It isn’t just the Seahawks and the Broncos who are facing off in the Super Bowl on Sunday. The big game ups the ante for the teams' superfans — those over-the-top, devoted individuals who are fixtures off the field.
So how do the two teams' super fans match up? We teamed up with Colorado Public Radio to get up close and personal with four of these off-the-charts characters.
Seattle: Shannon 'They Call Me Mr. Love' Love
How to spot him: Find the man in a lime green zoot suit and a white fedora.
"They talk about Seattle being loud. The 'loud' is just the byproduct of our energy. What we teach with The 12th Man is create the energy and through that energy, yes, comes the noise!
"I wear the green suits, the white suits, the fedora hats. People go, ‘What is that?’ That is my personality. And as I say, to every 12th Man fan: Who are you? What is your personality? What is your love? Expand on that and feel free to shout it out to the world!" he says.
Denver: Ralph 'Limodriver' Williams, Jr.
How to spot him: Find the man in an orange suit with a rhinestone-encrusted hat.
Limodriver, as his name dictates, roams around in a limo that's 35-feet-long and painted orange. The stretch car, which boasts a karaoke system, can hold up to 20 fans.
“If I go to the gas station, there a guarantee people are taking pictures. If I go to the grocery store and come out, people are surrounding the car taking pictures. If I was a guy in a hurry all the time I’d be in trouble," he says.
Seattle: Lorin 'Big Lo' Sandretsky
How to spot him: He's 6-foot-8 and 300-plus pounds. And he's got a lot of tattoos.
Big Lo's body is covered with all kinds of Seahawks tribute tattoos: "Hasselbeck. Darryl Tapp. Lawyer Milloy. Babineaux. I got a big old Marshawn Lynch on my leg. It’s just a piece to show, 'Hey, I love you man!'"
As far as Big Lo is concerned, it doesn't get much better than cheering for Seattle's home teams, no matter what the score.
"A lot of people choose drugs. A lot of people choose alcohol. As far as as sports, there’s s no better way to get high," he says.
Denver: 'Mile High Monsters' Kerry and Wesley Green
How to spot them: Look for a pair dressed in red mops. Think Muppets-meets-Cousin Ed of "The Addams Family."
This father-son duo dons handmade costumes made out of orange pom poms collected at Broncos' games — and an ounce of good fortune.
"We were collecting them [pom poms] in the stadium after the game," says Kerry Green. "One time we were walking out and there were boxes full of pom poms right there so I just picked one up and tossed it over my shoulder and walked out."
