A Letter From The Editor: Celebrating my mother in a very unique way

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On this Mother’s Day, I give respect to the woman who made me.

Mother’s Day is certainly a unique holiday for me. I am lucky enough that my mother is still alive and well, and my wife, who has given birth naturally to all five of our kids, means there is a lot to celebrate on this day.

Mothers don’t have it easy, and their job never ends. Sure, I work hard, but nothing like what my wife has to handle on a daily basis. I think back to when I was a rambunctious kid, and I can’t have anything but sympathy for my own mom.

In fact, it made me think of a very unique story I thought I should share with my online Pittsburgh Steelers family.

As a kid/adolescent/young man, black-and-gold always ran through my veins. I loved all three professional sports teams in the city of Pittsburgh. I fell in love with the Pirates during those early 90s teams, and although they broke my heart I can still name the entire starting lineup for the 1992 Pirates.

Growing up in the Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr era was also a treasure. I lived and died with No. 66, and enjoyed watching them win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, and Lemieux undressing the Dallas Stars still replays in my mind regularly.

The Steelers were a team which caught my attention in 1994. It wasn’t like I didn’t watch the Steelers before that year, but the ‘94 team was the first time I really paid attention. The first time I knew the team, the players and all the other facets of team. Barry Foster was my absolute favorite player, and Levon Kirkland’s freakish size and speed is something which still amazes me to this day.

My mom would hear me talking with my dad and brother talking about the Pirates’ staff ERA, the horrible +/- of the Penguins superstars, and how the Steelers were on track to claim the AFC Central no matter what anyone said.

To this, she would always say the same thing…

“If you only applied yourself with your school like you apply yourself with those meaningless sports.”

I would just laugh, and continue talking about how the Penguins’ Power Play unit with Larry Murphy, Lemieux, Kevin Stevens, Jagr and Ron Francis is unstoppable.

This didn’t stop while I was growing up in Wheeling, WV. No, I continued my love affair with all three teams, even those 20 years of losing with the Pirates, and my mom would always say the same thing.

“If only you applied yourself to your schooling as you do with these stupid stats.”

I guess what she didn’t know is I was applying myself to my schooling, but more towards English and writing. Am I an English professor? HA! No. But do I love my favorite teams and writing about them? Absolutely!

In a strange twist of fate, here I am writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers everyday, and actually making money doing it. Is it enough to live off of? No, but it is enough to have turned my passion from a hobby into a profession.

The one thing I will never forget is how despite all her scolding growing up, my mom is my biggest fan. She reads my articles, shares them relentlessly on Facebook, and even listens to some of our podcasts because, as she puts it, “Every little bit helps, right?”

Growing up there is no way my mom every could have imagine I would be making a living off the Steelers, but here I am. She is proud of me and realizes all the work I do, but it just goes to show how a mother’s love is endless. Even though I didn’t become a lawyer or doctor, the support and love my mom has shown me throughout my life has both challenged me, yet supported me to always shoot for the stars.

On behalf of all of the staff here at BTSC, we wish all of you who are mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day!! If you are not able to be around your mother today, hopefully you can look back on positive memories with her and smile.

Happy Mother’s Day!!