I’m sure we all need something to cheer us up right about now.

In my never-ending quest to partner up with great companies looking to reach the loyal members of Steeler Nation, I was recently contacted by Dick’s Sporting Goods. Dick’s, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is one of the largest sporting good stores in the United States, offering a huge variety of sports equipment and apparel. Don’t believe me? Visit their website and check out the tremendous variety of Steelers-related merchandise they offer by clicking here.

Dick’s is currently doing a promotion where they give away a $100 gift card every day on their Twitter page. All you have to do is follow Dick’s Twitter feed by clicking here and clicking “follow.” If you already have a Twitter account, this takes 30 seconds. If you don’t, the process of signing up will take all of five minutes. Honestly, five minutes of your time in exchange for a chance to win some sweet Steeler apparel isn’t much to ask, is it?

After you’ve followed Dick’s Twitter, go to their page and answer the question, “What would you buy at Dick’s for $100 and why?” One winner will be chosen at random every day. You have to re-enter the contest every day but each day from now through Wednesday they are giving you a fresh opportunity to win a $100 gift certificate.  A total of three shots over the next three days.

Now, if you’re like me and always the last kid picked in kickball, this is the part I’m excited about. Longtime readers will know NPC is all about second chances. Or fourth chances, as the case may be.

So, NPC is proud to present Dick’s 100 Reasons to Root for the Steelers Contest. That’s right, Dick’s Sporting Goods has generously provided me with the chance to give away one $100 gift certificate. Just think, you can finally buy that Steeler replica jersey you’ve always wanted!

By the way, you’re free to purchase anything you want, be it Steeler-related or a new pair of Etonic Bowling Shoes (they’re very comfortable).  However, if one of my numerous female readers wins, I BEG of you not to choose a pink Roethlisberger jersey. Pink jerseys are for high school girls who pretend they’re interested in football to impress their boyfriends. Real fans buy real jerseys. And I know all of the ladies who come here are true members of Steeler Nation.

Anyhoo, I’m giving you 100 reasons to cheer your lungs out for the Steelers this Sunday when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals.  But first, you have to add Dick’s to your Twitter.  That is one of the perquisites for this contest.  After doing that, here’s what I need from you:

Predict the TOTAL POINTS that will be scored in this Sunday’s Steelers-Bengals game. In other words, come up with a final score, add those numbers together, and that is your guess.  Post that guess in the comments below. ONLY GUESSES POSTED BELOW WILL COUNT. If you email it to me, it doesn’t count.  One guess per person.

Also, I know some of you post with fake email addresses. Make sure you either post with a real WORKING email address or include it with your guess. I will contact the winner with the details of claiming their prize after the contest is over.  I’m not Batman so I’m not going to track you down if you don’t use a valid email address.  If I can’t contact you, the runner-up wins.

Good luck!

Editor’s Note:  For Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be nice to hear from a female member of Steeler Nation.  After an exhaustive search, I found someone witty and insightful enough to be NPC’s first outside contributor.  She chose to write about a very worthy topic:  Jeff Reed.  Turns out last night, upon hearing he was being compared to a Muppet, Skippy was cited for criminal mischief and disorderly conduct because he really really needed some paper towels.  There’s two images that should never be put together.  Take it away, Robyn…

Hello there, my name is Robyn and I’ll be your guest blogger today.  I’ve been a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers since the mid 80’s when my childhood curiosity led me to investigate just why my father was yelling “you bums!” at the TV every Sunday afternoon.  My father taught me almost everything I know about football, with the exception of exactly what that thing on Kordell Stewart’s face was.  But all the football knowledge in the world will never answer this burning question: what in God’s name do women see in Jeff Reed?

I decided to take a little informal poll to see what the average woman thought of Jeff Reed.  Without telling them why, I asked women of varying ages to give me one word to describe Jeff Reed.  Here are the results:

* Douchebag (more than once)
* Womanizer
* Eccentric
* Promiscuous
* Audacious

Some people felt that one word was not enough.  For example, one woman said “He’s not just Summer’s Eve, he’s the whole day!”  Surprising to no one, none of these descriptions has anything to do with his ability to kick the football.  So what is it that allows Skippy to get more ass than a Kennywood toilet seat?  Clearly there is some sort of attraction to guys that look like a tanned version of the Heatmiser. (see hotchickswithdouchebags)

Maybe there’s a recessive gene out there that makes you think ridiculously coiffed hair, popped collars, year round tans, and sunglasses at night are sexy.  But surely there are better Steelers to lust after.  Let’s take a look:

Ben Roethlisberger: PASS.  If you get too rough in the sack with him, he’ll get a concussion and tell the media 3 days later that he performed with 3 broken ribs.

Willie Parker:  PASS.  Two words: Fast Willie.  It ain’t a track meet; it’s a marathon!

James Harrison: PASS.  The man needed oxygen after a 100 yard dash.  See above.

Limas Sweed:  PASS.  If you fall for him, he won’t be able to catch you.

Hines Ward: PASS.  If he sweeps you off of your feet, there’s a decent chance you’ll end up with a broken jaw.

Santonio Holmes:  PASS.  I’ve seen the pictures.  Ouch.

Hmm… ok, maybe the jersey chasers are on to something here.  My apologies to Jeff Reed.  Pimpin’ ain’t easy.