Yeah, I think they may be but I'm a scorched fan. Everytime confidence rises, they've let down in past so I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. But they have a confidence this year they've lacked before, so that's a pivotal asset.
I know what you mean. I've followed them since the beginning (sports editor for my Seattle college paper, 1977). One of my cronies' parents are season ticket holders since Game One and the front office ALWAYS takes his 80-year-old Mom's calls every Monday morning ('Hawks are flying them out if they make the Super Bowl). Oh, yeah, I've been through a lot with that team. I bleed 'Hawk. :-)