We Are Steelers Nation

We've raised the kids right, here in Western PA. Despite the fact that I am not a sports fan, even I have gone as far as training the young 'uns that We Are Steelers Nation. The husband taught me the importance of taking pride in a team (even if you don't follow their games), and I am helping to instill that into the kids. The kids are learning well, and are black and gold all the way. We're raising up the next generation here.

Certain events as of late have made us very disappointed with our team. A certain he-who-will-remain-nameless-Roethlisberger has put a dark spot on the Steelers name, but he's certainly not the only one. There are others, as we all know. Our pastor is a die-hard Browns fan (I know, right?) and has made it a point to be telling our boys that the Steelers are going down the crapper in a hurry. In fact, he says, they will never make it to a playoff again. They'll be lucky to have a starting lineup this fall. And further, he states, you'd be an idiot to even be a fan of them any longer. (This, from a Browns fan.)

My kids are just as impressionable as any other kids. They can also reason, and it stands to reason that what Pastor is saying is true. (Forgive them, they are young.) While there are some black, black marks on the team, they are still the Steelers. Either one is a fan of a team, or one needs to assess where their loyalties lie. It was after Luke uttered the following statement that I had need to remind the boys of this.

"I don't know what I'll do with my Steelers stuff this fall. I have a lot of it, and I probably won't be rooting for the Steelers team."

To which I replied, "why not?!"

"Because their team is not going to be good this year. All the players are leaving or are bad."

So I said, "Dude. They're still the Steelers. If you're a fan, you support them through the good and the bad. Nobody likes a fan that is around only in the good times. You've gotta decide if they're your team or not, and if they are you don't worry about the bad stuff. They're your team! They need you to stand behind them. And we support the Steelers."

To which his faithful little heart said, "yeh, you're right. I love the Steelers."

That's my boy.

That being said, one can be worried about a team that they support. I'm just saying. I have faith though. If I can redo that  horrific passport photo to make it into something human, the Steelers can remake their team again into something wonderful.

I will no longer be detained at borders merely for laughs. Go, me. Let's hope he-who-shall-remain-nameless-Roethlisberger can be this good looking by the end of the year. And really, it's not asking much.