Posted Monday/December 3, 2001; 3:40 p.m. PST
Updated Monday/December 10, 2001
Updated Monday/December 17, 2001
Updated Monday/December 24, 2001
Updated Monday/December 31, 2001
Updated Monday/January 7, 2002

Pete Rozelle came up with the idea for the NFL Blackout Policy by saying, "The worst thing that could happen to football, is for it to become a 'studio sport." Ironically, "the worst thing that has happened to football, is the league controlling it from the studio with the Blackout Policy. That control has led to "Seattle Blackout Y2K1: A made-for-TV Football EXTRAVADISASTER!" Here's how the "Seahawks Saga" has played on Seattle TV this year:

Week 1: Televised. Gutsy 9-6 road-win over the Browns in Cleveland.

Week 2: Televised. Laughable 27-3 loss to the Eagles in Seattle, on the HISTORY MAKING, ONE-TIME-and-ONE-TIME-ONLY, TERROR TUESDAY-to-NON-BLACKED OUT-Sunday.

Week 3: Televised. Embarrassing 38-14 division loss in Oakland to the Raiders.

Week 4: Blacked out. Solid 24-15 win over the Jaguars in Seattle.

Week 5: Blacked out. Impressive 34-21 division win over the Broncos in Seattle.

Week 6: Bye week. Pretty much the same as a blackout.

Look familiar?

Week 7: Blacked out. Solid performance, but a 24-20 loss against the Dolphins in Seattle.

Week 8: Televised. Shocking 27-14 loss in Washington; "third victim" of the Redskins' historic, five-game winning streak.

Week 9: INFAMOUSLY blacked out. ESPN "Nationally televised" Sunday Night, 34-27 BIG win, 266 yard performance-last AFC battle-Rivalry Farewell-divisional win over the Raiders in Seattle.

Week 10: Televised. Hard fought 23-20 road win over the Bills in Buffalo.

Week 11: Televised. DISASTROUS 19-7 division loss to the Chiefs in Kansas City.

Week 12: Blacked out. Sloppy 13-10 division win over the Chargers in Seattle.

Week 13: Televised. INFAMOUSLY typical 20-7 division loss to the Broncos in Denver, ON ESPN Sunday Night Football where EVERYONE could see.

Week 14: Blacked out. Miserably wet 29-3 GOTTA win over the Cowboys in Seattle.

Week 15: Televised. Disturbing 27-24 "shoulda-coulda-woulda" loss to the Giants in New York.

Week 16: Televised. UBELIEVABLE 25-22 "Keep Hope Alive" win over the Chargers in San Diego.

Week 17: Blacked out. Atypical 21-18 "Keep Hope Alive II" win over the Chiefs in Seattle.

Let's do the math:

(4 televised pre-season games = 0) + (5 televised road losses) + (3 televised road wins) - (6 blacked out home wins - 1 blacked out home loss) + (1 non-blacked out home loss) = 2,000,000 (Seahawk Fans/Voters/Taxpayers) seeing 0 home wins < (1 year) before moving to the new ($430,000,000 - [$300,000,000 publicly funded]) stadium = (67,000 seating capacity) > (66,400 Kingdome capacity) < (68,589 Husky Stadium capacity) = {0 sellouts} < 2002?

"Seattle Blackout Y2K1" hasn't been a Seahawk Fans problem exclusively. It's also been a Jaguar-Bronco-Dolphin-Raider-Charger-Cowboy-Chief "Fans in Seattle" problem. POINT-BLANK: the Blackout Policy is an NFL PROBLEM for Fans of teams everywhere!

WeTheFans.com has the Plan for settling the problem. The "Turn ON The Lights, The Party's Over" NFL Blackout Petition is ROLLING; right from the Great Pacific Northwest to Miami, Florida!

Part 6 : Part 8