The NFL Lockout is Over: What it Means to This Pittsburgh Steelers Fan
Can you believe that it’s finally over? Let the confetti fall and uncork those champagne bottles – the rich are going to be richer and we as fans can finally get back to having a peaceful mind and soul that Sunday afternoons will have NFL Football.
It’s been a long four months. A part of me is exhausted having to deal with the lockout. Everyday myself and many other bloggers and NFL journalists had to squeeeeeeeze that teet for any drop of significant (and more importantly interesting) piece of NFL and Steelers news… ok ‘good’ news. I’m happy for Big Ben and his wedding nuptials, but I’m even happier that it isn’t the only good news we hear out of Steelers Nation for the next 7 months. I’m also happy that I wouldn’t have to write a 2010 season breakdown for Keyaron Fox come October. And, I am certainly happy that I won’t have to live my Steelers season through Madden 12 – I don’t think my wife would have any self respect for me watching me quietly sob and mumbling ‘It’s not real… it’s not real,’ as I have Big Ben throw a 60 yard TD bomb to Mike Wallace. There’s an edge of surliness that falls off my shoulders and these typing fingers. I can go back to being a regular smart ass without the shot piss and vinegar to go down with it.
There are two things now that I’m looking forward to that gets my heart racing in excitement – Week 1 and my fantasy draft. This year our fantasy league is allowing the carry over of last season’s players, and Crazy Craig’s is poised to take on all and be victorious in the Tie Dye League’s Sooperbowl.
Holy crap Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1 Week 1. Who in Steelers Nation is not pumped about the second Sunday in September??? Now the trash talk actually means something. For the next 7 weeks all any of us will be focused on are the Ratbirds. Bring it on Flacco… bring it on Suggs. People are worried that the team is unraveling from Mendenhall’s tweets to Hines’ DUI to Harrison’s neanderthal rants. Blame the endorphine like high that I’m on right now, but I’m not too worried. The Steelers will be the Steelers. They’ve worked through personnel problems before. I’ve called for some changes in previous posts, and I’ll think we’ll see some over the next week in free agency and during the first half of the season. But the Steelers will always play their style of football – hard hitting, intense, passionate and a winning mentality.
So like many for many of us, life is back to normal. Dogs are chasing cats. The birds are singing in the trees. The Earth revolves around the Sun. And, Charles Barkley still forgets that there is an ‘e’ and an ‘i’ in the word ‘terrible.’
So Steelers Nation I ask you this – are you ready for some Stillers football?!?!
GO STEELERS!!!!!!