Who says you can’t feel like a part of the team

The clock struck 10.

We all sat in the living room, packed with strangers who shared the same… The clock struck 10.

We all sat in the living room, packed with strangers who shared the same purpose, as the final minute neared.

Our anticipation built up like nothing ever before as the smell of scattered empty bags of chips, beer and smoke filled the room to a point that we almost couldn’t stand. But, at this point, smells were the least of our worries.

Matt Hasselbeck was on the verge of leading the Seahawks down field, but a final incompletion finally turned the ball over on downs back to the Steelers.

And when Ben Roethlisberger received the snap from Jeff Hartings, took one step backward and kneeled down to seal the game, an overwhelming joy filled every single one of us.

We all felt the wet coldness of a Gatorade shower when the chills riveted through our bodies.

I mean, the Pittsburgh Steelers just won the Super Bowl for the first time in 26 years, providing the first championship in the city of Pittsburgh since Mario Lemieux led the Pens to the Stanley Cup in ’92.

We couldn’t believe it.

Not knowing what to do, we first headed to the streets. We knew there would be others looking to celebrate.

It’s only a sport – only a game, others would say – but when your team wins it all, and you happen to be in that team’s home city when they do, it’s something that not many people get to witness.

You start to feel like you went through all the same struggles that group of teammates did during the season.

You know, you feel exactly like you were a part of the team.

With this season, and with this team, we practically were. We were there when Big Ben went down with an injury, and we stuck around when Tommy Maddox nearly threw the season away.

We cheered when Hines Ward broke the receptions record and we sank back down when the Bungles beat us in our own field.

We took a joy ride through that final seven-game win streak that got us to the big game. Some were even lucky enough to see it in person, or make their first trip out to see what exactly they’d been missing all these years.

You never practiced once with the team, but you felt as if you had. You showed up for every single one of them.

You never coached a game of anything in your life, but you knew all the right moves that head coach Bill Cowher was searching for – at least, you thought you did.

When we reached the streets, hundreds of others who had no idea what to do next joined in on the fun. We all just screamed and yelled, while a few started the first of many fires we got to see.

After the fires got old, we produced a high tide in the sea of black and gold that flooded all of Forbes Avenue.

We gave high fives, waved our terrible towels and sang a continuous loop of “Here we go Steelers! Here we go!”

Hundreds quickly turned to thousands as the Cathedral of Learning created a huge roadblock where everyone felt the need to set up shop for a celebration that lasted for hours.

Regardless of how bad the team may have played on Sunday, they still came out victorious and we were all champions.

Most of us were too young to realize what happened with the Penguins, and the Pirates fell off the face of the Earth in terms of championships.

This was a long time coming.

I’ve never seen anything like it in my years in sports, and I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time and can erase it from my to-do list.

So celebrate as long as you want Steelers fans. For the next year, you are the NFL Super Bowl champions. Let it sink all in, though; it’s possible you may never see something like this in your lifetime again.

But don’t forget about the off-season.

Stay in shape, get your contract together and be ready for mini camp in Latrobe, Pa. Every one of you will be needed in order to successfully defend the title.

Alan Smodic is a senior staff writer for The Pitt News. Tell him what you did to celebrate by e-mailing him at ams85@pitt.edu.