By now, even the non-fans among us have come to expect the growing frenzy that is Seahawks mania. As we get closer and closer to the Big Game, it’s easy to accept the fact that signs are being posted on office buildings, news outlets are going mad with Seattle stories, and the fight over who has the rights to the Twelfth Man tradition are being hashed out in the mainstream media. However, I think that even the most enthusiastic should be able to agree that a certain eBay auction is over the line demarcating irrational exuberance.

The auction in question is the one for a “super dog” purchased at the game that earned the Seahawks a trip to Motor City:

Up for auction is a 100% Authentic Super Dog from the Seattle Seahawks NFC Championship game againest [sic] the Carolina Panthers. Own a piece of history here! This SUPER DOG was bought towards the end of the 3rd quarter at QWEST Field during the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP game. [ebay]

At this hour the current bid is for $1,800, but there are still more than sixteen hours until the auction closes.

The sellers are limiting the bids to those with legitimate eBay accounts and claim that the hot dog is preserved in a vacuum-sealed frozen state for the lucky winner. They also say that they will be making a donation to charity, but don’t specify how much they’re keeping for themselves. If you can’t afford to shell out crazy money for an item that’s bound to gross-up your freezer for decades, you can still get in on the fun by buying the commemorative t-shirt or befriending the “Hawk Dog” online [myspace].