Super Bowl Craziness

So I know that this post is a few days late, but I am writing it anyways.  Partially, because people in our sphere but living far away may not have garnered the full experience of Steelers Nation, and partially because my amazing wife was so meticulous in chronicling the excitement that swept over the city leading up to the game. 

The Steelers aren't just a sports team in the city of Pittsburgh, they ARE the sports team of Pittsburgh.  We noticed this when we first moved into our neighborhood. Our neighbor across the street has a sign hanging from across his entire garage reading: "Welcome to Steeler Nation" He also has stickers on his cars and a flag on his house.  This is not an isolated incident either. Any neighborhood you venture to here, you will find a similar house and similar fanhood.  

Every Friday before a big game, employees of any business can substitute normal work attire for a Steelers jersey or shirt of some kind.  For example, if you work at a bank, on Friday, you don't need to wear a shirt and tie...Steelers jersey will suffice.  If you are a receptionist at a hospital...Steelers Jersey will suffice.  And this list goes on.  At first we thought it was funny, but then it began to venture on the absurb.  Everywhere we went, Steelers mania ensued.

Back in the day when Nicole and I rode on the bus, we could tell if the Steelers had won the day before just by the mood of the people riding with us. It was a palpable feeling.  Following a win, people were much more personable, lighthearted, and more upbeat. Following a loss--doom and gloom to the fullest extent.  And this carried on for an entire season!  

As a resident of Pittsburgh, you are also expected to know the names of the most important players.  For example, when someone is talking about "Ben,"  they are not talking about Benjamin Linus of "Lost."  They are talking about Benjamin Roethlisberger.  And when someone mentions "Hines," that is not Pittsburghese for Heinz ketchup.  That is Hines Ward.  And I suppose that we will all have to memorize Santonio, which is not code for San Antonio.  

So the Steelers won as you have probably seen from all the SportsCenter highlights over the past 5 days.  I love SportsCenter, but I can only take so many replays of a single game.  Going into the game, I knew that it would be close.  Did I think that it would be this close?  Nah.  I hoped it would though.  I mean, let's be honest here, Super Bowl commercials just aren't what they used to be, so the football better fill the void.  Am I alone in my thinking here?  We were really happy that Pittsburgh won, if for nothing else that to have lived in a city that won a Super Bowl.  Big Ben did come through in the end, and it was good to see Mike Tomlin be so classy in his victory speech.   I'm sure Steeler fever will reach an all time high next season, as we no longer live in Pittsburgh, but Sixburgh!!!!

(Here are all the photos chronicling Steeler Nation)  

Do you love your team enough to have your car in their colors?  This guy did/does.

You've been warned...

Our neighbors who like to wear their fanhood on their porch, so to say...

This is a much more popular thing than you might imagine.  And they don't put the flags on just for game day.  No.  They are on all season long.

We went to go visit two of our first year friends whose wives had just had new babies, and this was the sign that we were treated to upon entering.  The indoctrination starts early around here apparently.  (As a side note:  The hospital sent out a letter apparently, stating that all workers were allowed to wear Steelers gear the weekend of the big game.  And at Nicole's work, there was an official memo stating that YES you did have to come in to work on monday and No you couldn't call in sick that day.)

Did you know that Marilyn Monroe was a Steelers Fan?  According to this store she is.  A party store for all of your Super Bowl partying needs.

For that special someone...

Do you see all of the middle aged women in line in this picture?  Do you also see what they are all wearing?  I'm telling you, it's madness around here. 

Hello! giant football man in the grocery store.

Absolute bedlam ensued after the game.  We could hardly get home with all the people out on the streets.  And we were expected to honk our horns incessantly the entire time.  Riots ensued near our school. (Not joking when I say that.  Cars were flipped over.  Beer bottles flung at State troopers on horseback.  Couches set on fire.)  I'm glad we didn't lose, then who knows what would have happened.

And oh, by the way, every school in Pittsburgh K-12 got to start school 2 hours late because of the game the night before.  Welcome to Pittsburgh indeed.