Yes, Superbowl Season is here (cue ignorant rumblings from colonial types who don’t understand the great game) and the Mighty Pittsburgh Steelers are facing off against the vaguely feeble and frighteningly lucky Arizona Cardinals.
A kid from my school played for The Cards back in the 80s, so I’ve always held a little candle for them. However, when I moved to the States back in ’98 I was quickly converted to the Black & Gold.
I went to graduate school at Penn State University, which is located pretty much in the middle of Pennsylvania, between Pittsburgh in the West and Philadelphia in the East. This makes it a partisan town, and even if you were a fan of another team, you quickly chose a side in the State derby. Thankfully The Steelers and The Eagles play in different conferences so they face each other rarely. The bloodshed would be horrific otherwise (The Eagles are the only NFL term to have a jail in their stadium; if I’d have known that back then I might be commisurating their recent loss, instead of gleefully rubbing my hands together at the thought of Donovan McNabb crying himself to sleep everynight for another postseason).
Anyway, a chum of mine, the most excellent and generous Mark Crookshank, is a born and bred Iron City man and quickly recruited me to the Steeler Nation. I’ve watched the Superbowl several time from Mark’s home in Pittsburgh, and indeed it was nearly the last thing I ever did back in 2002 when I nearly died driving back from his place after Superbowl XXXVII and I skidded on ice and slammed into the concrete meridian on the highway at 65mph. Not fun.
I digress. The Steelers are one of the best represented NFL teams and have the most rampant fans (including PotUS Obama). One of the “flags” of the Nation is the Terrible Towel, a bright yellow bartowel that every true fan owns and waves whilst screaming at every game, live or in the pub (or in the house, scaring the cats). So, to my ever loving delight last night, I got home to find a package waiting for me, from Mark in The ‘Burgh. And inside, as you can see above, a pack of Steelers Smiley cookies and TWO Superbowl XLIII Terrible Towels. As my man said, "If you’re going into battle, you’d better be equipped".
So, on Sunday, I will be screaming, drinking, waving my towel(s) and spurring my brave boys onto their Sixth SuperBowl victory.
HERE WE GO STEELERS!
Last updated:
Friday, 30 Jan
2009 - 17:20 UTC
Here are the parts of this post that I could understand:
A kid from my school…middle of Pennsylvania…skidded on ice…scaring the cats…cookies.
Everything else is in a strange and different language!
>:)
I’ve been here for ten years now, and it’s only been in the last couple of years that I’m finally comfortable talking about the game like a native. I can do the stats, positions, ranking, conferences, leagues etc.
But it’s taken 10yrs!
Ah… the Wintle residence now has a new 46-inch LCD TV, and High-Def digital cable on all the major networks. Which would be perfect for watching the Superbowl.
However, I’ll be watching something else, probably.
Enjoy the game, Ian ;)
Cheers Richard! I’ll be at my friend’s house in the out in the country… he has a
huge bank balancetoo much bloody moneya nice big house with about 5 large screens, he builds a huge firepit (outside) and vene has a big flatscreen TV outside (weather permitting) for the more adventurous types. Plus lots of booze and food. It’s an event!Oh, you surely have stolen my boyfriend’s heart.
How’s this for hell: Steeler fan with season tickets. Flew up to BOTH post-season games. Now, in the Tampa area, the heart of Super Bowl pandemonium… with no tickets to the big game since we didn’t get picked by the lottery to buy them at face value. I mean, literally, thousands of people here got tickets from business/etc and are going even though they don’t even like the Steelers… and we’re, for now, stuck at home, within 45 minutes of the stadium.
Christie, get ye to the stadium on game day and get yer some!! Scalpers need love too LOL
That really sucks. I can imagine how heartbroken I’d be in that position… I hope you can resurrect some joy during the day… in case thrashing the Cards by some hideous double digit score isn’t enough :)
aw… Christie, that sucks. I’m sorry. I think I might tail gate outside the stadium…in case there are any tickets… maybe…
Brooks> haha :) I thought you might be up for some kind of craze. Nice of him to send you pressies!!!
When the play offs in the NHL comes around I might need some kind of towel to keep the house in check from the discussions and non humble things coming from the other side…. seeing that my loved ones most likely won’t make it. annoyed grumble
If any of my teams ever made it to the final of anything, I might be able to share the sense of excitement. But as it is, the Canucks are currently being outdone in the sucking department only by Newcastle United.
