Sat, August 29, 2026 at 2:41 AM UTC
Vinod Khosla, the new owner of the Seattle Seahawks, might have a made the mistake of being too honest while introducing himself to his team’s fanbase.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, the day after the NFL’s owners unanimously approved his $9.612 billion purchase of the Seahawks, Khosla discussed his past NFL fandom. Specifically, he confirmed he rooted for a team other than the Seahawks before buying them.
That team wasn’t the San Francisco 49ers, whom Khosla purchased a 3% stake in alongside his son last year (which he will now be selling).
No, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL’s dominant team when Khosla entered the United States decades ago. He said still considers himself a fan of the team and watches every game:
“I happened to come to this country in ‘76 when the Steelers were winning Super Bowls, so actually I was originally, and still am, a big Steelers fan, also. Little known fact, but I still watch all the Steelers games too.”
That one answer drew quite a bit of interest, so much so that Khosla decided to further explain himself on social media the next day. He insisted he will always want the Seahawks to win and complained about the media’s reaction to his comments.
“Reporters will make every molehill into a mountain just to get column inches to write or video minutes. What’s wrong with admitting my 1976-78 period in Pittsburgh (CMU) got me excited about the NFL? I still watch their games doesn’t mean I won’t unconditionally ALWAYS as owner, want the @Seahawks to win and have every edge up, EVERY TIME over every other team!!!! Zero questions!!! At the other end is a set of teams I always want to lose every advantage. But happy to have the sports writer getting more column inches and fill their pages. You are welcome. Apologies in advance for my very transparent style.”
Khosla obviously wouldn’t be the first person to have dual rooting interests in the NFL. We’re just dealing with the rare owner who does not care if fans know he has another team he still loves. That’s ultimately up to him, but you could forgive Seahawks fans for being a little more wary of what this era will look like.
Khosla’s tenure as owner will ultimately be decided by the product on the field and the conduct of the organization. In the meantime, let’s just hope he doesn’t bring up Super Bowl XL too much in the Pacific Northwest.
