momluvsfootball

After the Pittsburgh Steelers had won Superbowl XL in February 2006, there were whispers as to whether Bill Cowher would retire that year or not.  Cowher denied thoughts of retirement that year but during the 06-07 year, Steeler fans noticed a difference in our teams coach.  Normally use to seeing him animated, passionate and filled with energy, we noticed that it was, at the minimum, subdued, if not, gone.  Steelers went on to have a .500 season that year finishing 8-8.  Grant it, alot of that had to do with Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident  and then his apendectomy, which caused the quarterbacks focus to shift from getting insync with his offense to getting physically better.  However, one still had to wonder if the desire in coaching was truly gone from Cowher.  We found out when he announced his retirement at the end of the season.

Now, whispers have started turning into rumblings as those who follow the NFL wonder if another coach will look to retire.  The whispers started at the end of the 05-06 season, when we learned of the death of James Dungy.  It had been asked as to whether or not the Indianapolis Colts coach, Tony Dungy would retire after that season.  Those whispers were suppressed and the next year the Colts would go on to win the Superbowl.  At the end of this year, the whispers are once again turning into rumblings about the possibility of Dungy retiring from coaching.  To add fuel to those rumors were  Jim Irsay's comments about accomodating Dungy with his son's game.   In that, and the announcement that assistant coach Jim Caldwell would replace Dungy, should he choose to retire, has lead us to begin to believe that, this offseason, indeed Tony Dungy's twilight has come in the NFL.  Still remaining though, Dungy himself has not announced it.

There seems to be a change when a coach begins to contemplate retirement.  It may not be tangible or even noticeable at a glance, but if you look closely, you'll notice it.  We noticed it with Bill Cowher.  Question is, if Dungy comes back next season, would he still have enough passion to coach the game?  Would the players spend the season wondering if this is their last year with their coach. and if so, what would the energy level be on and off the field for the team? 

Tony Dungy has had a great career in the NFL but perhaps it's time to call it quits if he's no longer enjoying it as he once did.  A person has to be true to himself to be true to those around him.  As with any career, there comes a twilight, and Coach Dungy since you're seriously contemplating calling it quits, perhaps it's time to recognize that twilight and call it a day.

It's my personality, that when I find something that brings me immense pleasure, I latch onto it, savor it, enjoy it.  In short, I develop a passion for it.  It may be a certain style of music,  a book that I cannot put down and have to read over and over again.  Some passions dissipate, others hang on for a lifetime.

Cheesecake, I've carried the passion for a good, gourmet cheesecake since I first tasted one.  The more exotic, the better.  I'm not talking Sara Lee now, I'm talking a homebaked New York cheesecake that has fresh fruit piled on top, or an amaretto chocolate cheesecake decorated with chocolate shavings.  It is something that I will look forward to with excitement and anticipation and once in front of me, slowly savor each bite, tasting a bit of heaven.  Once finished, an instant sadness overcomes me and once again, I anticipate for the next time that I can enjoy another piece.

My greatest passion is the passion I carry for my husband and daughter.  Often they are the very air that I breath and the reason I get out of bed in the morning.  They have been my greatest pleasure and at times, my deepest sorrow.  The love that I have for them is unconditional and regardless of the ebb and flow in the dynamics between all of us, it is the love that we have for each other that pulls us all through even the most trying of circumstances.

It's often said that a woman cannot carry a passion for football because she cannot really play it.  It is true, there's very little opportunity in the US for a woman to play football, especially professionally.  The closest I've ever come to playing an actual football game were the touch football games that were played on the dorm lawns on Sundays before the NFL games.  The co-ed games that were used as an excuse to deliberately, accidentally grope the female members of the opposite team.  And it's true, a woman probably couldn't have the same passion that a man who has played the sport has, but can still have a passion for it. 

I've often been asked for tips on how to get a girlfriend or wife interested in football, in reality, this is something I cannot answer.  Having grown up in Western Pennsylvania, football tends to be the big thing there, whether it's high school, college or the NFL.  At the time, I was a team supporter more then a football supporter, watching only when my team played - whether it be the Steelers or my high school Jayhawks.  That began to change though when I left home.  I started watching other teams, especially the 49ers and the Dolphins, along with my beloved Steelers.  After all, I justified, Marino and Montana were both western PA boys.  In time, it grew into a love of the game, period. 

As I get older, I find myself following more, long after the year is over.  Where I once had no interest in the draft or who was acquired via free agency, I now follow it religiously.  This, in part, because of my husband.  This was something he taught me.  From there I started to watch the proceedings at the Combine and followed Scouts day.  Today I'm as immersed in the NFL and all things football almost as much as I am with my family. 

So my passion is the Steelers, but I'm still in love with the game and because of this, I'm still here, watching the teams race to February, having in mind who will go and sympathizing with the fans who's teams didn't make it. 

Welcome to my blog.  Perhaps this is the best place to start, a little background and a love for the game....(and no...this will not replace my Monday Morning Musings...I promise).