They call themselves the Legion of Boom or LOB for short. They’re the Seahawks’ defensive backs, who hope they don’t become the Legion of Doom when they face Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
You probably heard Richard Sherman scream “LOB,” at the end of his rant chastising Niners receiver Michael Crabtree after the NFC title game. Though Sherman came off as a self-promoter, LOB is a “we” thing that includes strong safety Kam Chancellor, free safety Earl Thomas, cornerback Byron Maxwell, Sherman and any other Seahawks defensive back on the roster.
The nickname stuck following a 2012 radio appearance by Chancellor where he talked about bringing the “boom” on opponents. It has evolved into not only a marketing tool, but a source of pride and motivation for the Seahawks.
“It’s brought us together as a secondary, and really brought us together as a family and a brotherhood,” Sherman said. “This is who we are, this is what we are, this is our personality, this is our group. It also shows the depth. A legion is a vast army, and we boom. Kam Chancellor is probably the most physical safety in the league and he booms. He’s the enforcer. Earl Thomas is a speed demon and Byron Maxwell makes plays every game. So all that is coming together. It’s a great group.”
“Legion of Boom,” is perhaps the latest of memorable nicknames associated with teams to play in a Super Bowl. Mention “Steel Curtain,” and you instantly think of Mean Joe Greene and the famous Steelers defense of the 1970s. The Cowboys and their Doomsday Defense also made multiple appearances in the ’70s, as did Minnesota’s Purple People Eaters. Denver’s Orange Crush defense also reached the Super Bowl as did the Dolphins’ No-Name Defense.
Nicknames aren’t limited to just defensive units. Offenses have had their share of nicknames in the Super Bowl. “The Hogs” were the Redskins offensive line that won three Super Bowls, while the Suburbanites cleared the path for the Giants’ 1986 Super Bowl run. The Rams had one of the league’s most prolific offenses when they featured Kurt Warner and “The Greatest Show on Turf,” while the “Dirty Birds” were born during Atlanta’s Super Bowl season.
Is it all just fun and games or can having a nickname actually inspire a team?
“There’s two ways of looking at it,” said Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, who was part of the Greatest Show on Turf. “It can breed confidence or you can look at it as a target on your back and people want to bring it to you. We embraced it because whenever you get a name like that, it’s earned. You’ve done it for some time and people respect what you’ve done.”
The Falcons lost to the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999, but there still are those who come up to running back Jamal Anderson and do the Dirty Bird dance.
“It was so much fun because the fans got behind it,” he said, “not just the nickname, but doing the dance. It made it much more exciting and brought attention to the way we were playing football on the field. Some people still call the Falcons the ‘Dirty Birds’ and that’s great for our team that went to the Super Bowl.”
Sherman said Legion of Boom is more than just a nickname. It’s a mindset.
“We’ve tried to be the spark plug,” he said. “We’ve tried to be the energy. When a play needs to be made, we try to be the ones who make the plays. I think our team appreciates and accepts our roles.”
They will need to fulfill those roles on Sunday.
“If you’ve watched Peyton and his cast of characters, the Seahawks are going to need every bit of the LOB to contain those guys,” Anderson said.
Top 10 nicknames on Super Bowl teams
1. Steel Curtain: ’70s Pittsburgh defense filled with Hall of Famers.
2. Greatest Show on Turf: Kurt Warner’s ’99 Rams won it all.
3. The Hogs: ’80s Redskins O-line paved way for John Riggins.
4. Doomsday Defense: ’70s Cowboys played in five Supes in eight years.
5. Purple People Eaters: Vikings 0-4 in Supes in late ’60s/early ’70s.
6. Orange Crush: ’77 Broncos’ bruising D solved by Cowboys.
7. Dirty Birds: Jamal Anderson and ’98 Falcons danced to Supe.
8. No-Name Defense: Names on perfect ’72 Dolphins became famous.
9. Killer B’s: 1982 Dolphins D — Betters, Bokamper, Blackwood & more
10. Fun Bunch: Early ’80s Redskins WR corps led by Art Monk.