football_problem

in a town with a football problem
people talk about how to solve them,
over lunch, on the bus, at the corner bar,
everyone share’s a common story,
expectations of gridiron glory,
you’ll find fans of the team anywhere you are..
+++ here it’s more like the town religion,
+++ (though they take it a little more seriously)
+++ people follow the Pittsburgh Steelers,
+++ like they’d follow some guy named Jesus, Moses, or the Pope..

it’s a game full of grace and violence,
2 teams play and the score decides it,
afterward everyone has a lot to say,
radio hosts and TV sports guys,
average Joes call in to hypothesize,
front-page headlines are standard on the next day..
+++ they discuss all the different athletes,
+++ who played well, and who struggled to compete,
+++ every game has 100 stories,
+++ it’s like a multi-plot mini-series:
+++ who got hurt, who might get traded,
+++ who is over-, underrated,
+++ on and on, the smallest details..
+++ it’s a pastime that never fails to fascinate the fans..
+++++ I believe it’s the job of the team
+++++ to give people in town something to talk about:
+++++ rich and poor, black and white, PhD, GED,
+++++ all have one thing in common at least..

when you go to a play by Shakespeare,
some of them make you want to stand and cheer,
some are sad, but there’s always next year..
in a town with a football problem…

My entry in the 2010 Just This Guy song contest, fulfilling the following stipulations:
—write about your favorite sports team —explain the game
—use the words: play, score, athletes, pastime
—bonus points for the word “monkey” (I did not score any bonus points this year)