Sunday, January 2, 2011

New Year's Mojo

This morning’s comics had a strip (Pearls Before Swine) that shows exactly what goes on here at the House of Bluz on Steelers game days:

Thank goodness the Steelers and Ravens are done playing this year.  Unless… OMG… the Playoffs!  I’ll have to make sure Pinky is out of the house, should they meet again.

Today’s is the last regular season game of the year.  The Steelers are playing the Brownies at the same time that the Ratbirds play the Bungles, so I have to go out to Jilly’s to see the game.

Upon reviewing my Mojo Spreadsheet, I see that I’ve only been to Jilly’s for one game where the Steelers were “away,” and in that game, they wore black.  I anticipate them wearing white today, so I have no track record to go on.  That means I’m free to go any way I like.

I chose to go with the white James Harrison jersey, with yellow sleeves underneath, my Steelers socks and what I call my Honus Wagner hat.  (I bought it at Honus Wagner’s Sports in downtown Pittsburgh in September.)

The stakes for this game are high.  If we win, the Steelers are the #2 seed and will get a first round bye and will play their first round at home.  If they win, it doesn’t matter what the Ratbirds do against the Bengals; we win the division.  Or, if both the Steelers and the Rats lose, we still win the division.

The result that absolutely cannot happen is that we lose and the Ratbirds win.  That would throw the division and #2 seed to them and we’d have to play 3 playoff games on the road to get to the Super Bowl.

So, hi ho, hi ho, it’s of to the bar I go.  Wish me luck!

Note: For a high-quality, non-sports related post with lots of pictures, scroll down to the one I wrote yesterday, that describes our New Years Eve in fabulous downtown Baltimore.

15 comments:

Oilfield Trash said...

So far the game is good.

I am laying on the couch in sweat pants and a tshirt as I am too sick to get dressed up for the game. I am dressed in spirit though.

Judie said...

And the socks? What about the socks, Bluz? Haha! Just kidding!

bluzdude said...

Trash,
For the Brownies, that's all that's really necessary. They had nothing today. I bet McCoy was asking the coach if he had to keep going back out there.

Judie,
The socks were on and they did their job. Once the Steelers are done with the playoffs and/or the Super Bowl, I'll give them the washing they so richly deserve. For you, I'll even post a picture.

CrackerLilo said...

That's what happened at the Winter Classic--Pig messed with Rat's hockey mojo, too! It can't be that our boys were sloppy and the Capitals actually had some good defense going for once...

I'm glad the Steelers won today, even though I don't follow football.

How funny that Pearls Before Swine picked those teams! That strip's probably got a place on your fridge and your cube until it disintegrates!

bluzdude said...

Lilo,
I couldn't believe a national strip like that picked Steelers/Ravens out of the air. I'm just glad they weren't playing this weekend.

Judie said...

Thanks, Cowboy!

Cher Duncombe said...

Great cartoon, Bluz, and whoohoo, Steelers! I was sorry to see the Pens lose last night, but didn't the city look great! I loved the camera shots. Awesome, just awesome. So...when are you moving back? :)

bluzdude said...

Judie,
T'weren't nothin, ma'am.

Cher,
I thought the coverage was unbelievable and the city sparkled like the pearl it is.

Loved the overhead "cable-cam" shots, although they need to work on not spinning it around so much. But they should use those indoors, too. They probably would, if more people were actually watching hockey.

Mary Ann said...

What a great good spanking! Big Smiles on everyone.
Colt McCoy is an apt football name but no match for James Harrison, however respectable that name sounds.
The "Pearls Before Swine" cartoonist MUST have visited your place during a game. You probably didn't notice, making sure the popcorn and beer were properly positioned.

Mary Ann said...

HAPPY 2011! Rhymes with heaven. Or 2-1-1 means lots of fun.
Either way, ENJOY!

Mrs. Bachelor Girl said...

HAHAHAHAHA. Awesome comic.

bluzdude said...

Mary Ann,
And there are so many more variables that just product placement… there’s apparel, obviously, but also which seat in the room, which knee the Terrible Towel is on, what kind of beer it is, what quarter the popcorn is eaten in… Those guys in the strip were amateurs…

Christy said...

Who doesn't love a fanatic?

Anonymous said...

Did you hear that Honus Wagners is closing? In a way, I'm surprised they made it this long competing with all the big chains. Still...

bluzdude said...

Carpetbagger,
I saw that in the Post Gazette yesterday. I suspect they’re having trouble competing against the shops at Station Square. When I was at Honus Wagner’s in September, I was a bit under whelmed by their selection… something that had never happened before. But those places at Station Sq. had EVERYTHING!

It’s a tough gig, operation an independent retail outlet in a downtown atmosphere. I’m sorry to see them go.