Jacked UP!!

(I know the photo is old, but does that discount it's awesomeness in any way? I think not.)

Only 8 hours till kick off and I'm JACKED UP!!! (Do they even do that on ESPN Countdown anymore?)

Set your Tivo's, Freevo's and Vivo's. Set your VCR, DVR, and PVR's. Roll out the Terrible Towels, Terrible Blankets, Terrible Flags, and Terrible (insert item)...If you can't tell, I'm so freakin' excited it makes me want to pee.

Steelers vs. Titans kicks off at 8:30 EST tonight. There is the obligatory kickoff show prior to the game at 8 starring some, I can only assume, people that are apparently popular in today's music scene that would be only offensive to small pockets of the population that probably won't be watching anyway or don't have televisions. But that is not the point here.

The point is, football is back!!! Back with a vengeance!!! I haven't been this excited for a Steeler's team going into the season since, well, I can't even remember (but I think Greg Lloyd was still on the team). But I'm excited just for football in general. I believe I have made my disdain for the period between the Stanley Cup finals and the beginning of the NFL season abundantly known on other posts. This puts an end to what I call the "Dog #$%& Days of Summer".

Although tonight's game may not be a marquee matchup, it is somewhat of a "revenge" game after last years week 16 loss. Those of you that aren't Steeler fans may not remember that game, but those in Steeler Nation will never forget the desecration of the Terrible Towel by LenDale "I've Never Passed A Krispy Kreme I Didn't Like" White. "So what?" "It's just a towel." "Who cares?" As a lifelong fan, I understand the history and tradition behind the Terrible Towel. I (in my warped, crazed football fan, irrational street justice, kind of way) viewed that the same as burning an American Flag. Just as Cowboy fans were outraged at the "star incident" with T.O., just as [insert team here] fans are outraged everytime Esteban Ocho Cinco celebrates a touchdown, just as football fans across the country are offended everytime Chris Collinsworth opens his self-profiling, egotistical, obnoxiously pompous mouth of his, I felt my blood boil when White and Kearse stomped that towel.

But I'm not here to point fingers, or preach about sportsmanship (or maybe I am since this is my blog and that's what blogger do). I will just say this. The same team will be taking the field tonight (minus a few guys) that played in that game. I bet they remember. You're in our house now, Mr. White.

"It's a 5-star matchup, cuz we in it" - that was the rallying cry for the Steeler's last season, as revealed on NFL Network's America's Game last night. If you missed it, shame on you. It will only be on re-aired 187 more times this season.

(also, thanks to "nearmint" for becoming my latest victim, err, I mean...follower. Hopefully I don't disappoint.)