Diary of a Super Bowl (defeat)

by Annette Dashofy

Since Will isn’t able to be here today, I’ve volunteered to take his slot and post about the Super Bowl. Since I usually like to have my posts written and ready to go the day before, and since I knew I’d be spending the day before THIS post watching the game, I thought I’d write it DURING the game, as it happens. So what follows is my diary of a Super Bowl game.


Let me begin by saying I’m scared. But this isn’t an omen of anything. I’m always scared. I want to see a blow out, but my affectionate nickname for the Steelers is the Cardiac Kids. Sometimes I can’t even stand to watch the game until the fourth quarter. That tends to limit the strain on my heart. But this is the Super Bowl. I feel obligated to watch the whole thing, for the commercials if nothing else.

6:30PM Coin toss. Green Bay wins the toss. Steelers will receive. Game on!

But it was an inauspicious start. Both defenses have shown up to play. And the referees have jumped into the game, too. Less than six minutes into the game, and two penalties on the Steelers already. Sigh.

The Packers offense is playing well. Oh, no. This is about the point where I start proclaiming “we’re gonna lose!” I think I’ve made that statement during just about every game we play, so it’s not an omen either.

Ack. Packers score a touchdown! Okay, let’s not panic. Not so long ago we were down by 14 points at the half and we came back to win it. Cardiac Kids, remember?

Oh, crap. Ben is intercepted. Packers run it in for a touchdown. We’re seriously screwed. Can I put in a DVD and watch a movie for a couple of hours?

More penalties against the Steelers. Time to go make some popcorn. I need something for nervous munching.

Ben goes down and comes up limping. Next play: he runs for a first down. I’ve seen him do this so many times, I wonder if he fakes the injury to throw the other team off! No touchdown, but we do at least come away with a field goal. It’s 14-3.

Let me take a commercial break here to say: So far the commercials suck! Everyone seems to be trying to out-stupid each other.

Jeez. We finally make some forward progress and get hit with another penalty. More progress! Ack! Intercepted again! This is bad. Time for some chocolate. I’m again considering watching a DVD. Strongly considering it.

Packers get a third touchdown. Weeping. Okay, that’s it. I’m tuning out.

After watching a DVD, I return at just the right moment to see Mendenhall run into the end zone to bring the score to 21-17. Even better, when they cut to a commercial, it was for Pirates of the Caribbean! I love Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow. Next up, Harrison sacks Rodgers to force a punt! The Steelers look like a different team. But the Packers defense is still strong and Ben gets sacked.

Steelers’ 52 yard field goal attempt isn’t even in the right time zone.

Both defenses are strong. Steelers stop the Packers. Packers stop the Steelers. Frustration is evident on both benches.

A challenge goes our way. Packers are penalized on a punt, giving Steelers excellent field position. At the end of the third quarter, the tide seems to have turned.

And I’m still scared!

Ack! Packers force a fumble and recover it. Now besides being scared, I’m also feeling sick. Thinking I need to put in another DVD.

Packers on the one yard line. DEFENSE! Argh! Packers touchdown. This is depressing. We’re giving this game away.

Distraught, I once again tune out for a while. I come back just in time for a Steelers 2-point conversion and the score: 28-25, Packers. A three point game! Rodgers is sacked again. Packers pull another 5-yard penalty. But then a huge Packers completion. My heart sinks back to my feet. Momentum is shifting back the other way. Not good. They’re heading for the end zone. And the clock is running down. Only 3 minutes left. Steelers hold them to a field goal. With 2:07 left to play, the score is Packers 31, Steelers 25. On the kickoff return, we get hit with a personal foul penalty. We’re shooting ourselves in the foot. It will take nothing short of a miracle.

And it comes down to :56 left and fourth and five. And an incomplete pass. Green Bay wins the Super Bowl.

