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http://tinyurl.com/mgbklttBlog From Lindsay Nadrich: The 12th man is loud! "There's pyrotechnics going, the crowd is at 136 decibels there's smoke," said Taima's trainer and handler David Knutson. "It's just crazy. Seahawks fans are so loud, false starts for other teams are common. However, for one Seahawk, having a false start is not an option. Taima is the official mascot for the Seattle Seahawks, his name means "Thunder.""One hawk and he's Seattle's own," Knutson said.
"He lives here with us in Spokane and we go to all the home games and training camp and some of the other events with the Seahawks. They took me to the super bowl."Before each game, Taima waits in the tunnel with the players for his cue to fly."We never know if he's going to do it, you can't force him to do it," Knutson said. "He's not drugged, he doesn't have his wings clipped, he could fly away whenever he wants."However, every home game, Taima does not disappoint. He is always the first Seahawk out onto the field. I always tell my wife and all our friends, I always think he doesn't know where I am, he's not going to fly to me, he's going to fly away or he's going to sit there and not come out on time," Knutson said.
"Robin always tells me, he knows right where you are. Fans erupt after Taima makes his debut and anxiously await their chance to meet him in person. Everybody knows his name, everybody wants to get a picture with him, and every year it seems there's a new picture to take and it seems right now, it's to kiss the top of his head or the side of his face," Knutson said. "I tried to kiss Taima at his home, but when he is not working, he does not want anything to do with it. However, when he is at the games, he is all business, impressing fans and even his trainer. Every time he does it I get goose bumps because he doesn't have to do that," Knutson said.
