Just My Luck

Sad fact: I am a 20 year old Pittsburgh sports fanatic and I have never been inside of Heinz Field, or Three Rivers Stadium for that matter, for a Pittsburgh Steelers game.

That is, until last Sunday. Yes, Christmas Eve 2006, 20 years in the making, I attended my first Steelers game with my lovely girlfriend who scored two tickets for us as my Christmas present.

There is one thing I never realized about a Steeler's game until I attended: Tailgating is not an activity it is a lifestyle. These guys, and ladies, dont mess around. I actually walked by a double-wide trailer painted in the cities black and gold signature colors, with the words "Powered By Cohwer" inscried on the back. My first thought was, who pays for this? And my second was no other team's fan could have a vehicle with a similar motto on the back. Any other team in the league would require a fan to change that insignia at least once every three or four years. Not the Steelers. Trivia Time: Can you name all the coaches of the Pittsburgh Steelers since the start of the 1969 season? Answer: Chuck Noll (69-91) and Bill Cowher (91-Present). Yes. The Steelers have had two coaches in the last 37 years. The fact that they have five super bowl victories in the same time is no coincidence. There is somethig to be said for stability, and no body knows that better than the Rooney family and the City of Pittsburgh.

I digress...Back to the tailgating. I applaud anyone that drives downtown in a pickup truck with a keg securely riding shotgun at 7:30 in the morning for a Steeler game at 1. (This actually happened.) The tailgating was a sight in and of itself. There hasnt been this large a group of drunk people with a mutual hatred for Ray Lewis since that night at a club when he allegedly stapped a man.

As for the game, I could not have been more angry. I blame two people, Ben Roethlisberger and Steve McNair. We'll start with Mr. McNair. Just sit down. You are not Bret Favre. You can miss a game if you'd like. You had your hand crushed by the cleat of a 250+ pound lineman. YOUR THROWING HAND. You had to come out and throw for an astonishing 256 yards and 3 TD's with a bleeding and bruised throwing hand, and single-handedly remove any playoff hope my Steelers clung onto. There was a drunken fan right behind me with mirror-like shades who, on every single Baltimore offensive play yelled, "Kill him, Break his legs!" I couldnt help but think to myself, it wouldnt have mattered. McNair would have limped off to the sideline, recieved some sort of "I cant feel my legs, but they still work" shot, and gone out there and finished the game. After the game, McNair proclaimed that he liked pain. Let's see if he reiterates that statement when him and his Ravens get bounced out of this years playoffs. You like the pain of losing, Steven?

Speaking of pain: Ben Roethilsberger. If you know me, you know I am not fond of this individual. He has been a beneficiary of an offense, and a team, that does not need a elite quarterback to win games. Last year and Ben's rookie season, he did a nice job running the offense and stacking up wins. But this year, its not happening. I am not sure why, but I am sure that last Sunday against Ray-Ray and that vaunted Baltimore D, Ben was afraid. Afraid and confused. His feet were not set for a single pass attempt. He did not know what to do. He, quite honestly, looked like a rookie quarterback. Something Ben has never looked like, even in his first year filling in for the incompetent Tommy "Gun" Maddox. The Balitmore defense led by Ray-Ray and Ed Reed outplayed and intimidated Ben and the Steelers offense, and McNair did the rest.

The best part of the game was when I first walked through the little walk way and out to the stands with a clear view of the teams warming up on the field. I felt like Mr. Ruettgier when he gets to see Notre Dame Stadium in the 1993 blockbuster Rudy. That was without a doubt, "The greatest sight these eyes have ever seen." The worst part? Most likely the loss, but with the lack of a deep threat reciever, or any play-making reciever this side of Hines Ward, and a consistant running back, I guess us Steelers fans are going to have to get used to it. Our defense is done winning games for us. They have tried, (four turnovers against Baltimore) and the offense still cant translate turnovers into points.

Dont get too worried. This is not all Steelers all the time, just this one because it was my first ever complete Pittsburgh Steelers experience, and it couldnt have been better; with the exception of a win and a possible playoff appearance after starting the season 2-6. No playoffs and one game to play. No motivation right? WRONG. Beating Cincy and keeping them home for January may just be the next best thing.