I Feel Home

What a month. I must say there hasn't been a start to a year like this in some time. It feels good. It feels really, really good. We started 2009 off strong with new beginnings, a new President and a new love for Steeler football. Yesterday marked the official end to our first 31 days of 2009 with a celebration that I know the Burgh would of been proud of.

The 90 Steeler Crew -- Super Bowl 43 -- February 1, 2009

I awoke yesterday morning a wreck. My head was pounding, my stomach was turning and my nerves were starting to get the best of me. The previous night's festivities (a Steeler pre game pep rally) ended late and threw off the start of my Super Bowl. I was hungover––a fucking wreck––trashed––destroyed––a train crashing into a brick wall. It wasn't cool. But despite my current state I knew that I couldn't let a little hangover stop my excitement. I also knew that it would have been smarter to have the pre game pep rally Friday instead of Saturday. My bad.

As the day moved forward things did nothing but become more intense. My head pounded harder, my nerves shook longer and my surroundings became louder. The bar, 90 West Lounge––where we have virtually spent every Steeler game since our move west––had become Steeler Nation. A group of Pittsburghers passing through after a west coast cruise spent their day with us, turning our small Steeler crew into an amazingly large Steeler army. It was great to have the guests, but despite their hometown feel and Welcome To Steeler Country banner, it felt weird having strangers at our bar. They brought nothing but Pittsburgh love, but due to my current state of mind, nervousness and frustration over losing my comfortable playoff chair, I just wasn't feeling it.

So there I was. A fucking wreck. Uncomfortable and unpleasant. The worse place you could be when your team is playing for the Championship. I hated myself for hating everything and feeling the way I was. But once the mighty Ben Roethlisberger took to the field things began to change. I was still feeling crappy, but my head ache was being tamed by the unexpected Iron City that made it's way west. My non-interest in my fellow Pittsburghers began to turn as I watched terrible towels fly and people explode as James Harrison ran his heart out. The feeling of home started to come back to me. The excitement, the love and of course the last two minutes. With my hangover and disinterest out the door, things seemed to finally be perfect. But like any other Steeler victory, it doesn't come easy. If puking in public was execptable I would of been vomiting all over the floor, instead I walked outside. Just like Super Bowl 40 and the many playoff games before that, I left. I took my mind away from the game and everything that went with it. I stopped thinking about the hangover and how it fucked up the start to my Super Bowl. I stopped thinking of that awesome playoff chair and why I wasn't sitting in it. I stopped... Well I just stopped and stood there in the doorway and watched. I watched as the play heard around the world fell into place.

Moments later, the game, the day and the 2008 football season had come to an end. Luckily for us, it was a happy one. The rest of the night continued as it normally would with celebration and lot's of booze. But the ultimate ending came when one of the visiting Pittsburghers, who knew that I was from Greensburg, approached me about my high school:

"Where'd you go? Salem or Central?" the vistor asked.

"I went to Hempfield." I replied.

"Nice." he said. "Thanks for having us. Go Steelers!"

It was a perfect end to a perfect Sunday. A Super Bowl Sunday. A Pittsburgh Sunday.

–– Steven M. Sims

 

90 West Lounge -- Super Bowl 43 -- Steelers 27   Cardinals 23