Skittles and blue 12th Man flags filled the air from Forks to Port Townsend on Sunday as the North Olympic Peninsula gathered in beer halls and living rooms to watch the Seattle Seahawks win the NFC championship.
Seattle’s professional football team beat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 to earn a spot opposite the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb. 2.
It was lost on only a few fans that this Super Bowl match-up will be of teams representing the only two states in which recreational marijuana is legal.
Peninsula denizens did their part, packing living rooms and bars dressed in blue shirts, scarves and caps and following the game day superstitions they believe led the Seahawks to the franchise’s third conference championship game.
“I going down to Zak’s [bar] to watch the first half, then I have to go to Bar N9ne for the second half,” Brian Humble of Port Angeles said of his Sunday tradition at two popular downtown watering holes.
“I did that every time they won this year, so I can’t stop now.”
Others, like Cory Day of Port Hadlock, went underground to avoid being the Seahawks’ jinx.
“I turned on the Tennessee game when they screwed up that field goal. Then I watched the Indianapolis game,” Day said Saturday in Port Townsend.
“Every time I turned them on this year, it seemed something would go wrong. So I’ll just wait to see the final score tomorrow.”
Prizes and food and drink specials added to Sunday’s mania.
Sirens Pub in Port Townsend offered up green and blue “Skittles shots,” a nod to the candy prized by star Seahawks halfback Marshawn Lynch.
Bartender Oceanna Van Lelyveld prepared the special drink by melting down green and blue Skittles and infusing that into vodka for wildberry- or green apple-flavored drinks.
“Gotta play up the blue and green,” Van Lelyveld said. “And do what we can to help them out.”
Priced at $4 during the game, the shots went for $1 following Seahawks scores.
Skittles also found their way on to the menu at Stymie’s Bar & Grill at the Cedars at Dungeness golf course northwest of Sequim.
Manager Matt Eveland said the restaurant made its own version of the “Beast Mode Burger” that has become popular at CenturyLink Field.
The 1,743-calorie entree was packed with bacon, cheese, two hamburger patties, ham, onion rings, lettuce and red onions with a side of Skittles.
“Whatever we can do to help,” Eveland said.
Stymies customers who brought in packs of Skittles also were able to get a discounted first drink for $1.
Others had specials for the opposition.
At BBG Blakeslee’s Bar and Grill in Forks, owner Donna Blakeslee put a special “40-Whiner” burger on the menu.
“It’s a bun without the meat,” she said.
“Because that’s how the 49ers play — without the meat.”
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Joe Smillie can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or at jsmillie@peninsuladailynews.com.
