In a post a few days ago, I singled out regular Ed Bouchette chatter Will_from_Freehold_NJ (hometown of The Boss, BTW) for his typically excellent -- read: well written, insightful and topical -- chat questions. Well, turns out you chatters out there do exist, and are not just screen names that pop up on my computer. Will is Will Fernandez, a Steelers fan for 32 of his 39 years, who finally attended his first game two weeks ago against the Minnesota Favres. Here's an email Will sent:
"This is Will_From_Freehold_NJ!! I was surprised & honored to be
mentioned in "Blog 'n' Gold" [
on Wednesday]! ... I've always seen your name during Ed's chats and I've always
wondered how you pick questions out of the hundreds you get each week. Keep up
the great work!!
A little history about me: I'm 39 years old and I've been a Steelers fan
for 32 years. The very first Steelers game I watched on TV, when I was 7, was
Super Bowl 13 (Cowboys-Steelers). Before kickoff my dad told me to pick a team,
I said "I'll take those guys in black & yellow." And the rest is history.
They won that game, they won the next year (Super Bowl 14) and, well, 26 years
later, they won again! It was tough growing up a Steelers fan in New Jersey in
the 80's. All my friends jumped shipped on who they rooted for: The Raiders,
Redskins, Dolphins, 49'ers, Cowboys, etc, etc. I stuck with my Steelers during
those lean years after Terry Bradshaw (Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone, David Woodley,
Todd Blackledge, Bubby Brister, etc, etc). I NEVER EVER thought of rooting for
another team, EVER!! I bleed Black & Gold!
I named my son after Ben Roethlisberger. During Roethlisberger's rookie
season I mentioned to my wife, "Hey, if we have a boy & the Steelers win the
Super Bowl, we're calling our son BENJAMIN!" Although the Steelers lost the AFC
Championship to the Patriots that year we still named our son Benjamin.
My wife, Tara, bought us tickets to the 2009 Fan Blitz at Heinz Field this
past April, it was my first time EVER in Pittsburgh! I was like a kid in a
candy store, I had a smile from ear to ear! A few weeks ago I came back to
Pittsburgh for the Browns game, it was my first Steelers game at Heinz Field! I
was so proud to be there!! I've attached a photo of myself.
... You guys at the Gazette
do a great job! The Gazette website is the first site I visit each and every
morning, year-round! Keep up the great work and I look forward to Ed's next
chat.
Regards,
Will Fernandez
Freehold, New Jersey"
No, thank you, Will. Best to you, Tara & lil Ben. And here's Will finally making his pilgrimage to Heinz Field ...
Posted
Nov 05 2009, 05:45 PM
by
Dan Gigler