I have to say, making it to the Super Bowl only to lose the big game is more painful than losing in the playoffs. Or not even making the playoffs. Maybe because the Steelers franchise has won nearly all the Super Bowls they’ve played in. But tonight, the better team won. And that team was the Green Bay Packers.

Footnote: Had the Packers been playing ANY other team, I’d have been thrilled they won. My dad was a longtime Packers fan…and he loathed the Steelers. Don’t ask me why. He took his sports reasoning to the grave. So I’m appeasing my wounded Steelers pride with the knowledge that Dad is smiling down on Dallas right now. Congratulations, Green Bay.

Steelers Mania

It’s early February, which regardless of the number of days in it, is the longest month of the year. Cold. Gray. Snow, slush, and ice.

Today, of course, is Groundhog Day, but I’ve written way too much about that damnable rodent in past years. Let me ruin the suspense for you. If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, there will be a month and a half. There. Save yourself the trouble of watching the news.

In this corner of Pennsylvania, unless you’re into skiing or other winter sports, there’s only one other thing going on this week.

Pittsburgh’s going to the Super Bowl!

I know not everyone here is a football fan. And not all our Working Stiffs are Pittsburghers. But I’m a long time Steelers fan, so, yeah, I’m excited.

My personal Steelers mania goes back to the days of Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Mean Joe Greene and John Stallworth. Later, it became even more personal when I worked at Lowry’s Western Shop where many of the Steelers shopped for Western hats and boots. Mike Webster, Jon Kolb, and Mel Blount, just to name a few, were regulars. Everyone at the shop knew I had a crush on Mark Malone. Okay, he may not have been the best quarterback in the league, but he was seriously cute. So one day I was in the back, eating my lunch, when one of the sales girls came back to order me out front to wait on a customer. Yep. The customer needing assistance was none other than Mark Malone. It was one of the few times in my life I’ve been speechlessly star struck.

I can’t claim to have met anyone on the current Steelers roster. I fear if I were to run into Troy Polamalu, I’d be even more star struck than I was all those years ago.

As for the big game? I’m not going to rant and make claims about a huge victory. Frankly, I’m scared. I’m always scared when the Steelers play a big game. They’re too fond of keeping things close. My heart can’t stand it.

My hubby has to work on Sunday, so I’ll be watching the game alone. My cats have learned it’s wisest to vacate the premises when I’m watching football. I guess I do tend to scream at the TV, jump on couch when we score, and pull my hair when we shoot ourselves in the collective team foot. Felines prefer calm. Calm is not a word I’d use to describe me on a Steelers Sunday. Especially this one.

While I may be physically alone, I will be on Twitter. I discovered the fun of Tweeting with fellow Steelers fans during the play-offs. If you’re on Twitter, feel free to follow me @Annette_Dashofy. My joy and my agony (hopefully more joy!) will be out there in Twitterdom for all the world to see on Sunday night.

FYI, if I had to make a prediction, I’d go with the Steelers by 3 in overtime. Just because they like to make me suffer until the last possible moment.

And if you haven’t seen this yet, check it out. Even if you aren’t a die-hard Steelers fan, it’s a really cool tribute to Pittsburgh.

Civil Court and the Football Hero

by Annette Dashofy

I was all set to share some pictures of our local Sisters in Crime picnic. Then, yesterday, the news broke about the civil suit being brought against Ben Roethlisberger. In case you aren’t from Pittsburgh and/or are not a football fan, you can catch up on the whole sordid tale here.

The story raises a number of questions in my mind. Why didn’t she file a complaint with the police a year ago when the alleged rape happened? According to reports, the hotel management told her to keep it quiet if she wanted to keep her job.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve quit jobs for way less than that.

Why file the complaint now in civil court instead of criminal? The easy answer there is money. Apparently it’s also easier to win a civil case compared to a criminal case.

Especially a year later. When no police report was filed and no evidence collected.

