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Why a Packers fan is happy Seattle won: His heartwarming letter

One Packers fan wrote an open letter on Craigslist to thank Seattle for the game. Here's how the game changed football for him forever.

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Elaine Thompson/AP
Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson hugs Michael Bennett after overtime of the NFL football NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 28-22 to advance to Super Bowl XLIX.

Emotions ran high as the Seattle Seahawks played the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, in which the Seahawks pulled ahead at the last minute to become the NFC Champions and a Super Bowl team for the second year in a row. The Packers carried the game, leading 16-0 until Seattle came out of nowhere and just kept on scoring. They took the game into overtime, where a touchdown made the final score, 28-22. And the crowd went wild.

As Seahawk fans cheered and Packers fans sat stunned, one young Packers fan was glad to see his rivals take the gold. Because he knew one fan needed it.

Early Monday morning, a 55-year-old dad from Orlando took to Craigslist to publicly thank Seattle for helping his 10-year-old son find peace after the death of his dog, reported Q13 FOX. The father and son duo unexpectedly received game tickets from a friend, which put them on a plane and in Seahawk territory. As fate would have it, they sat next to a Seattle family, and light banter made for an enjoyable experience.

The boy chatted with the family’s 12-year-old daughter throughout the game, and their interaction shows how empathy can unite even the biggest—or smallest—rivals.

“We all know that the Packers played a great game but a win was not to be had. After Seattle scored in overtime I noticed the young girl was crying and still sitting in her seat. Her father talked to her and gave her a hug,” the father said in his letter.

When they left, he asked the other dad if she was crying for joy. He answered ‘no.’

“She was crying because she wanted the Packers to win because she knew my son had lost his dog and she thought he needed this more than she did.”

Upon arriving home, the family was having dinner when the son said he was glad that Seattle won. Surprised, the father asked why, and his son’s answer showed him the depth of the moment the kids had shared.

“He looked at me and told me the girl sitting next to him had lost her cat to a dog attack only the day before and he wanted her to have something to help her feel better,” the father said in his open letter. “Football will never be the same to me. So Thank You Seattle for the great game, and Thank You God for putting so much love for others to these two young people.”

He concludes his letter by wishing them all the best in Super Bowl XLIX, but also sends a playful warning for next season.

“The Pack Will Be Back!”

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