I am a firm believer that everyone should have a Bucket List. Why? Simple...it is motivation. Motivation to dream, to hope, to get out of bed, to live life.
I am also a firm believer that a Bucket List should be comprised of the ridiculous, the far fetched, the serious, the fun and the everyday. Think about it. How many everyday adventures/experiences are out there that we take for granted? Little things that have a big payoff to the human spirit such as smiling, laughing, and feeling happy.
Sure spending $10,000 for a private oasis in Bali would be heaven and worth every penny, but so is spending $99 on a bridesmaid dress and celebrating the day with two of your favorite people laughing, smiling and just having a good time.
Jere and Chris are two of my most favorite people on the planet. They are genuine, sweet, thoughtful and fun. They do not judge. They have a zest for life. They enjoy their passions. They are very unique. They love their family and friends. They are just two of the best human beings I have ever met! Can you tell I adore them?
A real life fairy tale.
The day they got married was one of my most favorite days. These two were seriously meant for each other. And while it took some time to find one another, in the end, the planets aligned and Mr. & Mrs. Croll were wed. It was beautiful. Yes, tears were shed by many. Happy tears!
And....The people they keep near and dear are just as wonderful and fun as they are. The Crolls are not only excellent people, but they care so much about the company they keep. It's always a fun time hanging with Croll and Company.
Their wedding was a blast and spoke so much of their spirited personalities from the food, to the flowers, to the centerpieces to the live band! ( 40lb Head) They even had a photobooth complete with free pictures and props at their wedding!! OMG!! So much good times to be had with such a simple concept. Simple yes, impact.....huge!!!
That's my Chris and Jere!! Tried and true free spirits!
Love them!
Mr. & Mrs. Quirky and Fun
I was only too excited about the photobooth fun, along with every other guest at their wedding. Photobooths invoked memories of our childhood days, throwing a few quarters in the machine at the local arcade, mall or fair, then quickly piling in with your friends for four magical photos of smiles, weird faces and well...anything really.
The photobooth is a classic. It has survived decades (actually dates back to 1888), introducing each new, up and coming generation to the memories and fun that a 1.5 X 8 in strip of film can capture. No digital camera, smart phone or selfie can ever compare to those four little pictures of a few moments in time recorded onto photo paper.
Yes, technology has been incorporated into the modern day photobooth but, this technology is not so intrusive to take away from the familial qualities of the photobooths of over a century ago.
I will let the photos I partook in speak for themselves but just wanted to note that perhaps it was the actual bridal party that was so enthralled in photobooth fun that we practically had to be pulled away because we were delaying the introductions and dinner. Whoops!! LOL!
One of many strips!
A picture is worth a thousand words.....
All of these things made me who I AM....
The Most Epic Photobomb.....According to Me!!
These are just a few of the memories captured that day. I will never forget the fun times and laughter. All I have to do is look at my little collection of photo strips.......
The game is over. The stadium is becoming a bright yellow sea of empty seats again.
Becky and I hang out for a little while at the top of the stadium. It really is amazing up here. The view is so incredible. I keep gazing over to the other side of the stadium towards the rivers. Becky says this is one of the most beautiful stadiums she has ever visited.
We discover that the Eagles have made a tremendous comeback against Jacksonville to win the game! That makes Becky so elated that she dances around the Heinz Field bleachers with her pom poms singing Fly Eagles Fly. She continued on to make up a few cheers of her own because that is how she rolls! I was laughing so hard!
The #1 Eagles Cheerleader
I snap some more pics of the Steelers Superbowl flags flowing with the breeze in the clear blue sky. Now that the crowd has cleared, the breeze is a little stronger, cooling us down somewhat. The afternoon sun is still showing little signs of mercy.
Becky suggests we go explore the stadium seating for future games. I think it is a great idea. I gather my pom poms, terrible towels, football programs, Bettis jersey, and my pair of jeans. I shove everything in my new clear plastic Steelers bag. I swear I was a bag lady in one of my past lives because I always have so much shit with me.
When we have descended the steps, I can now see how nice the lower 500 section of the stadium is. Those seats are pretty sweet for the price. We also walk over to check the 100 sections. I find a real game ticket on the ground and pick it up. I was hoping to find a real ticket for this game. All I had was a stub hub print out for my seats. I like the view from here as well but those tickets are a little more money than I can afford. I am one of those people that are happy anywhere really. As long as I can see what is going on, I am good.
