THE BLACK AND GOLD POST

PSFCOB headquarters were in The Hilton Hotel this year and the good folks at The Hilton didn’t disappoint. Masses of Baltimore Black ‘n Gold began converging on the city on Friday and throughout the day Saturday in anticipation for the evening’s events. Approximately 200 people attended the Saturday Night Party at the Hilton and had a FANtastic time. Cold beer, hot conversation and Charlie Godart all combined to make the evening a memorable one.

Sunday morning dawned cold and crisp as the hardcore PSFCOB tailgate crew got ready to step into action. The Best Damn Tailgate Party kicked off right on time at 10:00 AM and quickly reached fever pitch. The Terrible Bar, Terrible Grill and Terrible Restrooms all performed in All Pro fashion as the party continued into the afternoon hours as we approached the opening kickoff. After the game, many patrons came back to enjoy victory beers and another offering from the Terrible Grill. The good times continued well into the night.

Once all was said and done, the 400 or so folks who attended the Tailgate Party consumed over 600 hamburgers, a couple hundred hot dogs, over 100 pounds of kolbasi and washed it all down with 15 kegs of beer. Factor in two full sheet cakes and countless pounds of potato salad, macaroni salad and baked beans and it makes for one helluva good time. This is all on top of the 7 kegs that were drained at the Saturday Night Party.

Please pause for a moment and think about what it takes to put this all together. From securing game tickets and the tailgate party space to making sure there are lights and toilet paper in the Terrible Restrooms, there are so very many people who do so much. Many fans are quick to thank the Fan Club President for everything but please remember that this Fan Club is nothing that any one person does. It is truly a labor of love.

Now we just have to think of a way to make next year’s trip even bigger and better.

* The PSFCOB lost a great member and a good friend with the sudden passing of Member # 2842 Don Anderson on November 23. Don usually frequented the Bullseye Bar and Grill on game days and was very active in helping to set up things for the summer picnic every year. Don’s wife Eleanor and daughters Jennifer and Allison knew just how much the Steelers meant to him by listing in his obituary that he was a “Devoted Steelers Fan” before anything else. Those of us who had the pleasure of knowing Don miss him very much and take solace in the fact that he now has the best seat in the house.

* From the “Why Steelers Fans are the Best Fans Department”: PSFCOBer Justin Bonner and his friend made arrangements to make the trip to Pittsburgh for the game against the Jets. Upon arriving at The Saturday Night Party at The Hilton, they noticed that the only available food was the potato chips and pretzels that were on each table. Most folks would have just had another beer or two or maybe went out and got a bite to eat but not these guys. They went and found a sub shop that would deliver to The Hilton and proceeded to order 150 assorted subs for everyone at the party. This was a nice surprise for the rest of the party-goers and, needless to say, those subs were consumed faster than a Burress end route. Thanks very much guys.

* While surfing the web, do yourself a favor and check out sixteensundays.com. This is the brainchild of professional photographer and PSFCOBer Kevin Sweeney and details Steelers fans as well as their tailgate extravaganzas throughout this past regular season. Of course, the PSFCOB is prominently mentioned in Week 14. Makes for a very interesting perspective and captures the true essence of what we Steelers fans are like.

* Two unique Fan Club bumper stickers have been produced by PSFCOBer Curtis George and he is currently selling them via mail and on e-bay. They make a nice addition to any fan’s collection of Steelers paraphernalia. The cost is $4.00 each and shipping is $1.00 for the first sticker and 10 cents for each additional sticker. Mail your check or money order to Curtis George, 302 Burrisville Road, Centreville, MD 21617 or email him.

* This is just my opinion but was there anything sweeter than watching Jerome Bettis lower his shoulder and drive Ray Lewis back 6 yards during the second quarter of the game the day after Christmas? A close second would be Troy Polamalu’s interception return for a touchdown punctuated by running over Carson Palmer at the goal line in Week 4.

For articles in CLUB NOTES call Steve Chiurazi at (410) 255-0436 or e-mail him

Return to the BLACK AND GOLD POST TABLE OF CONTENTS