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COUCH POTATO The Controversial Column  by Vinnie Blesi
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MATT'S RAIL I'm Glad I'm Not Her....Twisting The Tongue....Rondo's Rocking  by Matt Drinnenberg
MIKE'S RANT Passing On....Die And You Forfeit The Game....Yeah, I Might Get Hurt--That's The Ticket....Matt Is Now Hyperventilating....Get Well Soon....Next Week....My Favorite Films--Chapter 4  by Mike Smith
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Steeler Fandom  

It has finally happened. I have been waiting for 10 years. My Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the Super Bowl!

Now you are most likely thinking, "Oh great another bandwagon jumper." Yeah right! A lot of you may not know this but originally I was born in Youngstown, Ohio. Youngstown is 50 miles between Pittsburgh and Cleveland. At a very young age we had to make a decision on what team we would follow. My long term memory is fantastic. I can actually remember going into my Aunt Dolly's room at age 4 and wanting to be a Steeler fan like her. The year would have to be 1982.

One year later my parents packed up and moved to Clearwater, Florida. My heart never moved from being a Steeler fan. During Christmas and birthdays I would get Steelers clothes and hats. I loved it. I would wear them to school and get made fun of by all the kids. Hell I was such a big Steelers fan I wanted to wear a Kordell Jersey to Homecoming instead of a tux.

Since Tampa was and still is a transient town kids would have a mixture of favorite teams. After a while once the Bucs started doing well many people jumped on their side The one team I always hated the most because of that was the Bucs. Their fans were and are the biggest bandwagon jumpers I have ever seen. Maybe the most unknowledgeable fans ever. In Pittsburgh during a game the streets are empty. I have seen Bucs fans wearing Bucs clothing at the beach during play-off games.

I will never forget the year the Bucs won the Super Bowl. If I remember correctly they played Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football. I was driving home from acting class with Jack Amos near the Tampa air port. I had a mini TV in my car and plugged it into my cigarette lighter. It was so gratifying to see the Steelers give the Bucs their last loss of that year.

Another great thing about being a true Steeler fan is like it's part of a fraternity. When I meet a Steelers fan in Vegas that is truly from back east there is a kinship there. Bandwagon Steelers fans know nothing about the team or have ever even been to the steel city.

My brother Jim, grew up a Dolphins fan and loving Dan Marino. One of my fondest memories was our dad taking us to the brand new Joe Robbie Stadium and seeing the Steelers vs. the Dolphins. The game was a down pour. I can remember seeing water flow down the stairs at Joe Robbie (now Pro Player Stadium) like it was a mini waterfall. They still show clips of this game from time to time because it was so crazy.

I wish the Steelers all the best of luck on February 5th against the Seahawks. No one has given this team respect all year long. I knew they had the potential to not only win the division but take it all the way. Best of luck guys and no matter what happens I will be there again watching next year.