From the lower levels we enter the hall of Lombardis again. I gaze proudly at each trophy as we pass them. Hopefully a seventh Lombardi will soon grace these halls. Becky mentions that she thinks it is very cool that the stadium staff does not chase anyone out right after the game. There are still quite a few of us mulling about, checking out the displays. A lot of food stands and souvenir shops are still open as well. I mean, I am sure you can't stay in there all day, but she likes that we are not rushed out. Especially since by now, the game had ended almost an hour ago.
As we walk out of the Hall of Greatness, I have to turn back over my shoulder and take it all in once more. Little did I know that would be the only time I would ever see Troy Polamalu play as a Steeler, live and in person. Little did I know that it would be Dick LeBeau's last season as Defensive Coordinator. Of course rumors had been buzzing around NFL World and Steeler Nation in the off season about possible retirements following the 2014 season but, bottom line, it is just speculation. A year can change a lot of things. Like for instance.....
James Harrison was another player I had much regret about never seeing play in person. He was a real firecracker! I adored him. He was right up there with Jerome and Hines. I was a little sad they signed him back on the team not too long after this game. But that sadness only lasted a little while because I was actually thrilled and excited beyond measure that he was once again a Pittsburgh Steeler! Silverback was back!! He was exactly what the defense needed.
And now this year, much to my excitement, he is still with the Steelers. Unfortunately due tio circumstances beyond my control, my plans to see the Black and Gold this year will not happen. But next year I have ot go back. James has one more year on his contract. I may still have a chance. Too bad they couldn't bring back Hines and Jerome too. :( I understand Jerome's position at RB has a very short life span in the NFL. Those guys get pounded on. However, to this day, I still believe Hines had a few more years in him. He was one of the most defensive, offensive players I have ever watched. It was always a good time when Hines was on the field.
I am haunting myself now. Getting a little melancholy. To some people it is just a football stadium. You may wonder, How can one think and feel so deeply about a team and a sport and a stadium? I just can. I just do. I am sure there are others out there like me. People that know they are walking among the ghosts of history. A million moments have come to pass. I am like that with everything though. I am too deep. It's a blessing and a curse. I keeps me sane while making me crazy all at the same time.
Anyways, Becky and I decide to take a nice boat ride back to the car. We both love boat rides very much. Being on the water is so much fun. We notice the line to the Ferry has a million people in it. We decide to sit and bake in the sun some more until the line starts moving. Steeler Nation is siting among the concrete benches, talking about the game, looking at the game program, checking out each others jerseys and basking in the down to the minute win the boys pulled off.
And we wait!
It was about 30 minutes until the boats arrived back the Heinz Field side of the river, but we were able to get onto one of the two the Ferries. Damn you can fit a lot of people on these boats. Sometimes I worry about one sinking, but that is just my nature. I chase it out of my mind almost immediately. My son is not here so I do not have to mentally plan a rescue mission in case the boat goes down. He can't swim. Whenever I brought him on a boat, I would always mentally note where any life preservers etc. were. It just came naturally to me. I do that in any building/house/venue I am in too. I automatically note all exits. If I do not see one, I will seek them out before I can truly relax. LOL! I have issues. Don't we all.
Back to the boat. Becky is taking some really wicked pictures with my camera. She knows how to do panoramic pictures. I do not. LOL! She got this! I stand with her on the top deck of the boat while she is snapping pictures. I can't take my eyes off Heinz Field. I am trying to soak in as much about the scenery and landscaping that make up the entire Heinz Field area so I can have a strong memory stored in my memory bank.
If you ever notice me getting quiet or spaced out for a few moments, it is either because I am mentally rebooting, counting to ten or soaking in everything I possibility can about my current experience for the memory bank. That or I am totally lost in my thoughts or really really sleepy. My memories and experiences are so very important to me. I take them very seriously. Weirdo....right here. I know it. I'm proud.