Thank goodness for the England rugby team, who are the only team I support who have ever won anything during my lifetime. I literally didn’t know what to do when we won that game. My English friend and I stared at each other in complete confusion for a whole minute, before bursting into tears and then hugging and jumping up and down. In our defense it was like 4 am and we’d started drinking right after work.
…andI know realise that my former post might look like I am tail gating.
What I meant was that “in your position, I would have tail gated outside the stadium”.
Cath – you have forgotten the Toronto Maple Leafs. The sucking sound is deafening, and I don’t even live in Toronto.
That said, your Canucks now have our ex-Leaf Mats Sundin, who is a fine fellow but does tend to have a negative effect when he joins teams after a prolonged absence.
Sigh.
The Superbowl is this weekend?
j/k, Ian – Have a great time watching the game, and don’t overdo the guacamole or the queso. Or the beer. ;-)
Ice Hockey is a game I’ve never managed to get into. Not without trying, but I guess I have no personal cultural reference point. At least with NFL football, I actually used to play touch-football in highschool (lots of american teachers).
Richard, there is a certain truth to that… and I am sooooooo sad about the trend line in the Leafs. I cried last week and started mumbling prayers on who to sacrifice to with what etc if just the Leafs or (and) the Canucks could WIN. (almost never mind the “climbing over the play offs lines in the table” but sure, that would be lovely too)
Seriously, it is a bad season. Very bad. Horribly bad.
Is that a confession that Leafs are your team? Or what’s your poison?
[it doesn’t help to be close to someone who loves the Canadians….. trust me, the sucking sound is only less deafening because the laughter from that side of the rink is enormously loud…]
[in a very small voice]
yes
[sigh]
Richard: I am in the same boat….. it’s not a happy time….
I’m thinking that Superbowl kick-off is a good time to go work out at the nearby health club. There are TV screens by the cardio machines, but my bet is that eating Tostitos and queso would be frowned upon there, as would drinking beer.
Ah, number 6 is in the bag, as it were. And all was well aside from getting in a fight with a Cardinals fan who took a joke a little too far (I won), and then being stranded at my friend’s house till 2 am because our designated driver decided to get drunk. The prick.
Aside from that, an excellent day!
Harumph. I am enjoying our friend Brian’s book Upgrade Me in which he has a delicious rant at the utter pointlessness of competitive sports. And I thought it was just me who felt like the only greyhound in the place who’d discovered that the rabbit was only a stuffed toy, and who thinks the term ‘Sports Personality’ an oxymoron to the point of being offensive. I can come out now – sport is a pile of shite.
As a Philly native and a Penn-Stater myself, I am having a hard time saying this… but the Steelers came through in the crunch (as always) and are deserving of praise.
@Richard W: “That said, your Canucks now have our ex-Leaf Mats Sundin, who is a fine fellow but does tend to have a negative effect when he joins teams after a prolonged absence.”
At the risk of making Åsa angry, I couldn’t agree more…
I think participating in competitive sport – soccer, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee – kept me (relatively) sane during my grad school and postdoctoral years. Also lots of pointless cardio-machining, lap-swimming, road-running, cycling, and hiking.
Actually, the latter aren’t pointless, IMO, as I suspect they are the only things which, in my middle age, stand between me and obesity. Srsly.
Heh. I watched the last five minutes or so (i.e. about an hour in real time). Very exciting finish but I’m all footballed out now for the rest of the year.
In other news, only one month and 18 days until the American Le Mans racing series kicks off at Sebring. w00t!, I say.
I just got back from orchestra rehearsal, and at Union Station (near all the stadiums) a large group of very quiet, morose people got in. They just sat and stood around, looking sad. One of them (and only one) was wearing a Leafs shirt. Then I understood…
An old guy sitting next to me said to his friend: “I stayed up past my bedtime for nothing.”
(got in the subway car, that is.)
@HG: To each his own. I think sport & competition are natural and part of our make-up. has it gone too far in certains realms? Without a doubt. And for me, I prefer competing against myself, as it were: snowboarding etc. (back in the day sniff sniff)
@Caryn: WE ARE… and tell me…Zeno’s or The Skeller? :)
It was a great game, and the Cardinals had me on the edge of my seat. I would have been gutted if they’d have won, but they damn well deserve recognition for playing a hell of a game! I hope they can use this leverage and impetus next year.
@Cath/Richard/Asa: I have no idea what you’re talking about, but please, do carry on. From an anthropological POV it’s quite fascinating!
@Kristi: As above and ditto. :)
At the risk of making Åsa angry, I couldn’t agree more…
Cath>I have, to be honest, not watched any hockey the last couple of weeks […after being specifically told not to tear the healing wound and all] . I am not into self-torture if I don’t have too…. and after New Years this has been very obvious the case if I do watch the Leafs/Canucks.
