Never in Doubt

Cousin Seth said that I was the only one among the twenty or so Steelers fans who had congregated today at the Phoenix in San Francisco’s Mission District who never doubted that the Steelers would beat the hated Ravens in this afternoon’s American Football Conference North Division showdown in Baltimore and maybe he was exaggerating, but it’s certain I was one of the more vocal in professing my assurance that the Black and Gold would prevail—which they did in stirring fashion, Roethlisberger and Company mounting a late fourth quarter touchdown drive which put Pittsburgh up for good 13-9 with under a minute remaining.

I kept saying all along that we had ‘em right where we wanted ‘em, even though the Steelers trailed 6-3 at halftime and then, following a Santonio Holmes fumble deep in Pittsburgh territory which led to a Baltimore field goal, by six points (a number which loomed large in the taught defensive struggle) with under fifteen minutes left to play.

But, as a matter of fact, it was the Raven’s inability to put the visitors away with a touchdown at this juncture that assured me that Pittsburgh would win. As long as the defense kept it to a one score game, I had no doubt that the offense would eventually come through, a sentiment that few around me seemed to share, especially one loudmouthed guy who kept going on and on about how Big Ben was having an awful year and never got rid of the ball quick enough, that is, until I went off on him, reminding Mr. Pessimistic Blabbermouth Hater that all Roethlisberger had done this season was lead his team to a 10-3 record so, basically, “Shuttup,” I explained.

But I guess there are fans and there are fans and some enjoy the game by going negative; not me, though, I’m a glass half full kind of guy, even, now, after lifting it happily to the new AFC North champs!