As I am soaking in my moment, the boat slowly starts drifting away from Heinz Field. I just want to live in the stadium. That's right. I would live there all year round. It would be my house. I would plant flowers around the end zone and make a nice little water feature like a pond or fountain by the goal posts. I would get black and gold fish for the pond. I could probably put my little blow up pool on the 50 yard line along with my patio table and charcoal grill. One of the VIP boxes would be for my apartment. They have plenty of them. They can give me one. It wouldn't be that big a deal. And the view of the rivers.....heaven!! Serenity now!
The concessions stands would be like having 50 kitchens! OMG the food I can make with those puppies!! It would be a feast! And If I wanted to throw a party or have company over.....hello? Plenty of room. Of course I would protect the Lombardis and make sure the glass cases were nice and clean. I would even wash all the towels for the locker rooms and I hate doing laundry. But I would do it. I'd earn my keep. Of course it would cost a small fortune to hang Christmas lights around the stadium for the holidays. Would totally have to buy them at the dollar store. Would probably need a lot of extension cords too. Where would I put the tree? Hmmmm.
As I ponder this, we are leaving the Allegheny River moving onto the Ohio River. The city and the bridges and the stadiums are so incredible. PNC Park is the other stadium and it looks just as beautiful as Heinz Field. This whole city is just so picturesque and laid back. No detail has been spared in making this a remarkable place to visit. We are now churning on the Monongahela River. I admiring the city from across the river as we head towards the port. Sighs....so nice. Wait.......What?? Hold on one sec.....
Becky is already there though. She is way ahead of me. You see, We are on the other side of the river. As in, we are porting across from Downtown Pittsburgh. Downtown Pittsburgh just happens to be where Becky's car is. Fuuuuuuuuddddddgggggeeee. all the serenity I am feeling has now been replaced with a huge dose of OMFG ANXIETY!! How do we get to the car? Becky is scanning the river to see if there is another port on the other side that the Ferry may be going to after this port.
Negative on the other port. We even ask some of our fellow boat riders if there is another stop after this. Nope. This is it. This is where we get off. Okay, calm down. We wanted to take a walk right? Sure we did. Of course that was this morning before the big yellow ball in the sky and the excitement of Heinz Field drained every ounce of energy from us. I walk down to one of the ship mates and explain our dilemma to him.
We need to be....over there. Yep!
He explains it will probably take us 40 minutes just to reach the bridge that we can walk. And another 20-30 minutes to get to the parking garage where we are parked. FML. I can barely stand. My legs are jello. I have sweated so much that I am seriously convinced in about an hour I will look like a piece of beef jerky. I am tired and hungry and GET ME THE FUCK TO THE CAR!!! I do not yell that outloud but that is scrolling endlessly through my head.
I ask the guy if they are going back to the stadium. He asks around, and finds that yes. there is one more boat going back to the stadium. They will gladly take us back free of charge! Thank you Steelers magic for this wonderful blessing of another boat ride. And I get to see the stadium one more time! This is awesome. But I am starving and thirsty and sunburnt. Hope it is a fast ride back.
Becky and I have the whole boat to ourselves. We laugh. Pretend we are on the Titanic. Take goofy pics and chat with the sea people. Well, river people. We are not on a sea. We are on a river. 3 of them!! As Heinz comes into view, I smile again. I love that stadium so much! And...once we get off the boat, we have to walk around the outside of the stadium to the T platform. It is nice to be able to really enjoy the view without all the crowd. I snap a few more pics before we hope on a much, much less crowded T.
How did they know I would be on board??
We have the boat to ourselves.
Once back to the car, we decide Primanti Bros it shall be. We go to the one in Market Square. Squares are really pretty and way cool. We choose an outside table because.....that is so much more fun. Besides, it is still beautiful out, albeit, not nearly as scorching. It just feels good. And perhaps we, as well as most of the outdoor patrons, have some added amusement watching a lady try and parallel park for like fifteen minutes, only to remain 3 feet into the street before saying fuck it and just leaving the car as is. ( I felt so much better about myself in those 15 minutes. Not gonna lie.)
Becky and I peruse the menu before ultimately deciding to try the #2 best seller, The Pitts-burger. We also get a side of fries to share because the more fries the merrier. Woohoo! Can't wait to try this sammich. I have heard so much about it!! I decide to check out the inside of the restaurant while we wait for our meal. We are seriously starving to death for real. And we may have sucked down a few sodas in record time as well.
