Super Bowl XL …

I have been a Pittsburgh Steelers’ fan for as long as I can remember, even though I spent my childhood in the Washington, DC area. I was born just outside of Pittsburgh, and my indoctrination to the game came at the hands of my Aunt Mary in Pennsylvania. She would jump up and down and yell at the players on the screen. “Run, run, run, Franco!” “Catch it, Swanny!”

The Super Bowl’s number in any year is also the same as my birthday that year. Growing up, I was rather spoiled by my favorite teams’ success. Between my 9th and 14th birthdays, the Steelers won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, XIV). At the time my friends were Redskins or Colts fans, and they didn’t have much to cheer about.

The Steelers have still been very successful by most standards, but they haven’t won the Big Game in 26 years, and have only made it to the Super Bowl once in that time (Super Bowl XXX). This year they defied the odds, winning 3 games on the road in the playoffs as the six seed, and earned the right to play in their 6th Super Bowl.

Sarah and I have been cheering them on the whole way from our seats at McGuillicuddy’s Irish Pub. Each week we put on our Steelers shirts and yell at the screen. “Run, run, run Bus!” “Catch it, Hines!”

Today is the big game against the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks, and I am nervous as hell. All I want for my 40th birthday (2/16) is for the Steelers to win Super Bowl XL.