How big a deal is it to be THE couple that suggested the retirement of the #12 "FAN" jersey?

SO big that it became, unfortunately, part of the divorce settlement when the Fords split up. It's not the story we'd prefer to share on this site, but it does speak to the love of the Seahawks, does it not?!

Source: Seattle Times

Did you know?

The Seahawks retired the number 12 in 1984 in honor of their loyal fans.

Randy Ford, a longtime Seahawks fan, wrote a letter to then president and general manager Mike McCormack suggesting the number be retired.

McCormack and the rest of the front office liked the idea, and Ford was presented with a No. 12 jersey on the field on Dec. 15, 1984, making the Seahawks the first sports franchise to retire a number in honor of its fans.

Source: Seattle Times

Part of the team

I was dismayed on Jan. 18 to read the article on the retirement of the No. 12 jersey. The information is only half-correct.

While Randy Ford did in fact contact the Seahawks organization (a phone call, not a letter) with the suggestion to retire the No. 12 jersey in honor of the fans, it was not his idea. It was mine. When the jersey was presented in a ceremony at the Kingdome on Dec. 15, 1984, it was given to both of us. I seem to have been left out of the equation. What, women can't be longtime fans, too?

Randy and I divorced in 1987. As we amicably divided our property, we both agreed I would retain the Seahawks season tickets, the jersey and my license plate: 12THMAN.

Then the Behring years were upon us. I became disillusioned and eventually offered Randy the season tickets and the license plate.

But I kept the ceremonial jersey, because that little-girl fan in me is still proud to have her own number and feel, in a small way, to be a member of the team. You see, that's what the idea was all about.

- Karen A. Ford, Seattle