SteelDad
05-06-2010, 02:40 PM
Every one of you will be able to relate to this. It does not matter whether you live in Pittsburgh or some other city in the US because you all have a personal nemesis. A person out there that irritates you. A person out there that you hate seeing even though you know you’re going to see them. This person is like Newman to your Seinfeld and they are stubborn, erroneously arrogant, and hold on to the past like a prom queen still celebrating her victory 20 years later. This person I speak of is commonly known as, “A Browns’ Fan.”
My personal villain is found in my local Sam’s Club store and stands about 5’ 10”, with a portly beer gut, graying hair and coke bottle glasses. He’s about 55 years old and appears to be some sort of ‘jack of all trades’ for the mega-sized price club. Perhaps he is just an aging stock boy, but I’ll move on…. Several years ago I waltzed into Sam’s looking to get a few items and as always, proudly wearing one of my many Steelers’ hats I have and started cruising up and down the aisles. Suddenly I hear a gravely voice ask, “You a Steelers’ fan?” I looked to my left to find said stock boy peering at me and I said, “Yup,” while noticing his Indians’ ball cap so I immediately know where this was heading. “Well, we’re gonna get you guys this year!” he says. “We used to beat you all the time and we’ll beat ya again this year,” he adds. “Oh, you’re a Browns’ fan huh? I replied. “Sure am,” he says. “Well, good luck this year. I’m sure Charlie Frye is destined for greatness,” I say as I move on. And that’s how it started.
So now every time I go to Sam’s I make sure I am sporting something Steelers just in case he’s there. Last year I saw him a few times wearing his ‘LeBron’ jersey. So not long after the Orlando Magic dispensed of his Cavs, I saw him again in the coffee aisle. I think he was sweeping grounds off the floor and sticking him in his pocket. Even though this guy sees me quite a bit and at 6’ 5” 280lbs I’m hard to miss, he still always says, “Steelers fan eh?” as if seeing me for the first time. Again I say, “Yup” and add, “Tough break for those Cavs. How many years since you’ve won a title?” I smiled and walked off like the cat that ate the canary and all I could hear was faint rumbling coming from his general location.
So now it continues and of course because of that abortion of a game against the Browns last year that we lost, he walks around as if he just knocked out Floyd Mayweather, Jr. but I just smile and move along. There are times when I really do hope I see him and other times when I’m in a hurry and he’s the last thing I need to deal with at that time, but he always makes going to Sam’s Club a little more entertaining. Chances are, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You have your nemesis. You have you’re Bungles fan, or Ratbirds’ fan out there. Hopefully you find them as humorous as I do. After all, it's part of what being a fan is all about.
Marc Uhlmann
www.steeleraddicts.com
My personal villain is found in my local Sam’s Club store and stands about 5’ 10”, with a portly beer gut, graying hair and coke bottle glasses. He’s about 55 years old and appears to be some sort of ‘jack of all trades’ for the mega-sized price club. Perhaps he is just an aging stock boy, but I’ll move on…. Several years ago I waltzed into Sam’s looking to get a few items and as always, proudly wearing one of my many Steelers’ hats I have and started cruising up and down the aisles. Suddenly I hear a gravely voice ask, “You a Steelers’ fan?” I looked to my left to find said stock boy peering at me and I said, “Yup,” while noticing his Indians’ ball cap so I immediately know where this was heading. “Well, we’re gonna get you guys this year!” he says. “We used to beat you all the time and we’ll beat ya again this year,” he adds. “Oh, you’re a Browns’ fan huh? I replied. “Sure am,” he says. “Well, good luck this year. I’m sure Charlie Frye is destined for greatness,” I say as I move on. And that’s how it started.
So now every time I go to Sam’s I make sure I am sporting something Steelers just in case he’s there. Last year I saw him a few times wearing his ‘LeBron’ jersey. So not long after the Orlando Magic dispensed of his Cavs, I saw him again in the coffee aisle. I think he was sweeping grounds off the floor and sticking him in his pocket. Even though this guy sees me quite a bit and at 6’ 5” 280lbs I’m hard to miss, he still always says, “Steelers fan eh?” as if seeing me for the first time. Again I say, “Yup” and add, “Tough break for those Cavs. How many years since you’ve won a title?” I smiled and walked off like the cat that ate the canary and all I could hear was faint rumbling coming from his general location.
So now it continues and of course because of that abortion of a game against the Browns last year that we lost, he walks around as if he just knocked out Floyd Mayweather, Jr. but I just smile and move along. There are times when I really do hope I see him and other times when I’m in a hurry and he’s the last thing I need to deal with at that time, but he always makes going to Sam’s Club a little more entertaining. Chances are, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You have your nemesis. You have you’re Bungles fan, or Ratbirds’ fan out there. Hopefully you find them as humorous as I do. After all, it's part of what being a fan is all about.
Marc Uhlmann
www.steeleraddicts.com