There is an awesome mural of famous Pittsburgh players on the wall. I snap a picture of that and the menu then head back out to the table because the food comes out pretty fast here. It looks fantastic! Becky and I both dive into our sandwiches like ravenous....birds. The Ravens? Damn! Not the analogy I wanted due to AFC North rivalry dissension but I just want to finish this blog already so I am not going to even try to make another analogy.
Outdoor eating rocks!!
Awesome Mural
Wait....let me try this one more time.....15 times later.
We kind of almost stop chewing at the same time. It's good we tell each other. Not bad. But...we are also both eating much slower now. We are also definitely way more focused on the side of fries than our sandwiches. Finally we both admit that.....we really do not like our sandwiches that much but were too afraid to admit it, considering all the raving so many others have done concerning these sandwiches. Are we freaks? Is there something wrong with us? Some would agree that yes, there is something wrong with us.
However, I just didn't like it. And no matter what sandwich I would have ordered there, I would not have liked it either. I do not care for the cole slaw. And the fries were way too mushy and did not combine well with the white, untoasted bread. It just did not sit well with me taste nor texture wise. A couple of people said we should have went to the Strip District one instead, but...it would not have made a difference. I love creamy, sweet coleslaw. They have a more tart, dry coleslaw.
By no means am I saying this food is bad, because it is not. The fries on there own were amazing. Both Becky and myself, personally, just did not care for it. It all comes down to a matter of taste. But, we did try a famous Pittsburgh establishment and the most famous of the sandwiches which did make me happy. When I go somewhere, I want to try the native food that the locals suggest and love. Becky is the same way. We did just that. So were were content. Hungry, but content. And the service was awesome! That always makes the experience so much better.
Delicious!!
The #2 Best Seller
May have been schooled by a native on the proper way to say Primanti Bros. Yep!
We decide to end the day doing one more very Pittsburghian thing. We drive over to the other side of the river to take a ride on the Dusquene Incline. Not only does it provide one of the most gorgeous views of this stunningly beautiful city, but it is also rooted in history. Again, I love experiencing the history of a city as well So does Becky. Finding a parking space around the Incline....not so much fun. Think we ended up parking next to some seedy parking lot. There was a really fancy, upscale restaurant near the lot so it couldn't be that bad right? We take our chances.
And make sure you pee before you go to the incline. There is a bathroom at the bottom of the ride, but, according to Becky....it is not pretty. So....pee before you go. Some very sage advice indeed! As we slowly descend down the steep incline, pre-bathroom experience, of course Irene Cara softly starts singing in my head as I picture Jennifer Beals and her bicycle riding the incline in Flashdance. Gotta love the 80s. I miss them so much! Well...I do not miss the Steelers of the 80's so much. If we can replace that with the 70's or 00's Steelers that would be awesome but....we cannot. Oh well. Bubby it is. Malone too.
Cheap and fun!
Becky signing the guest book
Pittsburgh PA
Going down
Pittsburgh PA
Pittsburgh PA
After our little historic jaunt, we head back to the hotel. I am utterly exhausted. We throw on the 8 PM game. Becky falls asleep pretty fast. I sit on the bed, fighting sleep, to check out all of the awesome pictures of my most fantastical day from a most epic weekend. I post a few more pics to social media then give in to sleep. I sleep like a baby.
As we head back to NEPA the next morning, my head is spinning with so much good stuff. It's a good kind of overwhelming. As we say goodbye to Pittsburgh I think of my experience. I never got to enjoy 3 Rivers. I do wish I had. But I got to walk the hall of Legends, Lombardis and Dynasties. I got to not only share one of my most favorite experiences of a lifetime with my dearest friend, but I got to be a part of the larger than life energy the makes up Steeler Nation, in person.
I experienced a throw down, high anxiety, maximum energy, nail biting, down to the wire, AFC North game played by one of the oldest rivalries in football history. I brushed my hand against 6 beautiful trophy cases. I had one of the best photos I have ever taken , next to my dearest Becky B, with the official Steelers back drop in the back ground. I had a real stadium beer and photo bombed the announcers. I gazed upon the weathered gear of Hall of Famers.
I.....was......here. I became a part of history. For that....there really are no words. Chrissy
"Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!!!!" - Steeler Nation
Game time.
All this talk of Johnny Football. Blah blah blah. Puke City. Whatev. I'm so over it.
