Sure, Jamie Bordas is a lifelong fan of the professional sports teams in Pittsburgh, and that is why much of his clothing is black and gold.
But when it comes to the Steelers, the managing partner of the Bordas & Bordas law firm finds himself rooting more often for Pittsburgh’s defense than for future Hall of Famer Ben Rothlisberger and the offense.
Why? The Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh, of course. The non-profit, located along 44th Street near UPMC Children’s Hospital, has welcomed thousands of families who reside at least 40 miles outside of Pittsburgh since opening in 1979, and the Wheeling-based firm has contributed more than $200,000 over the past six seasons.
Following last night’s 41-37 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Steelers are now 5-4-1 with seven games remaining in the regular season. Pittsburgh is scheduled to play the Bengals, Vikings, Chiefs, and the Ravens on the road, and the defending AFC North champions will welcome Baltimore, Tennessee, and Cleveland to Heinz Field.
“The interesting thing about the Steelers defense this year is that there has not been a lot of continuity because of injuries,” Bordas explained. “T.J. Watt has missed time. Stephon Tuitt hasn’t played yet. Devin Bush has missed time on the field. You look at all of those factors and add to it that we really haven’t seen much from the secondary this year like we did last year.
“I believe we only have one or two sacks from members of the defensive secondary,” he said. “But I believe the number of sacks will increase a good bit with the games that remain, and we count all sacks from the preseason, the regular season, and the postseason so the number will be right up there with last year’s statistics.”
The Steelers paced the NFL in 2020 with a total of 56 sacks, and that produced a $28,000 donation to the Ronald McDonald House. This season, Watt is second in the league with 12.5 sacks and the Steelers are fourth in the NFL right now with 28.
“So far with the preseason and regular season combined, we are up to 37 sacks now so that means we are already to $18,500 with a lot of games still to go,” Bordas said. “That is why I really do believe we will have the opportunity to make a really nice donation again to the Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh.
“It is fun for us as a firm not only to count the number of sacks but also to root for more because of how important the Ronald McDonald House has been to families in the Wheeling area, and how important it will remain to residents in the Upper Ohio Valley,” he said. “If a family from this area is up there, it is very important that they are as comfortable as possible because of what they are dealing with at the time.”
Yinz Guyz
Pittsburgh’s NFL franchise was named the “Steelers” because of the rich history of the steel industry in western Pennsylvania, and the team’s fans quickly became known for their blue-collar nature and thick “Pittsburghese” dialect.
So, when friends Chris Preksta and Curt Wootton were developing a shirt-film project in honor of the six-time Super Bowl champions, creating “Pittsburgh Dad” was a no-brainer. The series debuted during the 2011 season and has since collected 230,000 subscribers to its YouTube channel.
Although the 42-year-old Wootton, a graduate West Virginia University, is the only person who appears on camera during the episodes, he and Preksta have created 19 different characters, including wife “Deb” and the “Crying Bengals Lady.”
Prior to the 2021 season, Bordas decided the law firm would become the new sponsor of “Pittsburgh Dad.”
“We have enjoyed our affiliation with ‘Pittsburgh Dad’ because of the number of people he reaches each week, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of it,” he explained. “Especially during a pandemic, people have needed laughter because that’s what makes you feel better overall. But ‘Pittsburgh Dad’ is something people in this region can really relate to because they go through their own experiences while watching the Steelers each week.
“There are a lot of emotions you go through while watching Steelers games, and Curt is able to capture a lot of that each episode,” Bordas added. “This season has been something every Steelers fan has had to deal with for good reasons and for bad reasons, and I believe ‘Pittsburgh Dad’ helps us all enjoy the good times and helps us get through the bad times.”
