Super Bowl games draw millions of TV fans, and the Seattle Seahawks’ gridiron destruction of the Denver Broncos, 43-8, proved no exception: Fox Sports, which aired the game, estimates that nearly 48 percent of U.S. homes tuned in.
But not everyone owns a home or rents an apartment, and even those who do may not have a cable subscription for TV. For those without, at least two places downtown provided a free place for fans who wanted to experience the game with others.
More than 250 people filled the Microsoft Auditorium at the central branch of the Seattle Public Library. A mix of cultures and ages, the crowd cheered in the opening seconds, when a Bronco error on the game’s first play led to a two-point safety for the Seahawks. As the home team accumulated more points, the sound of cheering reverberated a building that usually offers spaces for quiet and solitude.
The library had shown playoff games last month, and library officials agreed to continue free screenings. The auditorium remained open until the game ended after 6:30 p.m., passing the regular 5 p.m. Sunday closing time. The library provided football-shaped cookies to viewers, which they munched while waving 12th Man flags.
Several blocks away, at the Bread of Life Mission, 97 S. Main St., another group took part in a smaller, though still lively, party. Roughly 125 attended, and game day brought people a game-day meal: hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans and hot wings.
While the majority of viewers were Seahawks fans, Bronco supporters occupied a few of the chairs. Spectators catcalled and taunted each other through the match, even as the championship turned into a rout.
This was the second time the Seahawks have been to the Super Bowl but the first time team members earned the right to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.