The city of Pittsburgh was a little nicer about Johnny coming to town than I was. They did welcome the rookie to the most awesome Heinz Field. In fact, a dude outside the stadium was even selling "Welcome To Pittsburgh" Johnny Football T-shirts for $15. That's a steal! How nice. Right?
See Exhibit A below:
Welcome to The Burgh J.F.
Does the F. stand for Football or Fucker.
I'm not gonna say. You figure it out. :)
Heinz Field Security, however, was not as amused by the welcome committee's gesture of welcoming. They were not permitting people to enter the stadium wearing these types of shirts. Oh snap! Game over. Or is it? Obviously, this guy hid his "FU J.F". shirt under another shirt, kinda like the shirt before the shirt. Fight the power and all that good shit! Get on with your bad self bro.
Honestly, I get it. Much respect to Heinz Field for showing good sportsmanship. It's one of the reasons I love them. And, it gave us Black and Gold fans a good chuckle. Who doesn't love a good chuckle at the opposing team's expense right? As a Steelers fan, I know we are right up there with the Dallas Cowboy fans as one of the most hated teams in the history of the entire world. We hear plenty of "jokes" from "haters", I mean "fans", of other teams. It goes with the territory. Fuck you very much. :)
It's all fun and games kids. Calm down.
Anyway, Johnny Football will be pacing the sidelines for this game as far as we know. Brian Hoyer will start. Who will finish the game is the real million dollar question? Hoyer? Manziel? The dude sitting behind me dressed like a dog? I mean it is Cleveland and knowing their fetish for Quarterbacks, they may already start going over possible 2015 draft picks by halftime, depending on Hoyer, Manziel and the dude dressed like a dog's on field performance. Just sayin...
(12 different starting QBs since 2000.)
(The upcoming 2015 season will bring that number to 13.)
Big Ben is definitely starting for the Steelers so that is good.
First Half:
Go Steelers!!
Here we go Steelers, Here we ....W.T.F!!!!!
Shocker. The first drive by the Steelers was typical Steelers style. SMH.
Before I go any further, let me just say, as far as die hard Steelers fans go, we will always love and cheer for our team no matter what. But.... sometimes, just sometimes, our beloved team initiates the very painful phenomena which I will term the Steeler Nation Trifecta.
This trifecta starts with the inevitable face palm. You may not even realize you are face palming at first. It just sort of happens. Also, holding your head in your hands while feeling the urge to crawl into the fetal position on the corner of the couch counts as an "onset"symptom.
The Face Palm/Fetal Position affliction in turn provokes a 5-10 minutes continuous spew of profanity and obscenity which will most definitely scare small children and the elderly and... probably everyone else in a 5 block radius around you. If the cops show up at your house, that most likely means Roger Goodell is going to fine James Harrison 25k for your trashy mouth.
Finally, the vulgar fest will ultimately trigger the severe abuse of alcohol. The vigorous chugging of any type alcohol within arms reach including but not limited to gin, some really cheap, nasty, South American wine and the remaining warm sips of backwash beer at the bottom of the cans piling up on the table signifies you have completed the final stage of the trifecta.
Note: You will probably complete several trifectas during the game but not to worry. Usually by the fourth go round, you have already lost count and are mostly likely bonding with your toilet due to very high blood pressure and alcohol poisoning. You may even forget there was ever a game on TV because you are too busy snuggling and spooning with your porcelain god. (Porcelain goddess if you are a guy.) Hey, sometimes toilets need a little love and attention too.
One other thing, there is also an extremely severe "five-fecta" some of us Black and Gold fans suffer from on particularly bad game days but I won't even get into the emotional eating or the flying projectiles. That is very personal and private and I don't really like to talk about those dark times in my life. We all have skeletons in our closet. Some of us have a whole graveyard. I do not judge.
What a view!!
Now that we have cleared that up, let's get back to the Steelers opening drive. It was so awesome. Ben drives the offense down the field and they score a TOUCHDOWN! Oh yeah....
Then out of nowhere, these yellow flags started flying on the field. Please be against Cleveland. Please be against Cleveland. Prayers were not answered. It was against the Steelers. An offensive holding call cost them the touchdown. It was coming back. It's all good. They got this. Here we go Steelers, Here we....S.O.B!!! Ben is on his back. Only took two minutes into the 2014 season for him to get sacked. He is definitely on pace to be the proud owner of the most sacked QB in NFL history title. (Epic sarcasm right here.)
