Report: Many Seahawks Fans Rooting Against Jerome Bettis

DETROIT--According to a poll conducted by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, many fans of the Seattle Seahawks are openly rooting against beloved Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis. It was widely believed that everybody in America was pulling for Bettis in his quest to win a Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit, but sadly, that may not be the case.

The poll indicated that most Seattle fans want Bettis to have a horrible game and go home a loser.

“I don’t want Bettis to win. Screw him. I hope he fumbles like he did against Indy,” said Cindy Berkley, 30, a Seattle fan who made the trip to Detroit. “I really don’t care if he’s from Detroit or if he’s a great guy and a model citizen or whatever. I’m a Seahawks fan and I want to see the bastard suffer.”

Another fan echoed Berkley’s sentiments and even went a step further.

“I hope he gets hurt,” said 24-year-old “Dan,” from Spokane. “I know it’s wrong to say this, but how cool would it be if he got leveled on the first series and had to go to the sidelines and couldn’t return? Wouldn’t that be hilarious? And then the Steelers lose the Super Bowl and he just walks off the field with his head down, wondering what the hell happened. I know, I know. It sounds a little vicious, but you don’t understand: We’ve been hearing about this guy for two weeks now. I’m ready to run on the field and assault him myself.”

These shocking statements are not just limited to one or two heartless fans. It seems that nearly everybody in Seattle is rooting for the Seahawks, despite the fact that Bettis has been in the league for 13 years and has never won a Super Bowl and that he is a model citizen who chose to stay with the Steelers for the duration of his career, rather than chase big money somewhere else. Also, he’s cute and cuddly, like a teddy bear.

“It’s true that a lot of the fans here have not jumped on the Bettis bandwagon,” said Steve Raible, radio announcer for the Seahawks. “The thing you have to remember is that people in Seattle want the Seahawks to win, so it's natural there would be a conflict of interest if they cheered for Jerome Bettis. Still, I am a little disappointed in our fans. Have some class, people. This guy’s coming back to his hometown. Put your petty regional prejudices aside and pull for this guy to get a ring.”

In the Pittsburgh locker room, the news of Seattle fans’ disdain for Jerome Bettis was met with a mixture of anger and disgust. Some are using it as motivation, others are just shaking their heads at the startling lack of class shown by the fans in the Pacific Northwest.

“It’s just disappointing to here things like that from supposed football fans,” said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “Putting the interests of your own team above the interests of someone like Jerome, that’s just bush league. Personally I think everybody in the Stadium should be wearing Jerome Bettis shirts just to honor him. It’s not about being a Seahawks fan or a Steelers fan. It’s about getting on your knees and worshipping, like a deity, a fat man who can run with a football.”

When Sunday comes, it’s no doubt that Bettis will hear more cheers than boos, especially at the end of the game, when he will inevitably walk off the field with a Super Bowl ring and MVP trophy.

On Tuesday, Bettis told reporters that he’s been dreaming of that moment his whole career.

“Just to be able to walk off the field with my finger raised in the air as a champion will be an amazing feeling,” he said. “Of course there’s no way we can lose. I’m Jerome Bettis. I’m a national hero.The script has already been written. I feel sorry for all the Seattle fans rooting against me. They're going to feel pretty bad when I’m standing at that podium with all that confetti falling on me, basking in the glow of my first Super Bowl victory, while all their losers players are weeping on the sidelines like the miserable failures they are. That’s going to be hilarious. Anyway, I should stop talking now. I don't want to provide them any bulletin board material.”