The Love Of The Game

August 19, 2009 by mindpinball
Filed under: NFL, blogs, following the locals, football, sports, television 
The return of the NFL has fans excited

The return of the NFL has fans excited

With the NFL regular season just around the corner, I thought I would ask some folks whose opinions I respect about the game to take a look back at how they became hooked on the game, or alternatively, what they are looking forward to in the upcoming season. Before I get to their responses, I just want to thank all of them for taking the time to reply. Surely they all probably have better things to do than be quizzed by me about their football jones. So thanks. And now onward with the post that will write itself:

In no particular order, we will begin with those who replied to how they got hooked on the game:

First, we hear from @tat2dsteelergal (Twitter or blog names only):

Growing up in Pittsburgh, it’s only natural that I have a passion for football.  When I was born, in addition to the regular baby toys I also got a Steeler football and a mini-jersey.  Football was always serious business at my house.  During each Steeler game on TV, nobody was allowed to call the house – this was a known fact.  No distractions.  If the Steelers lost, we lost.  It sounds corny when you say it, but Steeler football was always a big part of our lives.

I can remember my very first Steeler game at Three Rivers Stadium.  I went with my Dad, who I didn’t particularly get along with, but football was something we could always come together on.  I remember climbing what seemed to be endless ramps to get to our seats.  I’ll never forget rounding the corner and seeing that field for the first time, it was truly magical.  I couldn’t believe I was so close to the PITTSBURGH STEELERS!  One of my heroes, Rod Woodson was right in front of me!  I stood there with my mouth hanging open, just taking it all in.  The atmosphere was incredible.  You could feel the excitement in the air, the terrible towels waving, the entire building was alive.  I was in awe the entire game.  I couldn’t believe I was actually at a football game at Three Rivers Stadium, cheering on MY team!  That was the first of many, and many more to come.

To this day, I’m still in awe when I walk into Heinz Field take everything in.  It’s still every bit as magical as it was the first time I saw Rod Woodson at Three Rivers.  I think sometimes I feel like a part of me is on that field with the Steelers.  I feel like they represent a part of me, where I came from and what I’m about.  I feel proud then they win and defeated when they lose.  I’m excited for the season to start because it gives me a chance to escape, if only for a few hours on a Sunday.  I have such a strong passion for my team, it truly makes me happy to see them out on that field, win or lose.  I could go on and on for days, but in a nutshell…football makes me happy.

Next, Lee from The City That Reeds (@Tailgate365 on Twitter):

What is it that excites me about the NFL Season?  That is sort of like asking “what excites me about breathing”.  I am a huge baseball fan and really get into other sports but there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like football.  It all started for me very young-the earliest memories I have are watching one of my all-time favorites…Walter Payton. He did things that we’re just super human and his death was a very sad day.  The day the Ravens won the Super Bowl was just an unbelievable day for me and for the city.  That’s a tough feeling to top.

Now football has become a lifestyle with the creation of my blogs and websites.  It also has become a family affair.  We look forward to every Sunday because we know we’ll either be in a parking lot outside the stadium with friends and family or at home cooking and sharing a day with no worries besides who is bringing the wings.

And now, the Pigskin Loving Lady (@pigsknlvnglady on Twitter):

Football, football, football. The cream in my coffee, and the passion that fuels my heart. I became an avid viewer of the game during my pregnancy with my first son. We were stationed in Frankfurt, Germany during the years the Buffalo Bills were making their 4 Super Bowl appearances. My husband took the time to answer all my questions, while patiently (most important) teaching me the game. I must admit, I was hooked. The beautiful battle between men, fighting for that ultimate title is priceless. Nothing brings me as much joy on a crisp September day at 1PM EST. My heart races, my palms get sweaty….awww it’s game time. That feeling has only INTENSIFIED with each passing year.

We follow with the MD Bird Lover (@MDBirdLover on Twitter):

I grew up in Niagara Falls, New York was an avid Bills fan with my entire family.

Then I moved to B-more.  Knew very little about the Colts traditions till I met my husband.  And man- what a history lesson I got. Breaks my heart the way it was handled- the way B-more was treated, Cleveland has nothing on us.

Well, I took Neil to his first NFL game at Rich Stadium after the Colts.  Suffice it to say it was a memorable day and that was when I knew! ner LOL.
Just so happens the year we got married was the same year the Ravens came to town.  At my wedding, (I have a big family) there was a tug-of-war so to speak between my siblings and relatives in New York versus my new B-more family.  I had to choose.  Since Neil and I are season-ticket holders since the Ravens inception, it was a no-brainer for me. My family had to let me go…baby girl was branching out.  The Bills are my number two team.

The thing with football is it is a universal language.  Even if people don’t follow it, they know about their team.

Last, but not least Steelergurl (@steelergurl on Twitter):

I was always a “daddy’s girl” and my dad was always a Steelers fan.  I can remember being cuddled up with my dad on the couch watching games on Sundays from the time I was about 5 years old.  By the way, that was when the Steelers won the first Super Bowl.  The love of football, or sports in general, is really my way of bonding with my father.  I was never a talker about other things in my life and we’ve definitely had our differences over the years, but the one thing that we can both agree on is Steelers football.  My father, though, was more of a baseball player himself.  When I was growing up, we had seats right behind the dugout for Pirates games.  I can remember very clearly cheering for Willie Stargell and Dave Parker.  While my brother continued the baseball tradition, I am the one who has the strong love of football.

I love the Steelers still, even after spending my adult life in San Diego, Baltimore and Washington DC, because of their style of play, the commitment of the Rooney’s and the continued bond with my father.  I can’t see ever cheering for another team.  It’s true what they say about Steelers fans, we bleed black and gold.