Suisham has to come in to save the drive and get 3 on the board. On a side note, it pisses me off that kickers don't get the kudos they deserve in the league. Kickers determine so many winning outcomes in many, many games throughout the year. You bet your ass they are a real athletes. There are a lot of teams that should be kissing the ground their kicker walks on because the championship banners and flags hanging in their stadium are there because of their kicker. Seriously, how many divisional, conference and league championships came down to a field goal? A lot! Go Kickers! Rock on!
Troy takes the field.
The Steelers D! Great first half!
Look! They are smiling at me!! :)
Of course the next drive Cleveland also got a field goal. Fuckers!! I may have yelled that too. Long hair, don't care and all that other terminology I see the younger kids posting on social media. I can use it too. Whatev. I chugged my piss warm beer. (Trifecta #1 in the books 3 minutes into the game. It's not a record but it is close. The 2013 Steelers home opener against the Titans holds that record. )
I was roasting and mad and decided it was time to take the Bettis jersey off. I had my dress underneath so I shoved my jersey in my cute plastic Steelers bag. I felt much better.. for a little while. I noticed Becky was getting a sunglasses tan already. Poor Becks. She didn't care either. She was having a blast talking to her new friends and watching the game.
The Steelers came back on the field and Ben got the first interception of his season out of the way. Let's not go for any other records of that sort Ben. Pretty please. Prayers were answered this time. The Steelers went on to romp Cleveland's ass in the first half.
Steelers O-Line taking the field.
Drive that ball Ben!
One of the AB scoring drives.
AB is downfield. HEATH!!!
Oh look....Le'Veon is catching balls? I'm still mad at him for his preseason doobie-fest with Blunt, also spelled " Blount", but that's pretty cool that he catches passes from Ben and doesn't drop them. Touchdown!! Then another Touchdown! Go AB!! Mike Wallace who? Emmanuel Sanders who? AB got this! The stadium is going nuts. Towels are waving. Everyone is on their feet. This is so awesome.
It was during the second quarter that I suddenly had this weird flashback to a beloved 80's movie. It was totally out of the blue. Some of you may have heard of this 80's movie. It's called the Karate Kid and it stars Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi and Ralph Macchio as Daniel aka the "Karate Kid". Yea... it is an unfortunate accident that Lanning got kicked in the head by Antonio. The unnecessary roughness call was complete BS though. Haters are going to insist AB did it on purpose but he most certainly did not. I saw it with my own eyes.
AB was flying down the field at mach 10 and it honestly looked like #5 was going to the ground. AB was going to jump over him. Players do sometimes jump over other players in NFL games. It happens. It's part of the game. If AB would have tried to put on the brakes when he realized the kicker was not going down, I think it would have caused a much worse injury to both AB and Lanning. But....whatever. Hater gonna hate. It did make for some funny memes and humor in the social media.
We did it Mr. Miyagi!
AB impressed me even further when he did some massive blocking Ala #86 Hines Ward for Le'Veon Bell as Bell charged to the end zone Ala #36 Jerome Bettis and flipped over the goal line for the TD. I may have yelled something along the lines of "Bell ran that in like he was running from the cops.". Yea...I totally yelled that. I also yelled to Becky that Bell did a fancy flip, like seven times. I was so excited that he did a flip. First AB's rendition of the Karate Kid's crane and then Bell pulling an Ozzie Smith and flipping over the goal line. This was just too much fun and excitement for me to keep inside. I had to let it out.
I got a few laughs from the fans around me over my excitement. I was also no longer angry with Bell. We were good again. He was so impressive. Who knew just how impressive he would end up being the entire season. The trio of Ben, Bell and Brown were going to rock the NFL world in the weeks to come with their awesome offensive skills. I was so happy to see the beginning. I was also debating whether or not to lose my jeans at halftime and untie my dress to make it a dress again rather than a shirt.
Not my pic. But it is so damned awesome!
