Pittsburgh Steelers – Baltimore Ravens (27-12-2009)

As I had to drive back from New York to Indianapolis after Christmas, and Pittsburgh is roughly halfway, I decided to watch a game of the Steelers on the way back. Obviously, the game was sold out weeks in advance – people can be on the season tickets waiting list for years without ever getting one – I got quite a good deal on Stubhub -- $150 (including tax and service charges) for a fantastic seat – undoubtedly helped by the fact that I needed only one single ticket.

I had stayed the night in a hotel around Pittsburgh airport and left Sunday morning around 11 as I had read a lot about terrible traffic and the impossibility of finding (affordable) parking spots. However, traffic wasn’t too bad and around 12 o’clock I parked for free at a side street at a less than 15 minute walk from Heinz Field (and virtually next to a $40 tailgate parking lot).

The weather was perfect: sunny but cold. I walked in a sea of black-and-yellow Steelers fans to the stadium, which I entered half an hour before kick-off. Heinz Field is a big open football stadium with a capacity of 65,050; home to both the Steelers and the Panthers (University of Pittsburgh). Inside the stadium is a large plaza full of high-quality eateries (including a Primanti Bros with consistent long lines) and with the record six Super Bowls on display. In addition, there was a live band playing metal covers.

Although the Steelers, last year’s Super Bowl winners, were having a bad season, a last-second touchdown in last week’s game put them back into wild card contention. The Baltimore Ravens were on course for a wild card, but lost the week before. In other words, this traditional rivalry was even more important than normal, and you could feel the tension among the home fans. The stadium was sold-out, as always, and I guestimate some 500 Ravens fans had been able to get a ticket.

Just after 13.00 the game was started, after a fairly original national anthem by local band B. E. Taylor, and the home fans directly showed that I was in a real city. Most comments were negative and full of profanity. The guy behind me, a police detective in Washington DC, shouted at the Ravens quarterback “He, Joe Flacco, You Sucko”, which became an instant classic. Not much more need to be said about the quality of comments from the people around me. So, let me turn to something more positive, my seat, at the 45” line! This is a picture take without a zoom!

The first period was quite poor: no touchdown, just field goals, and a score of 6-3 for the Steelers. I was amazed by how critical the fans were to their own team. Clearly, they had expected much more of the season so far. The one thing that Steelers fans are known for is the “terrible towel”, a yellow towel with which they wave when singing, very similar to the scarves that German football fans use.

The second period brought more entertainment. Both teams score touchdowns, keeping the game close. Then the Ravens get an interception, but the first play after that the Steelers have an interception; typical for the game. But just before half time the Steelers score a second touchdown and finally create some space between the two teams: 20-10.

After some half time entertainment by Cello Fury, three cellists and a drummer, the game starts again, but I miss most of the third period being in line at the Primanti Bros. The Ravens score a touchdown early on, which brings the score to 20-17. On the monitors I see an interception by the Ravens which is followed by a 50 yard touchdown… only to be recalled because of a defensive foul. A field goal a bit later does bring the two teams together at 20-20.

The fourth period remains really tight. With some five minutes left on the clock, and me starting to worry about overtime (as I still had a 6 hour drive in the snow ahead), the Steelers kick a field goal and get three points ahead: 23-20. As I start to leave the stadium, making sure that I won’t get stuck in the postgame traffic, I see another Ravens interception with a 50+ yard touchdown on a monitor. And would you believe it, it is again overturned because of a dumb holding foul. So, in the end the Steelers win 23-20 and keep their hopes for a wildcard open.

There is no doubt that people in Pittsburgh, and miles and miles beyond it, love the Steelers. No, they live for the Steelers. As the big team in the league, many people hate them, and their own fans are very demanding. Hence, a Steelers game gives you a great insight into the NHL: big, boisterous, and brutal.

Indianapolis Colts – Denver Broncos (13-12-2009)

As soon as we moved to Plainfield, just outside of Indianapolis, we noticed that Indy is crazy about its Colts. Everywhere you go you see men, women and kids wearing blue-white gear. As I got more and more into the NFL, while remaining loyal to college football too, I couldn’t resist the Colts temptation and became a fan. While the fantastic season did help – before the Broncos game the Colts were 12-0 – it was the heroic comeback against the hated New England Patriots on 15 November 2009 that sealed the deal. However, being a Colts fan in the Indianapolis area can be quite frustrating, as all games are sold out virtually before the season starts. And tickets through scalpers are expensive. In the end, M. treated me to our first Colts game for Christmas, buying two tickets for $200 each (!) on eBay.

We parked the car in the center of town and walked to the stadium, surrounded by the blue-white army. The massive Lukas Oil Stadium stands just outside of the lively part of the city center and is one of its key landmarks. Excited we entered the stadium and could hardly believe our eyes.

From the inside the Lukas Oil Stadium is unlike anything I have ever seen. With the roof closed it is a gigantic indoor arena but with the atmosphere of an outdoor stadium. Absolutely amazing! Opened only in August 2008, it can hold 63.000 – while not impressive compared to many college football stadiums, the setting is much more comfortable and the acoustics are phenomenal. Moreover, the $200 were well spent, as our seats were absolutely fantastic. This is a picture without zoom!

Obviously, nothing could be started without the obligatory national anthem. And, as Indiana is definitely among the more patriotic states, this was combined with rolling out an absurdly large American flag, spanning the whole field.

In the pre-game tv show, most pundits favored the Colts, but expected a tight game against the Broncos, who are still playing for their division championship or a wild cart for the play-offs. The Colts have already clinched the AFC South division, but would get play-off home game advantage if they would win this game. And they started like possessed. Within a couple of minutes they were 1^st and goal. After two attempts, Payton Manning throws and…. touchdown Colts!

With 7-0 up, the defense was putting the pressure on the Broncos offense and within seconds the Colts were back in possession. Again the offense showed its strength and within minutes it was 14-0, still in the first period. In fact, shortly into the second period the Colts were up 21-0 and the Broncos had hardly had a first down. What power! Unfortunately, that was also the extent of the Colts offense. Fortunately, the Broncos offense wasn’t that much better and, more importantly, the Colts defense played fantastic.

In the second period the Broncos finally score a touchdown, making it 21-7, while the Colts increasingly fail to get a first down. The third period is even worse, with Manning throwing his second and third interception of the game (!), and the Colts scoring virtually no first downs. It is only the defense that keeps them in the game.

Like the other Colts fans around me, I am not so much worried about losing the game, but rather increasingly frustrated by the extremely poor performance of the offense in general, and Manning in particular. In the fourth period the Broncos score a field goal and a touchdown, coming back to 21-16.

This finally wakes up Manning and the offense, who with some difficulties score their first first down in ages. This awakens the crowd too, who are again starting to cheer and shout for their offense. As so often this season, the Colts (and Manning) come through when it is really needed, and they run out the time as well as score a last touchdown: 28-16 and game over.

While I am no fan of commercial use of religion in American sports, I must admit that I did like what I saw after the game. Various players of both teams came together in the middle and prayed together in a circle. It seemed sincere.

While I am far from objective, the Colts are a must see for any (American) football fan! Even when they play bad (at least offensively), as today, they are a powerhouse with stars like Manning, Wayne, Addai, Clark, and Freeney. Moreover, Lukas Oil Stadium is worth a visit by itself. What an amazing sports arena. I cannot wait to go again! Perhaps for the play-offs?