The 12th Man may have given the Seahawks an edge this morning by interrupting the Panthers’ sleep.
Several Panthers players have tweeted that they were awakened early this morning by a fire alarm that went off at the team hotel in Seattle. Some players are saying the alarm went off only on the floors the Panthers are using, and not throughout the rest of the hotel.
Fire alarms have long been a hazard for road teams in the NFL. All it takes is one overzealous fan of the home team who knows where the road team is staying, and the road team can have a rough night of sleep.
False fire alarms are, of course, dangerous and illegal, but those who pull them are rarely if ever prosecuted. Until they are, a handful of fans will continue to take it upon themselves to help the home team out, and give the visiting team a sleepless night.