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For as long as I can possibly remember my brother was an all-out 100% diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. He loved the Steelers so much that it had turned me against them; I guess it was a rivalry thing. I never understood his concept behind being a fan because I would hear he and my father yelling "not" so nice things at the TV when they messed up or did something they didn't like. I would ask them, "How can you like a team that you are always screaming at?" I am not sure they ever answered that.
When I had my daughter my brother tried his hardest to convert her into a Steelers fan. I on the other hand tried to convert her into a Cowboy fan. The team of course Shawn disliked the most. Though, she doesn't care for football at all, she did however pick the team Grandma liked the Dolphins.
For Shawn's birthday my father got the two of them tickets, which I believe was his first ever Steelers game. I remember him being so excited and couldn't wait. My dad said that it was so cold that day that they were in the stands shivering and he ask my brother if he wanted to leave, but I guess he would prefer to have froze than to leave |
| This is the the 2nd ticket stub from A game Shawn went to |
| Pictures from the game that Shawn had taken. |
| This is the ticket stub from my brothers first Steeler game. |
Shawn had a lot of Steelers heroes, but I remember him always saying that Greg Lloyd was his favorite player of all time. Though, his other favorites were Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, 'Mean' Joe Green, Louis Lipps and Bubby Brister. (Personally, I think he may have liked Bubby Brister for his name)
For the first time ever about 2 years ago my brother bought a football jersey that wasn't Steelers. He had developed a deep admiration for Vikings player Randy Moss. Today that Jersey hangs in my father’s closet though my daughter has claimed ownership to it. Shawn had also tried to turn her into a Randy Moss fan. I think he was a little more successful in that attempt. |
When the Steelers play today, I feel I owe it to my brother to at least watch for him. I find myself actually rooting for them. On top of our TV sits his Steelers doll that dances and plays "Are You Ready for Some Football." My parents bought it for him for Christmas last year and for the first time in years he had smiled at a present someone gave him. We turn it on every Monday night because that is what he did. We also have a Steelers bobble head with a picture of him in place of the Steelers face that sits in front of it and dances to the tune.
When Shawn passed away I knew I had to do what he had said he wanted done. He said when he died he wanted buried in his Steelers stuff and he was. He went to Heaven wearing his #99 Levon Kirkland jersey and his Steelers pants. When he said he would be a Steelers fan until the day he had died he kept that word and the Steelers should know that they lost one of their biggest ever fans in this entire world. I am sure he is still cheering or yelling at them even in Heaven, but no matter what Sundays and Mondays just will never be the same at our house again.
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| Click below to see Shawn's other favorite sports |
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