Hell yeah! Growing up in Pittsburgh during the 70's pretty much made it a requirement to be a football-aholic. Fall Sundays were a religious experience - and not because of church. Every Sunday at 1:00, you were glued to the TV set. There were even little rituals that had to be obeyed: You only ever sat on the end of the couch that the Steelers were heading (never on the end they were defending ... you might inadvertently help the other team score). You always raised your hands in the touchdown signal when the Steelers were ready to score. And make sure you do the same thing during a Steeler's fied goal attempt. When the other team attempted a field goal, you make the no-good signal. Oh, and make sure you extend your index finger when the Steelers have the ball (to indicate 1st down, of course), and fist your hand when the other team had the ball (for 4th down, naturally). Yes, being a Steeler fan was hard work, but it was worth it.
Now days, I'm not quite as fanatical. Oh I still do the hand motions and all (even have my daughters doing them), but I will miss a game on occasion. But still, every year at this time, the heart starts pumping a bit faster. Why does a successful football team do this to me? I mean, granted the Pirates haven't been good for years, but even during the Stargell years I wasn't like this about baseball. There's just something primal about the game. Maybe it's the short season. Maybe it's the fact that nobody is bad for very long (well, except for the Lions). I don't really know, but you can guess where to find me on most Sunday afternoons.
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3 comments:
Oh yeah! And nice blog today! I love football. Considering that I came from a home where it was outlawed (mom hated it and insisted that we turn it off - even DAD), that's quite a feat.
I used to be into it a lot more... I even played an early version of fantasy football in an office where I worked once. But, that was back in the day of my Steve-Jerry duo for the Niners.
It's cool that you're so into it - and that you have your girls doing the hand-signals. Tradition is a great thing.
What about the eats? There must be traditional snacks too, no? =)
Only rule is that you cannot leave the room during a close game to get snacks. It'll jinx the team.
hey, the lions don-oh, who am i kidding. they suck ass and everyone knows it.
i fully understand the need for rituals during games. not so much football as baseball and hockey. very cool that you keep it up.
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