#5 See a Steelers game in enemy territory

I'm a huge Steelers fan.  It's not just a team, it's a way of life.  I love yinzers, the Rooney family, the gold bridges, and how all three Pittsburgh sports teams - Steelers, Pirates and Penguins - share the same colors, Black and Gold.

And just as much as I love the Steelers, many other teams hate us. While our biggest rivals are the Ravens, we also are lucky enough to have other rivals due to our lengthy history. For example, the Raiders and Cowboys. So when the 2012 schedule came out, and we were scheduled to play in Dallas... I just knew.  I needed to go to that game.  I needed to #5 See a Steelers game in enemy territory.  Not only would it be cool to visit another stadium, but it's JERRY WORLD, for goodness sakes - one of the most incredible, over indulgent spectacles.  I just had to go!  (Plus, I'm not ready yet to attempt a Ravens game... strong possibility I'd get shanked in the stands haha...)

So I arrive late Friday night (before the Sunday game) to hang out with my buddy Mark, his fiancee Deana, and my Steeler-watching buddy Jon.  On the way from the airport, we saw the Steelers team tractor trailer on the interstate... we took pics, then I rolled the window down and waved at the driver, who honked his horn :) 

Everywhere we went in Dallas that weekend (before the game on Sunday), we saw people wearing Steelers gear.  It was AWESOME to see how we had invaded Dallas, but let's be honest, we know that the Steelers don't just travel well, we also live EVERYWHERE :)

One other INCREDIBLE moment was when the Steelers official twitter account responded to my tweet stating I would be at the game... "see you there" !!!!!!!  Just three little, simple words, no big deal normally, but the fact that it came from the official Pittsburgh Steelers twitter account was just awesome... I felt special :)

My buddy Mark happens to be a tailgate aficionado... and he had prepared several courses for our pregame meal.  Here I am on our way to the stadium, squeezed into the middle seat, surrounded by tailgate gear :)

I have to hand it to the Cowboys, they're tickets are pretty sweet looking....

The weather started out chilly before the sun came out, but no worries, I had my Steeler socks :)

Chef Mark, pulling a double "F U" to Cowboys fans with his Steelers gear AND a NY Giants chef coat:

Gorgeous fiancee Deana in all her Steelers finery :)

When the sun came out, I got a bit sleepy, so I took a brief nap in the car...

Just one of the many fabulous dishes Mark made - pierogie and kielbasa pizza!!!!

On our way to the stadium, picture time:

And of course, we needed a group picture in front of the stadium - don't worry, we asked a Steelers fan to take it hahah :)

We arrived just when the cheerleaders were performing the famous Cowboy Cheerleaders dance - high kicks into a split... and this photo also gives you an idea of my seat location and the MASSIVE screen which is about 50 or 60 yards long... I had to keep reminding myself to look at the field, not at the screen, but it was truly incredible...

Inside the stadium, proudly waving my towel (along with 30,000 other Steelers fans, apparently!)

Whenever they showed pictures of the crowd on the big screen, people behind/around kept holding up or showing their black and gold gear... TOO FUNNY (and AWESOME).

As you may know, the Steelers did lose the game in OT, sadly, but it was a GREAT GAME.  Some big plays on both sides of the ball.  I was proud of the way my Steelers played, proud of the way that Steelers Nation represented, and just happy to be a part of such a great event.

Thanks to Mark and Deana for hosting!  I had a great weekend, even if it was in "enemy territory" :)