Date: 2009-02-12
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Madam Speaker. I thank my friend. MIKE DOYLE from Pittsburgh. for introducing this resolution and helping the Nation know once again what this towel means. The six pack. Sixburgh. six Lombardi trophies. six Super Bowl wins. six Super Bowl rings. the only team to have achieved that landmark status. The incredible Super Bowl XLIII champions. from Roethlisberger to Polamalu to Holmes to Miller to Ward to Harrison. a super team that brings pride to Pittsburgh. to Pennsylvania and professional football. But there is a back story here that needs to be told. How is it that the Steelers are able to do so much? After all. other cities have great teams and great talent. What happens here with this team that unites them so closely with the city and its fans. its also the Steeler Nation. First. has to be their attitude about winning. the attitude about pushing themselves harder each week. of playing not just the 60 minutes on the field till the last second ticks off the clock. but playing hard in their practice and being part of the community. Its about that drive to do better each time. knowing that the line for excellence keeps moving up. whatever or wherever it is. youve got to get there. Period. And thats what they do. Second. its about trust and loyalty. This is a team that raises loyalty and trust to a whole new standard. Three coaches only in the last 30 years. the Rooney family owning the team from the start. that not only stays loyal to their hometown of Pittsburgh. where it works to make the town better for their charitable work and quiet leadership. The players trust the coaches and the owners to do the right thing and the best thing. The fans in the city trust the team. and the loyalty shows every Sunday in football season when the black and gold terrible towel waves proudly at every stadium for every game. wherever the Steeler Nation is. Third. know this: The Steelers arent just a team. and its not just a game. They represent the people and our hearts. They arent some players on the field that we passively watch. We are there on the field with them. and they are with us. During that couple of hours every autumn Sunday. we can dream and we know that all together. we can make dreams come true. This aint fantasy football. Its the real thing. Its what we believe in. Its what we expect. Its what we all do. And thats why they win. In the 1970s. Pittsburgh was feeling the pains of the steel industry hurting. But the Steelers were winning. The steel mills were closing down. but the Steelers were winning. The steel jobs were disappearing. but the Steelers were winning. When Pittsburgh was struggling the most. the Steelers were winning the most. Four Super Bowls in the 1970s. We saw and we believed that no matter what. we could still work together and make it. the 11 players on .the field and the 12th player all over the country. And here we are again. a fifth SuperBowl just a few years ago and a sixth a few weeks ago. Again. we may be struggling in our town. in our Nation. but the Steelers find a way to win. The Nation may be hoping we can. but the Steelers Nation know we can and we do. The talent and tenacity of tens of thousands of Terrible Towel wielding fans make it happen. And the way the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII was the way we win. fourth quarter. behind in the score. but with an onthemoney throw. a long reach. a fingertip catch and by the tip of the toes. a touchdown that puts them ahead. And thats how they win. and they do it with class. This is not just the Pittsburgh Steelers. Theyre the Steelers that are gymbolic of our Nation. Being behind doesnt mean you give up. Losing a game doesnt mean you slink off in the sunset and write off the season. Like our Nation. we will keep at it and fight. time and time over again until we win. Thats when we play as a team. all with the same goal and determination. We can. we do. we will. Not just champions for the City of Pittsburgh. but for our Nation. Taking a page from their playbook. we will all come from behind. we will all be stronger. better smarter and. as a Nation. just like the Pittsburgh Steelers. we will win.