The Pittsburgh difference
One of Crispian's friends' parents have a mixed marriage. She is from Pittsburgh and a Steelers fan; he is an Eagles fan. One of their sons has threatened to stop being a Steelers fan to the point of rooting against them. She told him what that would mean.
"You know what? If you stop being a Steelers fan, I will disown you. Go ahead and ask your father what would happen if you decided to root against the Eagles. Would he disown you? No. That is the difference between a Steelers fan and an Eagles fan. I will disown you, just like that."
I turned to her and said, "Well, at least you didn't marry someone from Cleveland."
She sat back, and stared as if to try to imagine this scenario, and said, "No, that just wouldn't have happened."
"You know what? If you stop being a Steelers fan, I will disown you. Go ahead and ask your father what would happen if you decided to root against the Eagles. Would he disown you? No. That is the difference between a Steelers fan and an Eagles fan. I will disown you, just like that."
I turned to her and said, "Well, at least you didn't marry someone from Cleveland."
She sat back, and stared as if to try to imagine this scenario, and said, "No, that just wouldn't have happened."
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By the way, great blog, which I found via Open Book. I have tailgated at the Bloomfield Halloween Parade every year since 1998 (when my wife and I went there on our first date, and we live in Bloomfield now) and love Pittsburgh, as you do, for that reason as many more.