Making it official and paying a tribute to the raucous fans that made the Kingdome the loudest stadium in the NFL, the Seahawks retired the number 12 jersey on December 15, 1984 only 8 years after they started play. Since then, #12 Jerseys have been sold by the team and worn by Seahawk fans, usually with the name "Fan" on the back. The team also initiated a ceremony that takes place before every home game in which a flag with the #12 on it called the 12th man flag is raised by a prominent individual. During the 2005 season, the fans were recognized with the presentation of a special game ball for their efforts in a game against the New York Giants. In that game, the Giants committed 11 false start penalties mostly because of the crowd noise. The Seahawks lead the league in false start penalties committed by their opponents largely due to the presence of the 12th man and the absolute loudest and rockinist stadium in the NFL. The New England Patriots even accused the Seahawks of piping in crown noise through their public address system and asked the league for an investigation into the practice. Nothing was ever found and the Pats took to practicing in an indoor facility with deafening noise blaring at them to prepare for playing Seattle at Qwest field. The ultimate tribute to the 12th man is that they have to be game planned for. How special is that?
