Of course there are times where I know that the content on my Facebook newsfeed is going to go a certain direction with my friends all posting about a similar subject. National tragedies, holidays, important votes or elections, and big moments in reality TV always transform my newsfeed into a vertical homogeneous collection of similar editorials, rants, and analysis. However, once the autumn season comes around, I can always count on my feed getting dominated by a certain subject each Sunday (and sometimes Monday).

By far the most popular subject that I routinely see posted on Facebook via my newsfeed on a consistent basis is the Seattle Seahawks. If you are reading this, I think this should come as a surprise to many of you. I mean come on, a sports team claims the title for taking over my newsfeed in the most passionate and routine fashion? And not only that, but the sports team happens to be a squad other than the Montana Grizzlies? A little shocking for sure.

I am not kidding you though. For the couple hours leading up to each game the Seahawks play in through the three hour game and then peaking like crazy for two hours after it, my newsfeed is blitzed with content related to the SEAHAWKS. It is not like these statuses are passive, lighthearted “Go Hawks” statements either. My friends get absolutely crazy on Facebook for the team and pretty much go unfiltered on what they post. It gets rather intense.

The Seattle Seahawks routinely take over my newsfeed.

Of course I grew up in Washington state and many of my Facebook friends are from the Spokane area. Also, the state of Montana has no professional football team (or any sports team for that matter) so many people choose the Seattle Seahawks as their team of choice. But I still don’t think these two things alone explain entirely why each Seahawk game is such a huge deal socially. I grew up a dedicated Seattle Seahawks fan but I know for a fact that many of the people I knew at that time did not share my same passion. If Facebook existed back when I lived in Washington I know my newsfeed would not look the same that it does today.

I am pretty sure I know the real reason why I see the proliferation of Hawks posts each Sunday. Actually, let me rephrase that and say I know the reasons, because there are two. First off, the Seahawks are a winning team. Back when I lived in Spokane I locked myself in my room after each Seahawk game because I became so enraged with the way they came up with to lose the game that particular Sunday. Not so anymore. Winning solves all problems and can make a fan out of anyone.

BUT, the main reason why I think I see the crazy amount of Facebook interest each week for the Seahawks is because of the immense interest in the NFL in general. As I have written about before, it is ridiculous how popular the National Football League is. The league absolutely captivates the nation for 20+ weeks each year. Ratings and revenue go through the roof for the NFL. This mania for the league extends to each team and is funneled out to each geographic region. Of course, this interest in each geographic region is then reflected through social media. Case and point why my Facebook newsfeed, composed mainly of friends from Washington state and western Montana, gets taken over by content related to the Seattle Seahawks.

In two hours my favorite NFL team will take on the hated San Francisco 49ers in a primetime Sunday Night game. I already see the status updates popping up on my newsfeed presently but that is just a tiny preview of what is to come. Sunday night Facebook meeting Seattle Seahawk Sunday Night Football (against a rival) is going to result in a complete social media explosion. My Facebook newsfeed is going to be painted in blue and green but that is okay because I understand it….and I also love it. GO HAWKS! Don’t Blink.