For me, the 2010 football season started when my girlfriend and I took our little pilgrimage to the pro football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio last August.
It was a fun time, and after looking at all the history, I just wanted to see the Steelers make another run at it this year. With all the adversity they faced way before the 2010 season even started, perhaps, it was just wishful thinking on my part.
But despite facing so many hurdles in the 2010 season, the Steelers had a very consistent year, just as consistent as the 2008 season, and they found themselves in Dallas last night for a chance to win another Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, the Steelers lost in their bid to win a 3rd Lombardi trophy since 2005. Speaking of the 2005 season, the Packers did what the Steelers did that year. They were the 6th seed and had to win all their playoff games on the road in-order to make it to Dallas. And just like the 2005 Steelers, they were the favorite going into the game and were the better team throughout much of the contest and they deserve to be the champions of the NFL.
I won't rehash the loss because that will be done enough today and in the days and weeks and probably years ahead, but I will say that Pittsburgh lost Super Bowl XLV because they were on the negative side of the most important stat in football: Turnovers.
You can say what you want about quarterbacks, high-powered offenses, great defenses, special teams and coaching, but there is nothing that shifts the momentum of a football game more than a turnover.
The Steelers turned the ball over three times, the Packers didn't turn the ball over at all, and that's why they are the champions and Green Bay will have bragging rights for the near future.
But I am proud of the Steelers for overcoming so much in the 2010 season to make it to the greatest event in sports.
Speaking of this just completed 2010 season, last night's game pretty much summed up the 2010 Steelers. They faced many obstacles throughout the game. They found themselves down by three-scores just before halftime and could have very easily given in to the Packers and their superior play throughout the first half, but they hung in there, looked adversity right in the eye, and found themselves with the football and a chance to win the World title with two-minutes to play.
I thought they were going to pull it out right until the bitter end, but they didn't.
It took me a few hours to really process it, and I was totally drained last night, but this morning, I am proud to be a Steelers fan.
They had a great year, and as the title of my post suggests, if you're a football fan, and you find yourself depressed on a February morning, that just means your team had one hell of a year.
I won't lie, this one hurts a little more than Super Bowl XXX, but that's because a good deal of these Steelers are two-time champions and I'm just not used to seeing them come up short in the biggest of games.
But this season and the fun I had for the last few weeks watching them on this playoff run, I wouldn't trade it for anything except maybe a Steelers win last night. For me, this was a test of my theory that I would rather see them make it to the Super Bowl and lose than not make it at all. A lot of people feel differently, but if you feel that way, how did you feel the last two weeks? Weren't you happy that they made it to Dallas? Weren't the last two weeks fun for you? Didn't you feel festive?
I know I felt all those things and the only thing I would change is the outcome of last night's game. I think I passed the test. I'm a little down, but years from now, I'll look back on this year and smile.
Thanks for a great season, Steelers!
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