My support for the Pittsburgh Steelers goes back to before they won their first Super Bowl, which tells you that I’m older than a lot of Bleacher Report readers and writers. I have been a participant of varied sports for most of my life, and now have the chronic knee and back injuries to prove it! As a participant I have particularly enjoyed skiing, football, touch football and basketball. Currently I am active in Taekwondo and I hope to test for my 2nd Dan Black Belt soon.

Despite living in hockey-mad Canada, as a fan my first love is the NFL in general and the Steelers in particular. I am a strong supporter of Ottawa’s Senators, and maintain faith that they will not only return to the playoffs in 2009-2010, but will be a team to be reckoned with. I have faced the reality of having my teams leave town (Montreal’s Expos) or folding (Ottawa’s CFL team, twice!)

I am a strong believer in team chemistry and in teams having a coherent, identifiable team philosophy. I believe in building through the draft rather than trades, in allowing younger players to develop slowly, and in factoring in an athlete’s character along with his physical skills. I dislike showboating, boastful athletes, and believe that when you score a goal or a touchdown you should act like you’ve done it before. Rehearsed celebrations are a pet peeve of mine.

I believe that being a fan of a team does not require blind support for all their decisions: it does not preclude you from being critical when you think they have made a move in the wrong direction.

I am a strong believer in education. I have spent enough time in school to obtain two undergraduate degrees as well as Masters degrees in both Criminology and Educational Counselling. I am employed as a teacher and as a consultant in the areas of Reality Therapy, Lead Management and Choice Theory.