Thursday night’s freeway shutdown? It wasn’t Sarah Palin Brief closures on I-90, I-405 sent rumors swirling, but it was just Seahawks

As much fun as it was to blame Sarah Palin, it turns out the villains behind the freeway closure before Thursday night’s Seattle Seahawks game were the men in bright, bright green.

An enigmatic Tweet by the state Department of Transportation that a “special escort” had shutdown Interstate 90 and Interstate 405 briefly carried an air of mystery. Who is this special person, now loathed by commuters?

And then Palin – Alaska governor/vice president pick/second-most politically successful reality TV star – turned up at the Seahawks Thursday Night Football showdown with the Los Angeles Rams. Why does the Thrilla from Wasilla rate a motorcade, we wondered?

But no, it was just the Seahawks getting to the game.

The Seahawks pay for an escort to CenturyLink Field, State Patrol Rick Johnson said Friday. Many VIPs do the same; the individuals and organizations are required to foot the bill.

Usually the Seahawks’ bus doesn’t get much notice. The traffic jams it causes don’t really rise above the general Seattle slowdown.

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett catches a pass from quarterback Russell Wilson for a touchdown in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at CenturyLink Field on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016. (GRANT HINDSLEY, seattlepi.com) less Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett catches a pass from quarterback Russell Wilson for a touchdown in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at CenturyLink Field on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016. ... more Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY/SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY/SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 131 Caption Close Thursday night’s freeway shutdown? It wasn’t Sarah Palin 1 / 131 Back to Gallery

Seattlepi.com reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.