures, new memories, and new stories.
The only difference? Now I’m visiting from Seattle, instead of receiving my family from Seattle.
And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
los, Fil-Am Renaissance Man 