Paul Allen’s Seahawks ownership was a ‘one of one’ legacy

With the Seattle Seahawks now officially up for sale, the bulk of the attention has centered around what’s next for the franchise.

An expert’s view: What to know as Seahawks go up for sale

But there’s also an opportunity to appreciate the Seahawks’ nearly three decades of ownership stability under the Allen family.

Former Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke emphasized that point during an appearance Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, saying the late Paul Allen’s work as an owner was a “one of one story.”

Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, purchased the Seahawks in 1997 from Ken Behring, who was on the verge of relocating the team to Southern California.

Allen then not only saved professional football in Seattle, but helped it thrive. Since Allen bought the team, the Seahawks have totaled the fifth-most wins in the NFL, along with two Super Bowl titles, four Super Bowl appearances, 11 division championships and 17 playoff appearances.

And now, in accordance with Allen’s will, the proceeds from the Seahawks’ sale will go to the late owner’s vast array of philanthropic efforts.

“This is a one of one story maybe in the history of sports – where a team goes from almost leaving a city, to becoming an incredible winner, and upon the sale, the money’s gonna go back to make the world a better place,” said Leiweke, who was the Seahawks CEO from 2003-10 and is currently the Seattle Kraken CEO.

“You buy into dreams, you buy into principles. Sometimes it doesn’t always happen, but in this case I think it did, and it is an incredible thing.”

Leiweke hopes it can serve as example for pro sports owners.

“The ultimate outcome is that it’s going to benefit charity, and giving, and the arts, and the incredible work (of the Allen Institute for Brain Science),” Leiweke said. “… And now the foundation is literally going to have billions and billions and billions more in resources to continue to work. It is an incredible, epic tale.

“And more than anything, I hope it gets used as an example forever of how a franchise should conduct itself, because really, he always believed that he didn’t own it, but the fans did,” Leiweke added. “And not only did he live by it, he acted (by) it. And look at this. Look at what’s happened here. It’s just unbelievable.”

Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation with Tod Leiweke at this link or in the audio player above. Tune into Brock and Salk live from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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