I had just gone down those steps at the end of the first quarter to get a water and a "free" refill on Becky's soda. (They kept forgetting to take the "one free refill" sticker off her cup so we got like 5 free refills. I just went to different people each time. We totally got our $8.00's worth.) I wasn't sure I wanted to make the trek down those steps again. Plus it was going to be very crowded at halftime. The line into the ladies room was probably going to be a mile long.
Last time I was down there, people were illegally smoking cigarettes. No one was bothering them because there were literally 50 people lit up in the landing by the steps. I could really use a cigarette. Maybe if I rebel and have a smoke with the other rule breakers, the lines will decrease by the time I am ready to go to the ladies room to take off my jeans and adjust my dress.
As halftime was called, I decided to do it. I was feeling good. I was feeling arrogant. I was bragging that the Steelers knew I was finally at the mothership and they were providing me with a blow out of a game to impress me further. The Queen has arrived. Yea... we will get to that later. As I walked to the concession area I was totally right. It was super packed. It took me almost ten minutes to get by the other smokers. I realized I was going to miss a good part of the third quarter just making my way through the crowds and lines. Crap!
One or five free refills depending.
I had my smoke with the other rule breakers. I got pissed when I saw a younger Browns fan come running out of the one stairwell from the seats. It was obvious he had soda thrown at him. Half of his white shirt was stained cola brown and was soaked. His buddy, who was a Steelers fan, was flipping out next to him and yelling for security. That shit just pisses me off. There really is no call for that. We are all here to enjoy a game. We all payed a lot of money to see this game. There is no reason to throw soda at someone just because they are a Browns fan. Hell if anyone should have soda thrown at them it should be the guys in the Cortland Finnegan and RGIII jerseys. Just kidding. Even they don't deserve that.
Both guys disappear into the crowd. I finish my smoke. I can hear the third quarter starting. Dammit! ( I am actually glad I missed part of the third quarter. Cleveland started romping on my boys.) I head to the ladies room. The lines are not bad since there are a million stalls. I hop in a stall, remove my jeans and adjust my dress in a record five seconds then head over to the soda stand for another "free" refill. As soon as I step into the air, I feel so much better. My hair is still soaked in sweat as is my dress but over all I feel incredible.
Second Half:
Go Black and Gold!!
So, as I make my way back to my seat, the air that was inflating my ego begins to slowly deflate. As I get to my seat and look at the scoreboard, my mouth drops. I look at Becky. She is like, yep, they just got two touchdowns. "They" being Cleveland. The score is now 27-17. It just gets worse. Our defense it tired. They do not look good. Troy makes a few good defensive plays but the penalties, especially the infractions caused by Ike Taylor, are not helping the cause.
The Steelers O-Line is also failing. I kid you not, I am screaming and cursing at Ben to get it together. I may be 7 miles above #7 but I know he heard me scream "Where the fuck are you throwing that?" and "Do I have to come down on the goddamned field? " I feel like I am in my house yelling at my TV while feverishly typing out my feelings on Facebook for all of social media to see. Did they forget I was here? Did they forget their #1 fan was present in the stadium. I wasn't in my seat for the beginning of the third quarter so my good mojo that was flowing down to my boys was totally interrupted. I am so mad at myself. I swear I will not leave my seat again!
The crowd has become quite somber in Heinz Field. I look up at the scoreboard. It is showing scores from the other NFL games going on right now. Becky and I are both in shock when we see the Eagles game score. Jacksonville is kicking their ass? Really? What the hell is going on with the Pennsylvania teams today? This isn't right. Becky isn't happy with her Birds either. I feel her pain. So not cool! I start toying with the strings on my plastic pop poms.
Ben and Heath. Miller time!
In the fourth quarter it is now all tied up. 27-27. The Steelers have scored nada in the second half of the game. As for the defense, Lawrence Timmons seemed to be the only one to remember there was a second half to the game today. He was the only one on the field making any kind of plays. Well, except Ike Taylor. He was still racking up those penalties like a boss. At least he was showing some signs of life. Even Troy was looking defeated. I swear to god if my first Steelers game is a 1 in the "L" column, I will be sooooooooooooo hurt and upset.
