Seattle — at least, a more isolated, less developed and less sure of itself version of Seattle — always had a thing for famous visitors.
Charles Lindbergh’s stop on his 1927 continental tour inspired parades, natives flooding into the streets to catch a glimpse of his passing airplane and a front-page newspaper story confidently calling him the most-acclaimed man to ever visit the city.
Yet cult of personality and the preseason visit of the greatest player in the world only partially explained how, 40 years ago this Saturday, Seattle shattered the attendance record for a soccer game in North America.