I remember my first Pittsburgh Steelers game like it was yesterday. It was December 22nd, 1996 in Charlotte, North Carolina. My wife was 8 months pregnant with our 2nd child and I told her I had an important business meeting in Charlotte. Little did she know I went down to watch the best football team in NFL history! Here we go Steelers Here We Go!!!! Now, I know you are wondering why I did not make it to my first Steeler game until I was 32, and why my first Steeler game was in Charlotte and not the Blue Collar Capital of the Blue Collar Nations PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA!
Well, I grew up in Kearnersville, NC so I didn’t have an NFL team growing up. But I can remember the day I became a lifelong member of Steeler NATION. It was a Sunday in January 1976, or so I later learned from my new "5 RINGS" TEE SHIRT. I was 12 years old and I was over at my friend Tommy’s house. When I got over there, Tommy’s parents were having a huge party. It was Super Bowl Sunday! I had never watched football before, so I had no idea who was playing. Tommy was a big Cowboy fan, and since Tommy’s house smelled funny I wanted to root for the other team. That other team was the one and only Pittsburgh Steelers. This one guy who catches the ball made an amazing catch, and after watching the NFL films video of that game I learned it is the HALL OF FAMER Lynn Swann. I knew I was hooked for life as a member of STEELER NATION. I remember watching a few more games growing up, usually when the Steelers were in the playoffs, but I can’t tell you anything specific about that.
I did not watch many games in the 1980’s, but after the Steelers went to the Super Bowl in 1995, I WAS MORE DIEHARD THAN EVER!!! I bought tickets for the Steelers Panthers as soon as I could. Well, I mean my boss had an extra ticket so I went. The game? It was awful. Some guy named Kordell played terrible. Carolina won, I got real drunk and they showed my face on TV with my AWESOME TERRIBLE TOWEL. My wife was watching the game and dumped me. I didn’t care, she doesn’t have FIVE SUPER BOWL RINGS like the PITTSBURGH STEELERS DO. Oh yeah, on the way home from the game, in a drunken stupor I told my boss I spend 2-4 hours a day just pretending to work. I was fired on Tuesday. I was so hungover I called in sick Monday. From that moment on, I knew the only thing I needed in my life was the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I make it a point to go to every game in Washington, Baltimore, Philly, Charlotte, Atlanta and Nashville. That way, every time the Steelers play a road game in one of these cities the announcers can talk about how “Steeler Nation” and how we are the BEST FANS IN THE WORLD!!! We travel in huge numbers everywhere!! I know I don’t really travel from Pittsburgh, and I have never actually been to Pittsburgh, but I BLEED black and gold!!!
I know what you stupid Bungal fans will say. “You are not a real fan, you just picked the best team when you were 12.” Well, the Bungals suck! How many rings do you have? I HAVE FIVE. I sold my car to purchase replica rings on EBAY! We Dey gonna beat you stupid Bungals. I know I used to own a Boomer Jersey and wore it every day in junior college. I know I used to do the Ickey Shuffle at every party that year. But that was just a phase; I have bled Gold and Black my whole life. Thursday night, we are going to DOMINATE again. I will be at the Greensboro STEELER BAR and I drink a Miller High Life for every point my beloved Steelers score. Hopefully I can sneak in one of the booths and crash for the night. But that’s a different story.
This is fantastic stuff...a great way to celebrate Squeeler gameday. Keep up the good work
Posted by: Ben Shooner Sec. 226 | November 20, 2008 at 01:36 PM
Ah, the-good-team-has-nothing-but-bandwagon-fans play.
The calling card of the loser.
Posted by: Keith Rivers' Kanye West Impression | November 20, 2008 at 04:59 PM