Eva> It is sad though. All those nice people and then nothing. I just keep hoping next year will be better.
Richard> There was that “hope” thing…. Let’s hope it gets better next year… [although I am on the verge of loosing it this year. It has just gone too long]
Brooksie> you are very kind Sir to allow us mere Hockey interested people to talk about it here in your… ehh… football thread ;)
Hey, we actually won last night! Sundin got one goal and one assist!
Ian, I arrived in Vancouver 1 week before the gold medal hockey game in the Salt Lake City Olympics. I watched the game with my Canadian flat mates (until they kicked me out for asking too many questions about the rules), and then joined in the street parties afterwards. I’ve been hooked every since… it took me a while to become comfortable with the speed of the game as seen on TV, but it’s a really fast, physical and skillful game – rugby on ice – and I love it. On a bleak rainy Tuesday night in November, there’s nothing like getting together with friends to watch the game on TV.
@Cath: I don’t doubt if it/I had mroe exposure sure to me/it I’d be more of a fan. I’ve seen a few games and had fun, drinking with mates and yelling at the TV :)
cath> …one swallow doesn’t make summer… or what ever it can be in idiomatic English ;) but sure enough, they might make it above the line…. maybe…
@Asa: but it sure can feel like love.
…sorry…
Conversation from last night:
Friend: “we’re never going to make the playoffs”
Me: “Maybe we should lose all the remaining games on purpose so we get a better draft pick next year”
[pause]
Me: “I should get citizenship RIGHT NOW for saying that”
4 friends, simultaneously: “yup”
LOL, I tried that with the basketball last season and was lucky to escape the bar with my life…
Support Norwich City F. C. !!!
(Mrs Gee made me type that)
Norwich City!! Not on my Blog SIR!!
Moderator!
MODERATOR!!!!
“Oh I can’t read and I can’t write
But things like that don’t matter
‘Cos I’m a Norwich City fan
And I can drive a tractor”
(My friend who grew up in Norwich swears that this is a real chant).
UP THE CANARIES !!!!!
… sob…
bastards… all over my loverly blog. I make one lewd comment and the canaries are all over my blog…
Norwich City is doing very well in the F. A. Cup, having got to the fifth round. The youth team, obviously.
Cath – I heard that one when I lived there. I was there when they were good and beat The Mighty Bayern Munich (for some reason it was never Bayern Munich, always The Mighty Bayern Munich). I know exactly where I was when they scored against T.M.B.N.: I was just coming out from an underpass and there was a huge roar from the stadium, a mile or so away. I sort-of guess what had happened.
Brooksie: I should have seen that coming
still though, I do not know what the “proper” expression is… ah never mind ;) Love is good :)
Cath: That is an idea… but somehow, that seems like you have given up hope completely!! And that is kind of unpatriotic, right?! Although I woke up to some smug person reminding me that “neither of your teams will make it sweetie. I am so sorry”. yeah right, like that is the truth… pah.
I used to live within sight and sound of St James Park in Newcastle, and never once had to look up the score of a home game. (Of course I’d be listening on the radio more often than not). One FA cup game that went to penalties was particularly memorable.
Sigh – the good old days, with Keegan in charge (the first time), Ginola and Gillespie on the wings, Shearer and Ferdinand up front… For a lifelong, 3rd generation on both sides of the family, Newcastle United fan, living that close to the stadium in the Keegan era was sheer heaven.
*bellows off-key
NORRR-ICH CITY FOR THE CUU-UUP!!!
EVERYBODY KNOWS, THE REST S**K ****!!!!!!
Sorry, a memory from long ago resurfacing. I’m a Torquay United man, myself.
/hangs head in shame, mumbles about the Toronto Maple Leafs
@HG: You sound like my dad supporting Exeter City. My “home” team (is in really, where I’m from) is St.Albans City FC. We nearly got promoted to the fourth division from one of the local conference leagues a few years ago, but there was a rule about having x amount of space free for “stadium” seating and it would have meant cutting down one of the historic old oaks the town is famous for. They refused and stayed in the conference :)
@Bob & Cath: I love that visceral roar. Used to hear it at Penn State when the home team scored. The stadium held 110,000 people and you could hear it for miles!
@Richard: Go on Son!! reprise! “We’re all on the way to Wem-ber-ley, we’re all gonna win the cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!”
Been a long time since I got to sing that one… (1986, Watford vs. Everton)