I confess to some bias here. I’m a rabid Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Big Ben led us to two Superbowl wins. Does that make me want him to be innocent of the charges? Okay. Yeah. I’m not claiming to be clearheaded on this one. Ordinarily, I tend to support the woman claiming rape because, let’s face it, why would anyone put themselves through the humiliation that comes with a public trial in which the victim’s personal life is put under a microscope?

Not this time. At least not yet. It’s the whole civil vs. criminal case thing. If she were going after him in criminal court, I’d think she was seeking justice. As is, it seems to me she’s going for the cash. And anyone famous and/or rich makes an easy target.

Regardless of Big Ben’s innocence (or lack thereof), this woman is likely to come into some big bucks. At the very least there will be an offer of settlement to make her go away.

I know I’m setting myself up for ridicule by siding with the football hero. I’ve already admitted to my favoritism. I’m also willing to entertain other points of view. What do you think? What’s your take on this BIG STAR vs. little hotel employee case?

Stepping Up To The Plate

By Martha Reed

A friend of mine asked me the other day just how many projects I volunteered for. Counting the Pittsburgh chapter of Sisters in Crime, and some work at my church, and the other odds and ends I probably volunteer to do something about twice a month. She thought this was extraordinary and asked me what I got out of it all and the best I could come up with was that: 1) it keeps me busy and out of trouble, 2) I get to meet all kinds of interesting new people, 3) I feel better about myself, and 4) sometimes I even run across someone who would make a great character or a situation that fits a plot. The bottom line is it beats the heck out of sitting around staring at the tube.

That made me think of how I came to volunteer. I think I knew instinctively from an early age to offer help without expecting a reward mostly because it was expected of me. Maybe I didn’t get the carrot but I never needed the stick, either. Plus, I learned that volunteering was one way to make sure you always got included in all the fun stuff - indispensability is a powerful tool.

It also helped that I have a very curious mind because curiosity overcomes a lot of situations I might otherwise skip out off because of caution or shyness. I have followed my curiosity down into the holds of ships, into a stall at a Texas State Fair occupied by a very regal and pedigreed stallion, into a Pow-Wow in the middle of Oklahoma. Curiosity has helped me peer into the La Brea tar pits, discover a natural Etruscan spring and wade through some scratchy New England cranberry bogs. When someone asks me if I want to go explore, I volunteer a “Why not?”

My point is this: I want to encourage everyone to think about volunteering at some point this week. Just do one thing and see where it leads you. Don’t be shy. You don’t even have to know the person you’re helping. Just open yourself up to the opportunity and follow it out. More importantly, take a deep breath and volunteer to lead somewhere. I work for some tremendous organizations and everyone helps out but for some reason people hesitate when it comes to stepping forward and taking on a leadership position. Why is this? Is it because we’ve been trained to stay safely in the middle of the herd and that if you lead you might make a mistake? I really don’t know why this is, but my friend and I agree that we see it over and over where the same six people do the same six things. How do we grow the audience participation?

Of course, I do know one way that works, especially in the ‘Burgh. Win the Stanley Cup and all kinds of people show up!

GO STEELERS! GO PENS!

My Heart Was In Phoenix

by Wilfred Bereswill

Okay, I’m just back from watching one exciting Superbowl. Superbowl XLIII wound up being one of the most exciting games I can remember. And I guess a hearty congratulations goes out to many of you Working Stiff contributors and readers from the Pittsburgh area.

Honestly, being from St. Louis, past home of the Cardinals, the game reminded me of the old team that used to be here many years ago, the Cardiac Cards. The Cardiac Cards, a team famous for pulling out last minute victories or blowing a lead at the last minute. At that time, a quarterback named Jim Hart lead a squad that would make your heart race and then break in all at the same time.

What made the game even more special for us here in St. Louis was the Cinderella Story of Kurt Warner. I think I can speak for most of St. Louis that we were pulling for him to be the first quarterback to lead two different teams to a superbowl victory. Kurt Warner was down to working in a supermarket and playing arena football when the St. Louis Rams took a flyer on him as a back-up quarterback to Trent Green. Green went down to injury and Kurt Warner never looked back. He is a special man.

