As all of you hopefully know, the 2010 Steelers Annual, published by Maple Street Press is available. The Annual, edited by BTSC's own Michael Bean (Blitzburgh) is 128 pages of analysis, interviews, draft information, stats, history and photos on our Steelers and only the Steelers. This is the second year that the Annual has been produced and it has been well received critically and by many of the folks who call this site home.
Last year the only way you could receive the Annual was via newsstands and other retail outlets in Pittsburgh market or by ordering directly through Maple Street Press. This year we are happy to announce that if you live in the Washington DC Metro area (District of Columbia and Maryland and Virginia suburbs) the Annual is available at Barnes and Nobles book stores. (I can vouch for its presence in the Reston, Virginia store).
As those of you who live in the area know, DC Metro is thick with Steelers fans. In addition, several of the contributing writers in the Annual (myself and Homer J for example) live in that neck of the woods as well. We were able to successfully make the case to MSP that it would make sense for them to distribute the publication in this region. The argument is a simple one that we all know; Steeler Nation is not confined to a particular geographic region. We are everywhere. There is one problem and that is getting the word out to Steelers fans in DC Metro that the Annual is available and where. So, we're going to need a lot of help in getting the word out. There are two good reasons why it is beneficial to get the Annuals off Barnes and Nobles shelves (that is, besides the fact that it's a really good read):
*Cost. The Annual retails at $12.99. Ordering directly from MSP, something that every Steelers fan not living in western Pa. has previously been forced to do, means incurring shipping costs that are nearly half of the price of the Annual itself.
*If there is success in moving the Annuals in the DC area, then hopefully we can expand the availability to other areas where Steelers fans congregate in significant numbers (in other words, everywhere).
I'm certain that if you like BTSC you'll love the Annual. I have yet to encounter anyone who has seen it to not be deeply impressed with the quality of the publication. Make sure when you get it to check out my article on former Steeler tight end Randy Grossman; "A Special Time In Pittsburgh" under my real name, Ivan Cole. A college teammate, Randy was part of the four Super Bowl Champion teams of the 1970's and has some interesting observations about those teams as well as the state of the game then and now. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed pulling it together.
So please rush out to your local B&N in DC, MD and VA get a copy. If none are available make sure you let the management know that you were looking for it and how disappointed you are that they weren't available. Tell other fans you know in the area, and make sure you talk to friends who may not live in DC Metro, but who may have other friends who live in that area. Thanks for your help. Go Steelers!!