Seahawks legend borrows Russell Wilson’s corny catchphrase for Seahawks Country merch

Seattle Seahawks legend Lofa Tatupu trolls Russell Wilson for leaving the team by stealing, then mocking, his brand-new Denver Broncos catchphrase. 

The NFL world has been painfully aware of just how hard Russell Wilson is working on a Denver Broncos rebrand this offseason.

Wilson has been ridiculed online for pushing his brand so hard, from wearing his Broncos jersey to training camp to the leaked video of Russ perfecting his “Let’s Ride” slogan.

Of course, Wilson is only in the position of a major rebrand because he parted ways with the Seattle Seahawks, a team that has been synonymous with Wilson’s name for the past ten years. Tom Brady trademarked “Tompa Bay” when he moved down to Florida, and Wilson seemed to follow that advice for his own cross-conference move.

Still, many Seahawks fans aren’t keen on the betrayal, nor are they keen on seeing Wilson’s corniness outside of Seattle. It was a funny inside joke when Wilson was “Mr. Unlimited”, but “Broncos Country: Let’s Ride”? Seattle isn’t having it.

Legendary Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu saw an opportunity to mock Wilson and make a quick buck by giving Seattle fans what they truly wanted: destroying Wilson’s smarmy slogan.

Lofa Tatupu gives Seahawks Country what they need with spot-on Russell Wilson shirt

Tatupu had to go the extra mile and spell ride with three “i”s, just so Seahawks fans could accurately represent the country drawl Wilson dons in his infamous video.

The fact that a Seahawk is happily riding a caricature of a bucking bronco embodies what Seattle wants to see during their Monday Night Football match in Week 1.

Danny O’Neil of The Tacoma News Tribune recently explored what will happen when Russell returns to Seattle on Sept. 12. Will the city treat him Ken Griffey Jr. or Marshawn Lynch, figures who are still beloved in Seattle lore, or will it treat him like Alex Rodriguez?

Even Tatupu intended to spend two years with the Atlanta Falcons after the Seahawks let him walk, although a torn pectoral muscle during training camp effectively ended his career in Atlanta before it began. Yet Tatupu is also cherished in the local sports landscape, and it likely has to do with the way he left things.

A-Rod and Wilson, two mega-stars who left Seattle for improved situations, conveyed more betrayal than others who came and went in the PNW. There will likely be a mixture of cheers and boos for Wilson when he arrives, acknowledging what he did for Seattle and the way he left, but Tatupu’s shirts speak to the majority of the fanbase: Seattle does not want to ride.