PHOENIX -- The theme of this year's Super Bowl, now including the Seahawks' uproarious departure as well as their blunt-spoken arrival, is plain: Outlaw balls. And that isn't just the Patriots' equipment malfunction.

As thousands of 12s swarmed the route of the Seahawks buses through the city of SeaTac on the way to the airport Sunday morning -- "Instead of having the game in the stadium, it was in the street today," said DT Michael Bennett -- one curbside family stood out: Mom, Dad and two little ones holding their crotches.

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RENTON -- Earlier in the season came reports that Seahawks management, regarding a holdout and fines, had grown tired of Marshawn Lynch's act. Apparently, that is no longer the case, if it ever was, according to general manager John Schneider.

"He's a warrior -- goes out every weekend and lays it on the line," said Schneider in a rare, spontaneous meeting with writers Friday afternoon at team headquarters. "You'd be hard-pressed to find a better running back in football."

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Rather than discussion of a dreadnought battle between the NFL's best, the Super Bowl run-up, filled with talk of crotch grabs and soft balls, apparently is stuck in a middle-school boys bathroom.

Then again, the Patriots and Seahawks were already engaged in a how-low-can-you-go competition to see who can manufacture enough perceived disdain to cast themselves as the disrespected, denigrated and demeaned underdog.

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Lost in the civic orgasm that followed the Seahawks' latest hailing of Mary against the Green Bay Packers -- we'll never get cheese from Wisconsin in this state again -- was an episode that escaped the attention of officials:

What would have happened if RB Marshawn Lynch had been penalized for touching his personal self after his late-game touchdown gambol that put the Seahawks ahead?

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In a game more unpredictable than a toddler nursery, Russell Wilson found a quiet moment in the bedlam of overtime Sunday afternoon and offered up a prediction. It was the only correct prediction in a game that will win by acclamation the Oscar for Most Preposterous Outcome.

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Marshawn Lynch's plan was to come out in gold cleats, as forecasted by TMZ Sports Saturday. Custom shoemaker Solesbysir claimed to have used 24K gold flake paint with a gold chrome plate soles, with a claimed value of $1,100.

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Much has been written about the differences between the Packers and Seahawks since Seattle's 36-16 win over Green Bay in the season opener. How about the difference in mood among the 12s from the previous NFC Championship to the one Sunday?

Talk about all in. Seahawks fans have gone from trepadacious to bodacious.

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A major story line for the NFC Championship Sunday is how much the Green Bay Packers have improved since the 36-16 loss to the Seahawks at the Clink in the season opener Sept. 4. Better offensive line. Blossoming rookie receiver. Tougher defense against the run. Etc.

All seem plausible. What about the Seahawks?

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Making the social media rounds this week is a blog post in the Los Angeles Times from 2010 about the rumor that Pete Carroll was about to leave USC to fill the Seattle Seahawks' coaching vacancy. Written by longtime sportswriter Ted Green, the post conveys incredulity that Carroll could be such a pinhead.

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He hasn't seen action all season, but he might in the NFL Championship Sunday against Green Bay. Third-string QB B.J. Daniels will fill the roster spot of injured WR Paul Richardson and may play on special teams -- or play a little wide receiver or running back, Pete Carroll said Monday.

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The Seahawks must invoke "next man up" again for the NFC Championship Sunday against Green Bay at the Clink. Rookie WR Paul Richardson tore the ACL in his left knee in the third quarter of  the 31-17 win over Carolina Saturday, according to reports from foxsports.com and NFL.com, and is done for the season.

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Befitting an 11-point underdog on the road, Carolina coach Ron Rivera hoped the Seahawks would help with a slip-up or goof: "We needed them to make some mistakes. But it didn't happen. They did some things that lead to winning championships."

In fact, a shot at a championship is next on the Seattle agenda, for the lands and treasure of the NFC, in eight days against Green Bay -- despite, contrary to Rivera's claim, making mistakes Saturday night. But even the fails were talked about with awe reserved for movie special effects.

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As the Seahawks return Saturday to the NFL playoffs from the same position as a year ago -- No. 1 NFC seed, first-round bye, potentially two playoff games at home -- it is reasonable to consider that they may be better than the team that won the Super Bowl, despite a 12-4 record that is one game in arrears.

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A few weeks ago, TV cameras caught teammates Earl Thomas and Marshawn Lynch along the Seahawks sidelines, staring intensely and silently into each other's eyes. Spooky? Cool? Angry? Cosmic?

I described the scene to LB Bruce Irvin for his take. His eyes grew large.

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RENTON -- Hearing the praise that followed news Tuesday of Max Unger's healthy return to the Seahawks' starting lineup, it evoked the greetings in cinematic depictions of heroic emperors and military commanders of Greek and Roman legend. You know, where citizens and slaves toga up, make a path and shout upon his return:

"All hail Maximus the Ungerian!"

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It's doubtful that many 12s take QB Russell Wilson for granted, but upon his 54th consecutive start Saturday, it's worth considering that the signal virtue of his three-year stewardship of the game's most vulnerable position is the often-overlooked ability to show up for work every day.

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The Seahawks will say it makes no difference whom they host at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, and that's largely true. But since the choice heading into the playoffs' wild-card weekend was the 11-5 Detroit Lions or the 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers, they can thank the Dallas Cowboys -- and a bewildering officiating call -- for making their road a tad fluffier.

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As with most college bowl games but three, there was no tangible meaning to the Cactus Bowl game Friday night in Tempe, AZ., that matched middling teams from the Pac-12 and Big 12 conferences. But for the infant stewardship of Huskies coach Chris Petersen, a good outcome would have helped bury the player suspensions, dubious playcalling and ineffective play against serious opposition that pickled his first year.

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After the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, the NFL changed some rules regarding how defenders were allowed to engage ballcarriers. The Seahawks were certain it was because of their success. It didn't work -- the Seahawks are back in the playoffs, atop the defensive stats, with the shorter route to the Super Bowl.

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Half the attraction of sports rests in the attempt to forecast. Which means half our time with sports is purposeless, because so little is predictable.

For example: Seattle sports 2014. I did not expect to see:

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