With 2 minutes left in the game, this blog read completely differently. The Cardinals made a miraculous comeback take the lead. A great punt led to a safety and then a touchdown and suddenly, there were just over two minutes in the game and the Cardinals had taken the lead. You could say the Cardinal defense let them down or you can give props to the Pittsburgh Offense for not backing down, or you can say that fate was smiling upon the Steelers. (Some in the room I was in felt that the bulk of the officials hailed from the greater Pittsburgh area.)

Regardless, the Lombardi Trophy will find a home in Pittsburgh and a bunch of guys will be sporting expensive new rings. Once again, Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers.



So what about the commercials? For the past 17 years I’ve been more enamored about the Superbowl commercials than the game. This year, not so much. Being an ex-Anheuser-Busch employee, I was always proud to watch the commercials. I did notice 3 Clydesdale commercials, but didn’t particularly like them much. Doritos had a few funny ones. GoDaddy went sexually provocative as usual. Pepsi? Ehhh! Coke zero had a good takeoff of the old Mean Joe Green commercial. Dorito’s crystal ball was funny.

For a refresher, you can watch them on Hulu.

We’ll have to wait till morning for the Ad Meter official results to be posted in the USA Today, but I’ll go out on a limb and say that A-B will come out on top. So what do you think? Chime in and let me know what you think.

Back to Work

by Annette Dashofy

A person can only take so much celebrating. I’m exhausted. First, the Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC Championship on Sunday and is headed once again to the Super Bowl. The Steelers Nation had one day to celebrate before being overshadowed by a little thing called the inauguration.

Wow.

Has there ever been such a day in this country? My 88 year-old mother says she never watched an entire inauguration before. I have, but I usually lose interest after the actual ceremony. Yesterday, I couldn’t tear myself away from the TV.

I remember when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Yes, I’m giving away my age. I remember the screams of the girls in the audience that night. The screams of the crowds along the parade route yesterday reminded me of that.

I’m realistic enough to know it won’t last. Yesterday was about celebration. Today is about getting down to work. I hope President Obama is able to capitalize on the wave of love and approval to get something accomplished before the honeymoon is over.

It’s back to work for me, too. I accomplished very little yesterday. It’s hard to write while watching the country whooping it up on the television. So I’ll be playing catch-up all day while the President is busy putting the country back on track.

One thing has been playing on my mind this week and that’s the President’s call to service. There are so many worthwhile causes out there. I’ve always waged an internal battle about where to donate money. But time? That’s even more valuable.

Right now, of course, I’m volunteering a lot of time to Pennwriters to coordinate the 2009 Conference. But I don’t consider it as selfless service. More like selfish service. Want to network with New York agents and editors? Take on a writing conference. I have hopes of using some of those connections to boost my writing career.

In my mind, selfless service is something else. The only benefit you get is the feeling of helping others. So where should I donate my time?

My first thought is the Humane Society. I love animals. My Skye kitty came from our local shelter. But I’d probably weep over those poor homeless fur babies and I’d want to bring them all home. That would lead to divorce in the Dashofy household. Bad idea.

How about Habitat for Humanity? A wonderful cause and something I think I’d enjoy. However, I can’t hammer a nail to save my life. Unless it’s a thumbnail. I’m dangerous with power tools. But I’m a great go-fer.

Put Habitat on the “Maybe” list.

I have given serious consideration to volunteering at the local food bank. Also, our local library.

Lots of places can use help. What about you? Do you volunteer anywhere? If not, are you willing to consider it? Where do you think your particular skills would best fit in?


And if you feel a letdown after all the celebrating, remember the Super Bowl is only a week and a half away. Hopefully Pittsburgh will have something else to celebrate on February 1st.