If Seahawks fans boo Russell Wilson tonight, they’re classless clowns

It’s finally here.

Ever since Broncos GM George Paton traded for QB Russell Wilson in March, we’ve waited for this day. A new era for Denver has arrived. For the first time in a long time, there’s hope in Broncos Country.

And while the roster Paton has assembled is the best Denver has had since 2016, let’s be honest, that hope is tied to Wilson. If he plays like he’s capable of playing, the Broncos will make the playoffs for the first time since their run to Super Bowl 50. Heck, they could even go back to the big game.

The only thing the NFL loves more than big games is drama. And that’s exactly what they created when the schedule dropped in May. The league knew exactly what it was doing when it put Wilson and the Broncos in Seattle for Week 1. Monday Night Football will be must-see TV for the entire country. It’s Wilson homecoming, while famous announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman make their ESPN debut.

How Wilson will be received by his former fans has become a hot button topic the last several days. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll didn’t help matters when he was asked about it. Rather than tell fans to do the right thing and cheer Wilson, he was cryptic. Carroll looks like a bitter-ex who know his team will stink without the future Hall of Fame QB under center.

“You’re either competing or you’re not. I’m leaving it up to the 12s. It’s game time and we’re going for it, so however they take it, I’ll follow their lead on that,” Carroll said. “I mean, I’m not going to be involved with that kind of opportunity to react. So, I don’t have to make that decision. I’m going to see what happens, but I’ll leave it up to the 12s. I think they’ll know exactly what to do.”

The 12s are Seattle’s fans, known for making Lumen Field one of the loudest in the NFL. But if Carroll is essentially encouraging them to boo Wilson, will they follow his lead? If they do, they’re classless clowns. Plain and simple.

How can Seahawks fans boo the greatest player in the history of the franchise? How can they possibly justify jeering Wilson when he made nine Pro Bowls in 10 years and led them to two Super Bowls, winning one? That franchise was hopeless until Wilson arrived, and they’ll be the same way now that he’s gone.

Can you imagine if Colts fans booed Peyton Manning in his return to Indianapolis? They would’ve been the laughing stock of the NFL. Instead, they did the right thing, giving him a two-minute long standing ovation. That’s how you do it.

Some have compared Wilson’s return to Seattle to when former Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony returned to Denver. Nuggets fans booed “Melo” — and rightfully so. There are a couple of differences. First and foremost, Wilson delivered Seattle a championship. Anthony did no such thing for the Nuggets.

Second, Anthony forced his way out of a team that was on the brink of a title. Wilson ditched a sinking ship and a head coach that refused to utilize his skills properly. The Nuggets wanted to keep Anthony and build around him. An ESPN bombshell this week suggested the divorce between Wilson and the Seahawks was mutual.

If Seattle has any sense of what’s right and what’s wrong, they’ll play a video tribute to Wilson before the game and the fans can stand and clap for a long, long time. If they don’t, Wilson won’t be acknowledged pregame and then booed relentlessly when the Broncos take the field for their first offensive series.

Based on everything that went down recently, I’m not holding my breath the organization or the fans will do the right thing. That’s fine. They will look dumb and then their bad football team will get trounced by Wilson.

Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett should try to run up the score. Make it hurt for Seahawks fans, and make it hurt bad. They’re going to miss Wilson forever. And booing won’t help the fact their football team is going to be terrible this season and beyond.

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