I Feel Like I'm Cheating....

I've been a lifelong Steelers
fan - except for today....

I've had a lifelong love affair. Every year, my fondness and love toward the object of my affection as grown stronger - not weaker.

But I'm not going to lie, as with any relationship that endures and stands the test of time there are ups and downs, but I've always been unwavering loyalty.

Until today.

For as long as I can remember, I've been a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. If family folklore is to be believed,  my enduring loyalty to the Iron City footballers began when I was in Kindergarten and my mother bought me a black-and-gold Steelers knit cap topped off with a pom-pom. Regardless of how it started, the fact remains that it has faithfully endured.

Until today.

This evening, my wife and I will attend the first preseason home game of the Baltimore ravens (the lowercase "R" is a literary middle finger to the ravens) who will be playing the Kansas City Chiefs. In and of itself, there's nothing ethically or morally wrong about attending a preseason NFL game. Except for the fact that the divisional rivalry between the ravens and Steelers is perhaps the fiercest within the entire National Football League.

Given that extreme animosity between my cherished Steelers and the whorish ravens (I write whorish because I got ultra-cheap, discount tickets for seats near the field and the 50-yard line - sweet seats but whorish none the less) I wonder if I'm doing the right thing attending the ravens' game tonight?

I cajoled my wife into the excursion as a final fandango of our "Kid Freedom Week" (our daughters are still visiting their grandparents for the next 48 hours and we've got to maximize) so I'm bugging out of work earlier and we'll visit the Baltimore Inner Harbor, tour the city and then the ravens' game.

While I'm excited about the day trip, I feel a little dirty inside - like I'm cheating on my beloved Steelers.

I'm sure I'll get over it once I'm in the stands with a bratwurst in hand. Perhaps I can rationalize it as a scouting exercise to identify the ravens' weaknesses for seasonal exploitation by the Black-and-Gold???  Now that's a lie I can believe!  BTW, did you see the Steelers' dismantling of the "Dream Team" Eagles last night on FOX???

GO STEELERS!!!

Question: Have you ever had a funny or frivolous loyalty that's been called into question?