This Fan is Ready for the Steelers 2013 Season

December 30, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu (43) runs onto the field during player introductions against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

I’m usually a little sad when the Superbowl is over because there are no more football game for a while.  This time, I’m ready to move on and tired of seeing the Raven’s faces all over the place.  Seriously, they are already planning a statue for Ray Lewis?  Isn’t this statue thing getting out of hand?  I can just see it now, they will do it with him in that squirrel dance stance and years from now it will only serve to scare small children.  I see that John Harbaugh gets to be on one of the late night talk shows and I wonder how much he will whine during that appearance.  Yeah, yeah, this sounds like sour grapes from someone whose team didn’t do as well as expected this year, but really, I feel this way about the Ravens all the time.

During the regular season I was at a local sports bar to watch the Steelers game and the Ravens were also playing.  There was a table full of people with Ravens jerseys on and while it didn’t completely kill my appetite, I just did my best to ignore them.  At one point someone dropped a cell phone on the floor beside me and without thinking, I picked it up and handed it to the person looking for it.  The man laughed and said:  “Imagine that, a Steelers’ fan helping out a Ravens’ fan.”  I laughed and went back to the game.  That’s kind of how I feel – nothing against the individual Ravens’ fans as long as they stay out of my face, but there is something about the organization that I just really can’t say much good about them.  I feel the same way about the Bengals and the Browns.  The division rivalry means something.

While we’re waiting to get to the exciting part of the offseason and find out what the team is going to look like, the Steelers are wrapping up a few of the social things.  Players are spending time recovering from the season’s grind and being with their families.  Hines Ward was back in the ‘Burgh to attend the Dapper Dan award ceremony and Bill Cowher came back to do his intro.  I’m glad to see Ward continue to get recognized.  He was always a favorite player of mine.  I’ve never bought a numbered jersey because I can never decide whose number I want.  His number is on the list I narrowed down but never could get down to a single choice.  My list also has Bradshaw, Swann, Wagner, Harris, and even Woodley.  I decided to just go for shirts with the logo.

Brett Keisel “sheared the beard” in his annual event to benefit the Children’s Hospital of UPMC.  I’ve never seen anyone grow a beard like that and look so different when he shaves it.  I could walk by him on the street and never know who he is because of that beard.  It’s amazing how he gets the chin straps around it during the season.  I saw a tweet that said LeBeau, Batch, Tomlin, Dan Rooney and some others all snipped a chunk of the beard before it was cut off.  What a great event.  I’ll be sorry to see Keisel go if the Steelers release him, but glad he’s been a Steeler for so long.

Well, I hope the news starts to pick up soon.  It’s fun to speculate about the draft and who will or won’t be with the team for the next season, but I’m ready to see some actual movement!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m also ready to watch the Pirates season get started and I’m going to try to get to some spring training games, but there is nothing like Steelers football.  I’m having withdrawl…

Here we go Steelers, Here we go!