The Big-Hearted Schoolteacher Who Should Be Seahawks MVP

Fridays are spirit days at Kimball Elementary School in Seattle, and students are encouraged to wear jerseys of their favorite local sports teams. Lately, that means they don the blue, green and silver duds of the Seahawks. The Emerald City's NFL heavyweights are currently making a Super Bowl push behind likable star players and a raucous rooting section known as the "12th man."

Kevin Zelko sees the kids in their Seahawks jerseys every single Friday, there at Kimball Elementary. Little Russell Wilsons walk the halls. Miniature Marshawn Lynchs crowd the cafeteria. But he also sees the other kids at Kimball. The kids whose parents can't afford jerseys. The kids who are part of the 70% of Kimball students whose families' low incomes qualify them for free lunch. The kids who root for the Seahawks just as hard as anyone, but feel left out when more well-to-do classmates strut their stuff on Fridays Read more...