Sadly, the Allen family era with the Seattle Seahawks is coming to an end. ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Brady Henderson break the shocking breaking news that the Seahawks will officially be up for sale following Super Bowl LX. Seattle has been under the control of Jodi Allen, sister of the late Paul Allen, as she is the executor of his estate. When Paul died in 2018, his will stipulated that all of his assets – including the Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers – would be sold and all proceeds would be donated to charity. Now, the Seahawks will no longer be under the benevolent rule of the Allen family.
This is quite depressing news, because the reality of the situation is likely to be poured like cold water on the face of the 12th man. We all knew this day would come, but after all these years, maybe some of us felt like Jody Allen would find a way to keep the franchise a little longer. The Allen family are great owners. Paul purchased the organization in the mid-1990s, saving the team from relocation and helping the Seahawks have their best years in football. Under his reign, Seattle won nine division titles, three division titles and the franchise’s first Lombardi. His death in 2018 shocked the city and the 12-team as he represented the best owner any fan could wish to play for.
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As mentioned before, upon Paul’s death, ownership passed to his sister Jody. The Seahawks have enjoyed tremendous success under her leadership, and not without reason. Under her reign came two more division titles, another NFC title and maybe even a second Super Bowl. The highlight of Jody’s reign was the two extremely difficult decisions she made that ultimately changed the franchise: trading Russell Wilson and firing Pete Carroll.
Two moves that would dramatically change the course of Seattle football. The Wilson trade gave the Seahawks a slew of draft picks that led to a quality foundation, and the bold move of replacing Pete Carroll with Mike McDonald put Seattle back in the big game. Both MacDonald and Carroll spoke at length about how wonderful and supportive she has been as a boss. Carol even mentioned that she was “involved in everything.”
Now, a new era could begin later this year. New ownership brings a lot of unknowns, and the city is still scarred by the fact that new management stole the Sonics. But we can only hope that whoever purchases the Seahawks treats this team with the same love, dedication and care that the Allen family has.
The Allen family have been outstanding stewards of Seattle football and it is sad that their time is coming to an end. All we can say to Jody and the late Paul is:
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Thanks.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks vs. Patriots: Seahawks for sale after Super Bowl LX