And we will hear from those who wanted to speak on what they are looking forward to in the upcoming season. As fate would have it, I got two responses. One from a Steelers fan and one from a Ravens fan. So in perfect symmetry, they balance each other out (no one said anything about recent on-the-field-results, alright!). No more from me, let’s get to the responses:

First, our visiting rep from the Steeler Nation, CarolinaWare from The WareHouse blog (@carolinaware on Twitter):

To see #’s 43,39,10,86,92,24,7,and 14 do their thing. @ my team.

To see if Matt Stafford will bring some SEC magic to the Lions.

If Sean “Shady” McCoy can really supplement Brian Westbrook in Philly.

If Beanie Wells can take the job from Hightower out in Pittsburgh West. @ the Cardinals.

To see some kid that I have never heard of, become a star. @ some undrafted rookie or FA get some time.

To see some REAL HITS. Probably by my team but not a requirement. I will take them in any uni.

I can’t wait to see some improbable comebacks, some quality choking and if Tony Romo can REALLY be a star without T.O. To see if Felix Jones can shine a lil brighter.

To see my boy Stanly Arnoux on the sideline for the Saints in good spirits. Listening in the defensive huddle. And getting ready for next year. @ ruptured achilles that has spoiled his rookie season.

I can’t wait to my Steelers do well. We may win it. We may not. I mean did not think we would do it last year. Wanted it but that doesn’t it would happen.

Fantasy football!

Madden football!!

That is what I am waiting on.

Now repping the home team, Bmore’s own The NFL Chick! (@thenflchick on Twitter):

I am SOOOO excited about the upcoming NFL season for so many reasons. Let me count the ways… LOL

- I’m excited to see if my Ravens can do better than last year (I hope they can, better means Super Bowl)
- I’m excited to see if this is the year someone wipes that scary smile off of Hines Ward’s face
- I’m excited to see if Tom Brady can come back from such an injury with setbacks, and dominate again
- I’m excited to see if Eli can back up his play with that humongous amount of cash the Giants just threw at him
- I’m excited to see if this is the year my boo, Philip Rivers, can be respected as one of the Top QB’s in the league
- I’m excited to see how much closer Ed Reed can get to breaking Rod Woodson’s career INT yards record
- I’m excited to see if the Lions can actually win a game this year
- I’m excited to giggle and snicker and talk trash to every person’s team we beat this year
- I’m excited about simply watching football again. Thank God it’s back!

You may be asking, well, what’s your story MP? Well, even if you aren’t I’m gonna tell you anyway. It goes a little something like this:

Growing up in a household filled with women who were decidedly non-sports fans, I basically had to pick the game up from that noted babysitter, the television. I also remember listening to older guys talk about the game at the barbershop and soaking up whatever I could from their discussions. Many of those guys were the elders who taught me early on to root for my local teams, through good and bad. That means that I started out as a Baltimore Colt fan, but I grew into a fan of the game as well. I can remember watching Super Bowl VIII as Larry Csonka ran wild over the Minnesota Vikings, and I became hooked on football. Once the Ravens came to town after that dark period when Baltimore had no NFL team, my fandom only grew, not just for the team, but for the game itself. Now that I have DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket, I look forward every year to having every game available at my disposal, inviting friends over or going to their houses for football, food and fun (smack talking optional, but usually present). Now that my wife is starting to watch games with me, I get to teach her what I had to learn myself, the game of football. I’m hoping that she too, will love the game the way I have come to love it. She may never learn every nuance about it, but I’m hoping that in time, she will pick it up just as I did.

Again, many thanks to my blogging and Twitter friends for their time, and their stories. Looking forward to hearing from you all throughout the upcoming season.

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Comments

8 Comments on The Love Of The Game

  1. The NFL Chick on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 1:02 pm

    2. This turned out really good. I’m really digging the blog! Did Tailgate change your “swag” LOL kidding. Great post

  2. molly on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 1:10 pm

    3. NICE!This is a sweet way to get even more pumped for the season.
    I feel privileged to have been included with such good company.

  3. Pigskinlovinglady on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 1:48 pm

    4. Awesomeness!!! Definitely linking back on Friday! Whoop!!!

  4. mindpinball on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 9:30 pm

    5. Thank you…maybe the move to Tailgate turned my “swag” on LOL…Thanks for your comments too.

  5. mindpinball on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 10:22 pm

    6. Molly, J-Thanks for your comments as well…I’m glad you guys were a part of this!

  6. Dave Folkens on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 10:34 pm

    7. Great post and I love the group you pulled together. I think the mix of this group alone speaks to some of the “power” of football. It’s people from all over the country with passion for different teams but there’s a connection about the game. As we see in the posts, the game means different things to everyone but there’s a thread in themes that goes beyond just sports- the game is a part of our lives.

    It ties to family, traditions, and excitement. For me, I love the game because it’s physically and mentally challenging. It also offers lessons that I think are important in other aspects of life- like teamwork, loyalty, effort and sacrifice.

    I can’t wait to see what this year brings! (*especially Steelers v. Ravens I, II, …and III?)

    Let’s have some fun-
    Dave

  7. GelaTrish on Thu, 20th Aug 2009 2:13 pm

    8. I am so glad I read this blog post. Got me more excited about the up coming season. I wasn’t always a football fan until one day in HS by brother set me straight and I sat down in front of the TV with him and my sister watching the Giants do thier thing and I was hooked ever since.

  8. molly on Sat, 22nd Aug 2009 12:12 am

    9. A family of football just grew!
    Our football family.

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