My one hidden love...

I don't know what it is, but there is this vibe in the cycling community (as well as other sports that have a strong European following) that if you truly love cycling then you cannot even pretend to like American sports, least of which American Football. Well, I do dammit, and I LOVE the Pittsburgh Steelers. There, I said it. I am not afraid of it. I proclaim my love from the mountain tops! From early September through late January (and hopefully early February) I love the NFL and the Steelers.

Now, I am NOT one of those guys that gets sooooo into it that he says "we won" or "we lost" when the Steelers win or lose, don't get so worked up when they draft a college bust that I can't eat (Judas Priest, look at me, I don't think I've ever missed a meal) or anything like that. But if they are on TV, I can't not watch them (yeah, I know, double negative...so shoot me). I love the smash mouth football they play and I just dig the whole vibe of the NFL.

So, I am sure this is getting some serious cyclist's Assos chamois in some sort of bunch. By God, if you can't drink some sort of expensive red wine and eat some Camembert cheese that smells close to the collective feet of all the participants of the Dakota Five-O post race, then it isn't a sport! I can hear it now, the Cro-Magnon jokes about the players, the "high" humor of the offended, shit I can see 'em in their tweed blazers with the suede elbow patches.

Well, screw 'em. I can love to ride a bike AND love to watch guys crush each other on the football field. No one is going to make me feel bad about loving the NFL. I will never apologize for watching it...sorry I was yelling at the TV tonight, honey.