[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2211]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              PITTSBURGH STEELERS AND PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, football is a staple in our 
communities--bringing families and friends together and helping to 
build connections and affiliations. Fantasy football has taken the game 
one step further and individuals can now draft their own team and 
compete weekly for the championship. Fans live and die with their 
team--they sport their colors, sing their chants, and collect team 
memorabilia. Personally, I have a Pittsburgh Steelers' ``Terrible 
Towel'' behind my desk. Most significantly, football gives us a chance 
to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
  To that end, I was proud to be a Pennsylvanian this football season 
and to join with others to cheer on the Pittsburgh Steelers and 
Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams had an outstanding season and did not 
let their fans down.
  The Pittsburgh Steelers, my hometown team, had an incredible season. 
This was a historic year for the Black and Gold having secured the most 
wins in Steelers history, the most wins by a rookie quarterback, and 
the largest home attendance for a Steelers season. They also made an 
appearance in the AFC championship game.
  The Eagles had quite an impressive year as well, capturing the NFC 
Championship and playing in the Super Bowl.
  A day before the big game, Eagles head coach Andy Reid shared his 
feelings on being a part of the Super Bowl: ``This is what it is all 
about. You want your football team to have an opportunity to play in 
the Super Bowl. You're here and you're ready to go. I think every head 
coach has that goal. We're lucky enough for it to be a reality.''
  The Super Bowl is the pinnacle of every football season, and it is 
impressive that the Eagles made it that far. As I watched the game, it 
was remarkable to hear the chants of thousands of Eagles fans in 
Jacksonville shouting, ``Fly Eagles Fly'' and witness the amount of 
support for the Philadelphia team.
  The Eagles had an outstanding Super Bowl game, and despite the 
outcome of the game, should be proud of their efforts. I join the 
thousands of Eagles fans and Pennsylvanians in saying that I was proud 
to have the Eagles representing Pennsylvania in the Super Bowl for the 
first time since 1981.
  What a tremendous season it was to have both Pennsylvania teams make 
it to their respective conference championships. The spirit and 
enthusiasm of the fans and the determination of the players on the 
field this season was an incredible sight to behold. I look forward to 
next season, when both teams have another chance to represent their 
respective Pennsylvania cities and win big for their fans.

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