The only other place I would rather be today than Myrtle Beach is 170 miles northwest in Charlotte. The Seattle Seahawks will clash with the Carolina Panthers in a divisional playoff game inside Bank of American Stadium at 1:05 p.m. ET. Why did I let the minimal drive stop me from representing the 12th Man? Well, when you are fresh off booking your honeymoon you have to scale back a bit.

I am ready to cheer on the Seattle Seahawks today!

Last year, the Seahawks and Panthers also met in the divisional playoff round. Also, like last year, I once again find myself rooting for the wrong team based on my geographical location. In the blog post I wrote around this time 373 days ago, I detailed how I would be rooting for my beloved Hawks in a bar full of passionate Carolina fans. What could be more contrasting than that?! Oh man, let me tell you…

This afternoon I will be watching the Seahawks vs. Panthers game with Sidney’s family! Why did I put an exclamation point at the end of that previous sentence? Yes, you guessed it, they are Carolina fans.

Sidney’s family always entertains on Sundays and today they are centering the festivities around the big game. Because they are such great people I knew they wouldn’t shun me just because I am a Seahawks fan. However, I thought I may have pushed my luck when I dressed Sidney in a Seattle Seahawks shirt a few weeks back when we were in Spokane. My natural fan allegiance was one thing, but purchasing apparel of the rival team for one of their daughters to wear? In some family circles, that could ended wedding plans right there.

Some families would consider this crossing the line.

But of course the Mathis family isn’t like that. When I teased last night that I might have Sidney grace that exact same t-shirt she wore in Spokane for today’s game her mom replied back, “That’s okay. That is what makes it fun.”

Okay! So while I might be in the minority today in terms of my rooting interest, I will hardly be in hostile territory. It should be a fun afternoon. Don’t Blink.

Ever since last Sunday, I have been looking forward to this day. Making this Saturday special in the first place is that my Seattle Seahawks will open up their defense of the Lombardi Trophy by playing in a divisional playoff game this evening. Adding a little more luster to this game is the opponent they will be playing.

I am ready to root hard for the Seahawks tonight against the Carolina Panthers.

When the Seahawks kickoff against the Carolina Panthers at 8:15 p.m. ET I will be cheering on my team in enemy territory. Living in the Carolinas has exposed me to a different NFL team that also wears a shade of blue. Throughout this season I have read about the Panthers each day in the paper, watched glimpses of their games every Sunday on TV (thanks to regional coverage), and encountered scores of fans decked out in Cam Newton jerseys. With Carolina’s win in the wild card round last week, this fan base is on fire for its NFL team.

While in most circumstances I would embrace the local team in my area and root hard for the Panthers, this is definitely not the case today. My home state team, the organization that I have cheered on during its lowest and highest points, is colliding with Carolina in a high stakes playoff game and you better believe I am backing Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, and the 12th Man. There is no straddling the fence on this one.

I will be watching the game tonight in a bar surrounded by Carolina Panthers fans with a Carolina Panthers bartender slinging my drinks. As the Seahawks are defending Super Bowl champs and the Panthers squeaked into the playoffs with a losing record I will “act like I have been there” and remain classy the whole time I am cheering on Seattle. It should be a fun evening with good-natured ribbing and a win for the team from the Pacific Northwest. Let’s go 12th Man, be loud tonight! Don’t Blink.