YOUR 15 MINUTES: Crazy Steelers Fans

We normally don't DO football here at Celebrity Hijinx but I have to pay homage to the crazy Pittsburgh Steelers Fans before this Superbowl Sunday. If it wasn’t for the sometimes-fabulous Pittsburgh, you would not have this always-fabulous blog.

Many, many, long years ago in our younger days, the Steel City brought Dino and I together and we continued that friendship straight out of that city. Formerly a next door neighbor of Three Rivers Stadium, then a big empty lot, then Heinz Field, the Steelers fans woke me up into one-too-many Sunday hangovers. So crack open a cold IRON CITY beer (or IC light if you’re on some trendy diet) and check out some of these recent stories about some quality yinzers and more... (yinzer is Pittsburgh for "a special breed of Pittsburghers" close to the modern-day definition of "white trash")

• Pregnant mom induces labor to keep Superbowl plans. A pregnant Steelers fan is not letting the birth of her baby get in the way of the Super Bowl celebrations. She convinced her doctor to induce her early, so she'll be home in time to watch the Super Bowl with all of her friends. Welling started putting the pressure on her doctor as soon as she learned her due date, but the doctor wanted to make sure it was safe, and that the Steelers were actually going to the Super Bowl. “Two weeks ago, I said, we're talking. I have to be induced. I cannot be in the hospital for the Super Bowl,” Welling said. The doctor gave the O.K., but it was almost too late. During the stressful finish to the Steelers game against Indianapolis, Welling went into serious contractions. [source]
• Steelers fan has heart attack over fumble -- literally. Terry O'Neill, 50, of Pittsburgh, was watching the game at a bar and had a heart attack seconds after Jerome Bettis fumbled trying to score from the 2-yard line late in the fourth quarter. "I wasn't upset that the Steelers might lose," he said. "I was upset because I didn't want to see him end his career like that. A guy like that deserves better. I guess it was a little too much for me to handle." Get well soon O’Neill. [source]
• Groundhog Day turns into Steelers rally. There were a few boos at the groundhog's prediction of six more weeks of winter, but most of the hundreds of revelers instead turned the event into an impromptu Pittsburgh Steelers rally. Fans in football jerseys sang "Here we go Steelers," and members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle -- the top-hat- and tuxedo-wearing businessmen responsible for carrying on the groundhog tradition each year -- threw black and gold Steelers "Terrible Towels" as they waited to rouse Phil from his burrow, which was lined with a terrible towel. [source]
• Pittsburgh Runs out of Terrible Towels. Apparently the city of Pittsburgh has sold out of the trademark yellow towels people wave at the game. [Source -- some girl at the bar during my lunch break]
• Bring your Terrible Towel to Work Day. Even the House of Representatives in PA wants in on the action. They brought their terrible towels to work and sang the Steelers fight song. Who needs legislation when there’s football. [Source -- my dad]
• They Name Food After their Quarterback. Go to Pittsburgh and you can eat a Roethlisberger burger. [source -- I ate one]

PS. Is it me or does that Lamar Hunt Trophy Jerome Bettis is holding look super cheap...like they just ripped some wood paneling off the walls in some back office in the NFL and slapped some metallic plastic on?