Not only was the 67-yard run by Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch on wild-card weekend epic, it turns out it was also seismic.
What was perhaps the greatest run in playoff history put The 12th Man at Qwest Field into such a frenzy that it was picked up as a tremor by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, according to KING TV in Seattle. A reading was captured by a sensor located near the location of the old Kingdome about the same time Lynch scored at 4:43 p.m. PT.
We all know Qwest Field is loud, but moving the earth is another matter. According to FOX 13, PNSN scientists think their readings show that was the first recorded The 12th Man tremor, ever.
Did the 70,000-strong at the game really cause a quake? I tend to be cynical, but we’ve all been in a stadium that feels like it’s shaking. It has to be possible, right? I can’t help but recall that when Giants WR Plaxico Burress scored the winning touchdown against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII it definitely felt like University of Phoenix Stadium was moving.
You can check out the crowd noise again in the video above … notice how play-by-play man Tom Hammond notes the crowd is “silent” at the beginning of the play and several of the camera angles are visibly shaking after. Wild.
Either way, kudos to you, The 12th Man, you literally made the ground tremble.
UPDATE: Danny O’Neil ofThe Seattle Times tracked down a seismograph from PNSN showing a timeline of Lynch’s run in frequency (hz) vs. the time in seconds, and how the seismic activity corresponded to the play on the field. Enjoy.