Paul Allen, co-Founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates, bought the Seattle Seahawks in 1997, and after then-owner Ken Behring threatened to move the team to Los Angeles. Allen made the Seahawks a major part of the fabric of Seattle, and everything he’s done, especially the $140 million he contributed to the construction of what is now called Century Link Field, has culminated in this, the Seattle Seahawks winning Super Bowl XLVIII over the Denver Broncos.
Here’s the full interview with Paul Allen:
SEAHAWKS OWNER PAUL ALLEN
(on some of the keys of the game) “We had some timely offense. The special teams performed amazingly well. So, every facet of the game clicked and that wouldn’t happen without the preparation that (Head Coach) Pete (Carroll) and the coaches put in all year to get the team ready for a night like tonight. Pete’s coached other national championship teams at the college level, so I’m just so happy for Pete and the other coaches to see the success at this level.”
(on the impact of Pete Carroll) “I don’t think you can overstate it. Also, he just has such a positive outlook. He’s the most forward-thinking coach for the players of today that I’ve seen. It’s just amazing and you have to blend all the different elements. If you think about it, with the offense, defense, and special teams – all those things, the things he did like he was simulating even what the halftime would be like – there’s just a tremendous amount of preparation, especially before the Super Bowl since you have so much time, and I think they used that time amazingly well.”
(on him keeping the Seahawks in Seattle and giving them their first Lombardi Trophy) “It’s really an amazing feeling to be rewarded. Every franchise has its ups and downs, but now to be on such an amazing upswing and to be able to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Seattle, it’s a day you dream about. I’m so happy to be able to bring it back to my hometown.”
(on the team chemistry) “Well, every team has its own mindset but I think if you talk to the players, they would tell you there’s really a lot of friendship and brotherhood between the players on this team. That kind of deep connection is relatively rare in sports, even though they’re all professional athletes. Pete always makes it fun and energetic and positive, so I think that is a harbinger of a new positive approach to coaching.”
(on how it sounds to be the world champions) “It’s just a fantastic feeling and I’m just so happy for everybody on the team and all the fans back in Seattle.”
(on heading back to Seattle) “Usually I might say, ‘Go Hawks,’ but we came to New York/New Jersey and we’re taking back the Lombardi Trophy. How amazing is that? I just look forward to celebrating with the fans and the people of Seattle.”
(on QB Russell Wilson as a surprise at quarterback) “All the credit for that really goes to John Schneider who took me aside and said, ‘There’s a quarterback I really like, and I think he’s going to be there in the third round.’ Obviously, he explained some characteristics in terms of his height and size, but he said he had everything else you would look for in a quarterback and now he’s a Super Bowl champion quarterback. I’m just so happy for Russell and to be able to lead the team to a Super Bowl title, that’s amazing in his second year and is a testament not only to his skill and abilities but all the studies of the minutia of the game that he puts in to get over the top.”
(on how he handles the Saturday nights before the game) “I guess because of the way my brain works, I’m trying to think of all the factors. Unfortunately, I watch a lot of the press coverage and I try to read all the articles online and try to trade all the different factors. Everybody was calling this to be a close game, which is kind of what I was anticipating. In the end, this team put in such a physical, dominating performance in all aspects of the game – one of the most amazing in Super Bowl history in terms of a wire to wire victory like this. Sometimes your own prognostications that you come up with yourself, reality trumps that.”
(on what this does for Seattle) “If you’ve been in Seattle recently, you’ve seen all the flags, all the 12 signs everywhere. People have just completely gotten behind this team and celebrate all the successes. In the playoffs we had a couple of very close games, so to be able to play for the championship tonight, the people were out there supporting all the way. We had the loudest stadium in the league and that’s because of all the fan support so I imagine people are maybe going a little crazy in Seattle right now and when we go back there and celebrate with the whole city, that’s going to be wonderful.”
(on what the parade will be like) “It’s going to be amazing. I don’t know how many people are going to turn out but I expect to see a lot of green and a lot of blue.”
(on the relationship between Pete Carroll and John Schneider) “I give a lot of credit. They’re both out of the box thinkers, so they’ll think about players that other people might not value as highly, but they’ll find the special things that they do to make them stand out in their minds. So Pete and John take chances on guys that maybe other people passed over and see that they can fit into the system that Pete uses. So it’s just been amazing chemistry and their relationship speaks for itself.”
-SB XLVIII-