Things the Steelers Ruined for Me, 2009 Edition

So, the Steelers' record rests at six-and-six, and the playoffs loom ahead as opportunity for teams who haven't blown their fair share of fourth quarter leads over the past three months. We in Steeler Nation collectively weep into our beer-stained Terrible Towels and cry out in despair, "Why? Oh, the talent wasted! Oh, Troy, please come back and save us with your superhuman-ness! What the heck kind of defense is that? Are you seriously telling me we can't score a touchdown in the red zone against the Oakland Raiders? Oh, spare us from this never-ending nightmare!" (If you think this is exaggeration, you clearly have never done busniess with a die-hard Steeler fan...)

While some might wonder where to put that frustration, I will place mine squarely into this blog post, so appropriately titled. Here, dear friends, are the things now ruined for me - at least for the time being:

**My morning routine. I can no longer watch "Mike and Mike" on ESPN or, conversely, listen to them in my car on my way to court. No, they might inadvertently mention the NFL season and that could send me straight into apoplexy. Now, I have no direction while drinking my coffee and flip mindlessly through the channels trying desperately to avoid all sports information like the plague. When I come out of bed in the morning, Greenie and Golic don't greet me anymore like they have in the recent past. Ol' Scotty P. has that ridiculous Robin Meade from HLN blaring her cheesy pageant smile and I just can't take it for a minute. My whole start to the day wrecked. Thanks a bunch, black and gold.

**Christmas. You just know there will be packages under the tree filled with Steelers' trinkets and wares. And while I still love 'em with a white hot passion, every sight of black and gold memorabalia is currently like a kinfe in the gut, a reminder of what could have been. I'm sure this feeling may diminish in the next few weeks - especially if there happen to be at least a couple of wins mixed in there - but right now, this is where I am and I can't help it. (And I know I'm not alone, either.)

**Weekends in January. As if the post-holiday depression and weight gain isn't bad enough, I am slowy coming to the sad realization that my weekends will be devoid of football games about which I actually care. Nothing to look forward to when the tree comes down and the presents put away. No hope for that extra game in February. Gone, all gone. Blah.

**My motivation to cook dinner. I don't get any domestic traits honestly, so for me to actually get into the kitchen and cook takes some doing. Usually, I can put on "Around the Horn" (aka "Sports Shouting" for all you 30 Rock fans!) and listen to Woody and the fellows debate while whipping up one of my signature dishes - of which I only have several. All the sports stimuli truly gets me into the culinary spirit and, dare I say it, I find it enjoyable - especially when "Pardon the Interruption" follows. As you might guess, I can't watch these shows anymore and, thus, I have zero drive to cook anything. I hope we don't starve. I really, really do. But unless something turns around on the gridiron, I can't promise anything.

**My will to live. Just kidding - come on, now! I know I'm crazy about those stinky Steelers, but I haven't completely lost it! Especially when you consider there are still four more games on the schedule and if all the stars aligned just so and several AFC teams got lost on their way to the stadiums on Sunday afternoon and perhaps a few of them took pity on Pittsburgh and forfeited, we're still alive for a Wild Card spot!! Here We Go, Pittsburgh - Stairway to Seven, baby!!