Patti Hammond, known as Mama Blue, was a Pro Football Hall of Famer as a superfan of the Seattle Seahawks.[2][3][4] She has been referred to as the "Grande Dame" of Seahawks superfans.[5][6]

Patti Hammond
Born
Patti Hammond

1931
Seattle, U.S.
DiedMarch 4, 2023
OccupationHairdresser[1]
Known forBeing a Seattle Seahawks superfan

Life and career

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Patti Hammond was a cheerleader in high school and while not knowing much about football, purchased Seahawks season tickets as birthday gift for her husband Dick Hammond.[5] She and her husband were Seahawks season ticket holders since their inaugural season in 1976.[5] She was known for her blue wig, feather boa and other Seahawks themed apparel.[5]

Hammond was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 as a fan[7][8] and was later selected to be the first fan to raise the 12th man flag for the Seahawks.[9] She had been interviewed on television multiple times, inspired Halloween tributes,[10] appeared on The Roseanne Show,[11] has her own toy figurine[1] and had her own trading card.[12] Hammond was also part of the Seattle Seahawks Guinness World Record for largest crowd roar.[13][14] She was also the president of the Seahawks fan club, "The Seahawkers".[15]

Seahawks safety, Kenny Easley, mentioned her in his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech in 2017.[16][17] She was selected as the Seattle Seahawks Fan of the Year in 2020.[18][19] She was named the Seattle Met Best champion of Seattle Sports in 2021.[20]

Hammond died on March 4, 2023. Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll expressed their condolences through Twitter at her death.[21][22] The Seahawks also released a video on her life on their Twitter following her death.[10][23]

References

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  1. ^ a b Toay, Adel (2023), Beloved Seahawks fan Mama Blue passes away at 92, web: MSN, retrieved March 9, 2023
  2. ^ Seattle Seahawks superfan 'Mama Blue' dies, web: Yakima Herald-Republic, 2023, retrieved March 9, 2023
  3. ^ Pro Football's Most Passionate Fans, publisher: AuthorHouse, published: 2012
  4. ^ "NFL'S FAITHFUL FANS INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME". The Washington Post.
  5. ^ a b c d Sullivan, Chris (2014), The 12th Man: Mama Blue, the Grande Dame of the Seahawks superfans, web: MyNorthwest, retrieved March 9, 2023
  6. ^ American Football: Die Seattle Seahawks, publisher: Meyer & Meyer, published: 2022
  7. ^ NFL Fan of the Year, web: NFL, 2020, retrieved March 9, 2023
  8. ^ "NFL'S FAITHFUL FANS INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME". The Washington Post. January 20, 1999. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  9. ^ Boyle, John (2023), Seahawks Remember Patti 'Mama Blue' Hammond, web: Seattle Seahawks, retrieved March 9, 2023
  10. ^ a b Tinwala, Yasmin (2023), "Who Was Patti Hammond Aka Mama Blue? Seattle Seahawks Super Fan Dies At 92", International Business Times, web, retrieved March 9, 2023
  11. ^ Muhlstein, Julie (2013), Long before Seahawks 12th Man, there was Mama Blue, web: HeraldNet, retrieved March 9, 2023
  12. ^ Refined, Seattle (2023), Remembering Mama Blue: Seattle's favorite Seahawks fan, web: KEPR, retrieved March 9, 2023
  13. ^ "Seattle Seahawks fans 'cause minor earthquake' with world record crowd roar". December 4, 2013.
  14. ^ Brewster, AJ (2023), Seattle Seahawks Fans Mourn the Loss of Fan Legend Mama Blue, web: KEPR, retrieved March 9, 2023
  15. ^ Mama Blue's bus lost on way to Hawks' camp, web: The Olympian, 1998, retrieved March 13, 2023
  16. ^ Easley, web: The Spokesman-Review, 2017, retrieved March 13, 2023
  17. ^ Condotta, Bob (2017), Hall of Famer Kenny Easley thankful for Seahawks owner Paul Allen, web: Spokesman, retrieved March 9, 2023
  18. ^ Toay, Adel (2023), Beloved Seahawks fan Mama Blue passes away at 92, web: KING5, retrieved March 9, 2023
  19. ^ Duncan, Jordan (2020), Patti 'Mama Blue' Hammond Selected As Seahawks' Fan Of The Year, web: Seattle Seahawks, retrieved March 9, 2023
  20. ^ Our Favorite Everything in Seattle, web: Seattle Met, 2021, retrieved March 9, 2023
  21. ^ Rajput, Aditya (2023), "Mama Blue's Family": Russell Wilson Misses the Love of a Grandmother as Beloved Seahawks Fan Breaths Her Last at 92, web: Essentially Sports, retrieved March 9, 2023
  22. ^ Mathews, Liz (2023), Seahawks mourn the loss of super fan Patti 'Mama Blue' Hammond, web: USA Today, retrieved March 9, 2023
  23. ^ 'Loud and loyal' Seahawks superfan 'Mama Blue' passes away at 92, web: Yahoo Sports, 2023, retrieved March 9, 2023