And hello Mr. Roethlisburger??? You are 17-1 against the Browns. Don't do this to me. (As of this blog, he is 18-2 now against the Browns.) 4 sacks already? Sighs. I sit in my chair sulking for a bit. That is when the jalapeno covered in nacho sauce comes flying over my head from behind, lands on me then proceeds to slide down my chest in to my bra. WTF??? Where the hell did that come from? I immediately turn around and give dog boy the stink eye. He saw it happen and swears it wasn't him. A couple of rows up from me, two male STEELER fans are looking at me. One waves. I am so tempted to flip them off but instead I just turn around and curse them under my breath. Jerks!
Probably another Ike Taylor Penalty. Shocker!
While I am digging the jalapeno out of my cleavage with a napkin, pride shot, ego deflated, Becky starts doing Fly Eagles Fly cheers with her pom poms. I can't help but laugh. I love my silly friend. It also seems like the Steelers D has finally woken up from their slumber. William Gay shuts down Hoyer. Steelers ball! Let's do this. As I am watching this final Steelers drive, I am standing up again waving my towel and my pom poms. No, this is not a blow out like we thought it was going to be.
It has turned into one of those nail biting AFC North divisional games that I really do love. Yea, I feel like popping Xanax after one of those games but they are so awesome to watch. The AFC North is arguably one of the most competitive and toughest divisions in the NFL. No matter how crappy Cleveland's record is, they do give it their all in these divisional games. This time, their all, was enough to tie and possibly win the game.
However, Ben has the ball with a few minutes left. I have watched almost every single NFL Ben has ever played. Ben is not only a great clutch Quarterback, I have seen him do magic on the field with under a minute to go, but, he is also really good with managing the clock. Let's hope he keeps this drive going long enough to get the clock down and put them in Suisham's range with no time left for Cleveland to do anything.
Steeler Nation is on their feet. The crowd goes crazy with every first down. Terrible towels are in the air in full force. It is so loud in the stadium. Granted, it will never be as loud as it was in 3 Rivers, the acoustics there were insane, you could tell just by the hearing the crowd on TV back in the day, but it was extremely loud right now. I am screaming. I am a nervous wreck. I look over and see an Eagles fan and a Jets fan both going nuts with excitement. Becky is screaming and cheering and waving her pom poms. The Jets fan is yelling and screaming and waving his pom poms.
What???
This is so great!! You know what? This is exactly what I wanted. The energy is the stadium is even more powerful and exhilarating than it was during the first half. It is insane. I am ready to jump out of my skin as is every other Steeler fan. Every time the O-Line moves the ball forward, The stadium erupts. I am looking at the clock. My nerves are tweaked. Ben hurls it to Wheaton. Wheaton catches it but does not get out of bounds. I do not remember if Ben spiked it or if he called a time out. By now my brain is in over drive.
All I know is Suisham and the Field Goal unit are now on the field. I am holding my breath. No shanks please. The ball is snapped; Suisham foot sends the ball sailing threw the air........it is good!!! Steelers win the game!!! My first ever Steelers game is a win!!!! The crowd is off the hook. The stadium is pulsating with the cheers and screams of Steeler Nation. It is one of the coolest things I have ever experienced in my life. I am so glad it went down this way. I saw a really good, ages old, divisional rivalry play hard today. Both teams dominated a half.
Cleveland is no joke this year. Hoyer played a hell of a game. Of course my tune may have been slightly different had the Steelers lost. I would still give kudos to Cleveland but would have been super mad at my boys. I am glad I can walk out of Heinz Field not mad at my boys. Also, I confess, a part of me wanted to see the game go into overtime because I honestly did not want this moment to end, but I am glad it went down the way it did because I am not sure my nerves could have handled the overtime. LOL!
I look around the stadium. Players, coaches and the media are on the field. Fans are slowly starting to file out of their seats and down the stairs. Becky is saying her goodbyes to her new friends. They were such a fun bunch to be around. I turn and stare at the Superbowl championship flags flying in the air at the top of the stadium. The smile on my face is so huge. The sky is so blue. I could not have asked for a better day. This truly was one of the best days of my life.
Wave those towels!
Game...Steelers!!
Nice rack Eagles fan! The Jets fan and his pom poms.
Thank you Mr. LeBeau. So happy to see you coach a game in your final
season as a Pittsburgh Steeler. XOXO
I know my time in Heinz Field is coming to an end. I just want to linger here a little longer. So does Becky.
So we do.
We keep this love in a photograph
We keep this love in a photograph
