Homer reps BTSC and Steeler Nation on Washington Post Front Page

Editor's note: We found the picture, and we were so struck by Homer's fashion sense as well as the hat (just an awesome trench coat), we figured we had to post the picture and bump this to the front. - nc

So Homer got back from taking Santa's Little Helper (real name Katie) to the dog park this morning, and sat down with his Kwik-E-Mart coffee to take a look at the Washington Post, only to find Homer's picture in the middle of the front page, in full color, complete with Steeler cap and hypocycloids!

Homer is crouched over a bit in the photo, along with a number of other self-styled dignitaries, seemingly listening for a weather prediction from a dead, stuffed groundhog. The other dignitaries are wearing black top hats. Homer is wearing a suit, tie, dark coat, and repping the Stillers with the hat.

From The Washington Post

A bit of 'splainin' may be in order.

The District Homer represents in Washington, DC includes parts of Embassy Row, the Central Business District (up to but not including the White House), and Dupont Circle. There is a terrific group of young people who use social media to set up events that bring life and fun to the 'hood. They organized the Great Dupont Circle Snowball Fight two years ago - during the big blizzard - and Soccer in the Circle, which drew more than ten thousand fans to watch the opening Saturday World Cup matches on two giant screens. These are young professionals who love to have fun and know how to organize and pull the right bureaucratic levers to get things done.

Two weeks ago, they decided to have a Groundhog Day celebration in the Circle - with a special invitation to the kids from neighboring Ross Elementary School.

Aaron DeNu, the group's founder, went on a desperate search for a groundhog. The National Zoo doesn't have one, but they were willing to lend us a prairie dog for the occasion. Then someone noticed that Miss Pixie's Antiques and Whatnots (a real store) on 14th Street had a stuffed groundhog,and Pixie (a real woman, and that's what everyone calls her) was willing to lend him out for the occasion. What luck!

The festivities included the best opening prayer Homer has ever heard. A reform rabbi from well-heeled Potomac offered one up ("help us to know the seasons of our lives," etc;) that had everyone smiling (or laughing). It had the perfect mix of joy and thankfulness. Then, a young lady from GWU sang a beautiful a capella version of the National Anthem. Background music included a selection of Frankie Yankovic polkas of Homer's choice, and Sonny and Cher's "I Got You, Babe." The folks from the Dupont Circle Hotel provided hot chocolate, white hot chocolate, and groundhog cookies for the schoolkids, and hot coffee, as well. A couple hundred people attended, many stopping on their way to work.

At the appointed hour (8:30 sharp), we all gathered around the dead, stuffed groundhog, who was named Potomac Phil, the National Groundhog, for his meteorological and political prognostications. All the dignitaries were wearing dark coats and black top hats, except Homer, who insisted one wearing that Steeler cap. There was a proclamation from DC City Council with the usual whereases and therefores.

The lifeless rodent saw his shadow, according to Councilmember Jack Evans (a native Pennsylvanian and Pitt Law School grad), so the prediction was for six more weeks of winter, along with nine more months of political gridlock and bad behavior on Capitol Hill. It was broadcast live on the local Fox morning show.

You may ask how a dead groundhog could see his shadow, and Homer will admit that this part was bogus. Of course it was bogus, because Washington, DC is the Capital of Bogus. Whether it's right wing crap or left wing garbage, it's all bogus. We know that Punxsutawney is the weather capital of the world, but this was just a little neighborhood event for the schoolkids.

Like Congressional ethics, it was simply a little game of "let's pretend."

But it got a Pittsburgh Steelers cap - complete with hypocycloids - right in the middle of the front page of today's Washington Post. Homer would include that picture with this post, but he's what they call a "late adapter," and he's not all that swift with the cutting and pasting. Perhaps some BTSCer can find the picture on washingtonpost.com and do the cutting and pasting.

Keep representin', fellow BTSCers. Steeler Nation! We are everywhere!

Happy Groundhog Day. Enjoy your six more weeks of whatever.