die-hard.

when i was growing up, i was what you might call a fairweather-football-fan (but only if you like a good alliteration) i watched whatever game was on with the same lack of caring-at-all-about-the-outcome. i looked forward to the superbowl because it always meant a good party and another excuse to hang out with my friends. i cheered for whatever team was winning, or whatever team was losing, or whatever team had the better uniforms, depending on how i was feeling on any particular day. i went through phases where i liked the Packers, then it was the Raiders, at one point i tried to  like the dolphins, (cause i had a crush on a boy who was obsessed with Dan Marino) and i never really cared for the 49ers. but there was one exception to my wishy-washiness.

Steelers football.

i grew up in western pa, the heart of steelers country, where everyone bleeds black and gold. there was no other option on game day. the steelers were my team, whether i really acknowledged it at the time. but whoever they were playing against, i was cheering against. if they werent playing, then i didnt really care for football in the least.

now i live outside of baltimore, deep in the depths of (gag) ravens territory. and i'm married to a ravens fan. in fact, i married into an entire family of ravens fans, of the loud, obnoxious, steeler-despising variety. this makes for some good conversation, and more deeply cements my loyalty to the black and gold. the husband still thinks that in time they will convert me. they are sadly mistaken.

earlier this year, we got married on a steelers-ravens sunday. we went to the second matchup of the season in m&t bank stadium. this weekends game will be the first that the husband and i will watch our teams face off from the comfort of a couch (hopefully with a fuzzy blanket and some good snacks, too) it could be an interesting afternoon. i tend to be a fairly gracious fan, but if they get nasty with me then they had better be prepared for me to get nasty right back. i hope this wont have any negative repercusions on my marriage. or my relations with my in-laws.

all i know is that i'm going to prepare for this weekend by donning my jersey, warming up my terrible-towel waving arm, blaring HERE WE GO through my house, and digging way back into my childhood to rouse up all my deep-seeded team spirit until it begins to ooze out of me - and while i'm there i think i'll also pick up a tried and true excuse that is guaranteed to get me off the hook if things get ugly - "they started it!"