You never know what you’re going to get.
Since 1996, I’ve been on all but two of these excursions.
I’ve seen us lose close games and I have the memories of dread:
• The night Vinny Testaverde threw an interception to Rod Woodson from his knees and Eric Zeier came in and we lost 37-0 on Sunday Night Football.
• The playoff meltdown of Elvis Grbac. Enough said…
• The close loss on Monday Night Football a few years ago…
• And, of course, last year’s debacle. Thankfully, I watched that one from my hotel room in Tokyo via satellite. I think I was the only person in the Eastern Hemisphere watching the game.
So, in a few hours, we’ll depart with a completely full bus for The ‘Burgh as they like to call it. We’ll be with a bunch of drunken ‘yins from donton in the upper deck playing for civic honor.
And, hopefully, it’ll turn out better than Kyle Boller’s first disaster up there on that hot opener five years ago.
I also remember the joy of a five-hour bus ride home after kicking their asses in the old ashtray while our fans draped a “Pittsburgh is Ravens Country” sign. Tony Banks to Qadry Ismail still flickers in my mind as well.
It’s the best and worst of times, these games with Pittsburgh.
I really hate the Steelers. Deep in my soul, they are the grinches of the NFL and they must be exterminated tonight.
Joe Flacco gets a street named after him here in Baltimore if he throws three TDs and we beat their asses tonight.
I’m wishing and hoping…
That’s why we go to the games, right…
Hope you enjoy the game wherever you are tonight. We’ll be representing Baltimore and doing it with pride.
Go Ravens!