For the Seattle Seahawks, “the 12” (or “12s”) refers to their fans, known as the 12th Man /12th player, symbolizing how the crowd acts like an extra player on the field by being incredibly loud and supportive during games.

In football there are 11 players per team on the field, so the “12th Man” is the idea that the home crowd gives Seattle a kind of extra competitive edge. The Seahawks take this seriously: they retired jersey number 12 back in 1984 specifically in honor of their fans, making it a permanent tribute rather than letting any player wear it. Before every home game, the team raises a big “12” flag to represent the fans and to hype up the stadium, which is famous for being one of the loudest in the NFL and even causing small recorded “earthquakes” from crowd noise.