COEUR d'ALENE - Darren Hanson hasn't shaved his beard since football season began.

The Seattle Seahawks fan was in mid-sentence, discussing his sports superstition, when Seattle intercepted a pass by Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.

"See? It's the lucky beard," Hanson shouted above the Super Bowl party cheers at the Lakers Inn on Sunday afternoon.

Maybe it was Hanson's lucky beard that helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to win Super Bowl XLVIII with a 43-8 victory, but Coeur d'Alene's super fans all contributed to the celebration surrounding the game.

Loud and proud Seahawks fan Bryan Smith of Coeur d'Alene wore his No. 24 Marshawn "The Beast" Lynch jersey as he rooted for Seattle.

"I am proud that the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl. It's only our second time," he said. "I feel like our team has come a long ways in the last decade."

Smith predicted the Seahawks would have no turnovers and would come out on top.

"I'll be hoarse tomorrow," he said.

Seahawks and Broncos fans joined other team enthusiasts for the tailgate party before the game in the Iron Horse's rear parking lot.

Coeur d'Alene resident Mickey Metcalf, a Dolphins fan "until the casket drops," said although he is not a Seattle or Denver fan, he is a Manning fan.

"This has been one of the most watchable seasons, for a while now, anyway," Metcalf said. "I really liked it, even though my team sucks."

Christina Lopez of Hayden visited the tailgate party with her boyfriend and nephews before going home to watch the game. A 13-year Bronco fan, Lopez believed it would be an amazing game, no matter what the outcome.

"I think that it's been amazing for Manning to take this opportunity to show what he is still able to do, and how he can come back from an injury and take a team all the way to the Super Bowl ... we just have a really great team, so I'm really excited," she said.

Splash bartenders and servers wore black and white referee jerseys while their guests enjoyed a buffet of food and watched the game on a giant projector as well as plenty of other screens. Patrons Cory Kreighbaum, Kala Osborn and Doug Anderson, all of Coeur d'Alene, viewed the Super Bowl from Splash's cozy seats. Kreighbaum and Osborn are Broncos fans while Anderson rooted for the Seahawks.

"We all work together, so we've all been talking about (the Super Bowl) for weeks," Kreighbaum said. "When it finally happened, we were like little kids on Christmas."

Mostly Seahawks fans flocked to the annual Super Bowl party at the Lakers, with at least one Denver fan, Jody Warren of Coeur d'Alene. Originally from Aspen, Colo., Warren said it was pretty awesome to see the Broncos in the Super Bowl.

"We won a lot of games and we deserve to be here," he said.

Lakers bartender Judy Smith had fun cheering on the Seahawks as she served her guests. She said the season was exciting and even nail biting at times.

"Some of their games have been so good," she said. Smith said she wanted everyone to be safe and have a fun Super Bowl.

Lucky-bearded Hanson wanted to give an NFL shout-out to his mom as he watched the game unfold.

"Support your team," he said. "This is what living in the Northwest is all about. We only have one football team up here."