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The Seattle Seahawks capped a remarkable season by winning Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots that sent legions of blue-clad fans into a rare, righteous frenzy. Chairwoman Jody Allen was on the field shouting “Let’s go!” as the Lombardi Trophy returned to the Pacific Northwest, a moment that should have belonged to local pride and the team’s hard-working players and coaches.
But the confetti came with a sour footnote: Jody Allen is acting as executor of her late brother Paul Allen’s estate, and the teams he owned were placed in trust with explicit instructions that they be sold and the proceeds donated to charity. That means the woman who led this franchise to glory will not pocket a penny from the windfall that likely follows a championship, a quirk of estate planning that reads more like a courtroom memo than an American success story.
Complicating matters are NFL ownership rules that frown on trusts or foundations holding controlling stakes, and league insiders have quietly signaled that the Seahawks must move into compliance. A provision linked to the construction of Lumen Field that once funneled 10 percent of sale proceeds to the state of Washington has lapsed, and that legal wrinkle removed a roadblock to putting the franchise on the market.
Reports even say the league grew impatient enough to threaten or levy penalties when the trust didn’t move quickly, though NFL officials publicly disputed some of the specifics. The back-and-forth reads like a power play behind closed doors: an organization built around entertainment suddenly policing ownership like an elite club more interested in valuations than fans.
And make no mistake, this is about money: NFL franchises now trade in the multibillion-dollar stratosphere, and experts expect the Seahawks could fetch sums that would reset the market. If sold after this title run, Seattle would likely set a record and cement a new baseline for franchise valuations that will ripple across every city with a professional team.
Hardworking Americans who bleed for their teams ought to ask whether league bureaucrats and estate lawyers should decide the fate of a hometown institution. This isn’t just about one woman or one trophy; it’s about whether private property, local heritage, and community ties can survive when dollars and insider deals dominate the conversation.
Jody Allen deserves credit for steady stewardship and loyalty to her brother’s wishes, but fans deserve transparency and a commitment to keeping the Seahawks rooted in Seattle, not sold to the highest bidder who can write the biggest check. If the league truly cares about the game and the communities that support it, it should make room for common-sense solutions that protect fans, respect property rights, and honor the spirit of competition over the sterile calculus of valuations.
