The Best Sporting Event...EVER!

I have been fortunate enough to attend a lot of amazing sporting events so far in my life. I have attended ten straight Big East Basketball Tournaments in New York City. I went to the last game in Three Rivers Stadium for Pitt, the Pirates and the Steelers. I saw Pitt play their last games at Pitt Stadium and The Fitzgerald Fieldhouse. I was also at the first game for all of those teams in their new venues. I have seen multiple bowl games and NCAA Tournament games. I have seen Touchdown Jesus in South Bend, the Ivy in Wrigley and the Cameron Crazies. I witnessed Jordan score his 30,000th career point and saw J.J Reddick set the new all-time scoring mark in ACC play. I have been to Backyard Brawls in Morgantown for basketball and football and been to “White Outs” in State College. I have seen Mario, Tiger, Barry, and Griffey. None of those things come close to what I saw Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

There was just something about being at the Super Bowl. It was my first, and hopefully not my last. There was almost a buzz of electricity, and from the moment you entered the stadium, you could tell you were about to take part in something special. And boy did we ever.

From the “Here We Go Steeler” chants on the escalator, to the fly-over after the national anthem, the game had yet to start and I sat in awe of what surrounded me.

I have been to many Steeler games in my life, maybe a hundred or so, but Sunday was the first time I sat with the Steeler Nation for a game. I am not talking about just the Pittsburgh chapter, I mean the whole Steeler Nation. The two guys in front of me were wearing Roethlisberger and Ward jerseys; they flew in from London for the game. The girl behind me moved to Florida from Pittsburgh for college. The girl next to her was from New York, but went to school at Penn State, then Pitt. This truly was Steeler Nation, and I was a part of it.

On Sunday, I saw Silverback James Harrison make NFL history then collapse on the sideline, too winded to get up after taking the wind out of Kurt Warner and the Cardinals' sails. I saw my favorite Pitt player of my generation, Larry Fitzgerald, dash 64 yards and the hopes of many Steeler fans. I hated the fact that I liked him so much that I could not hate him for that. Then I saw Ben stayin’ alive in the pocket to make a play as if it was 1977 and the Bee Gees just released the single. I saw Santonio streaking down to the 6. I watched as the Super Bowl went right through his hands on the next play. Then I saw his best Fred Astaire impression as he toe tapped in the end zone and pulled in number 6 for all of the Steeler Nation.










I want to thank my parents and my Uncle Scott for making those incredible memories possible.

I'll be adding more picture later in the week.