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Local fans pump up for Super Bowl battle

CALEB SOPTELEAN/Daily Inter Lake | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 14 years AGO
by CALEB SOPTELEAN/Daily Inter Lake
| February 6, 2011 1:00 AM

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John Golinsky, back left, has brought his love of the Steelers from his native Pittsburgh to his whole family in Evergreen. From left are Rhiannon, 8, Nikolai, 10, and Andrew, 15.

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The Golinsky family traveled to Pittsburgh this past summer, where they were able to visit Heinz Field, the stadium the Steelers play in.

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Packer Fan Avery Seefeldt, 11, grips one of the families few pieces of Packer gear as her father waves his team's flag in the background.

Locals who are Pittsburgh Steelers or Green Bay Packers fans were gearing up this week for today’s big game.

Dennis Milutinovic, 60, grew up in Wisconsin and was “indoctrinated” as a Packers fan, he said.

Milutinovic will be decked out in green and gold Packers gear come game time. If something goes wrong for his team, he’ll put on a different hat or T-shirt, he said.

He predicts a “99-3” victory for the Pack. Seriously though, he believes the fact that the game is being played indoors favors Green Bay due to their spread offense and speed.

“There’s a lot of tradition with both teams,” he said.

John Golinsky, 45, grew up in Pittsburgh.

The Frito-Lay salesman wasn’t sure where he will watch the game: his house or Fatt Boys. He’s a little concerned about the Steelers’ offensive line, which he said is “Swiss cheese” due to injuries.

Golinsky has a Steelers banner hanging from his garage and flies a black and gold flag.

Brian Seefeldt, 42, displays a Packers flag outside his house.

Seefeldt will host a “keg party” with Tamarack Beer. He’ll be wearing the T-shirt he wears for all Packers games.

Shirley Works, 50, will be celebrating with her dad in Missoula as part of his 80th birthday.

Works, who moved to Kalispell from Missoula in July, has been a Steelers fan for 26 years. She started following the Steelers when she was a single parent and watched National Football League games with her children. The fact that yellow is her favorite color helped in her decision, she said.

Dixie Yaeger, 36, has been a Packers fan since age 6 after someone gave her a Packers shirt that she used for hiking. Yaeger liked the colors, especially green. She will spend game day at Fatt Boys, where she works as a poker dealer.

Yaeger also rooted for the Steelers through the playoffs, and is happy both teams are in the Super Bowl. The Steelers are the favorite team of her 20-year-old daughter, Tia Yaeger.

John Schultz, 43, has been a Steelers fan since age 7. He grew up in Montana, and notes the Seahawks didn’t exist then.

“Pittsburgh was good, and a childhood friend moved from Pittsburgh,” he said, explaining the reasons he picked them.

His baby daughter will be decked out in Steeler garb too, he said.

Schultz invited other Steelers’ fans over for a party. “It’s ridiculous how many Steeler fans there are” in the Flathead Valley. He expects 10 people.

Jim Beranek, 68, hails from Lacrosse, Wis. The former West Valley Elementary teacher, administrator and vice principal, is a die-hard Packers fan. He flies a Packers flag from his vehicle and displays a green-and-gold banner from the front door of his house.

He watches every Packer game, thanks to a DIRECTV subscription. Today will be another “Green Bay Sunday” with his wife Kim and their 31-year-old daughter Jenny, he said.

Beranek thinks the game will be close, but believes the Pack will win.

“We had a hard transition from [former quarterback Brett] Favre to [current quarterback Aaron] Rodgers, but I think he’s going to do really great.”

Beranek agreed that it’s appropriate the Packers made the Super Bowl in Favre’s final season in the National Football League. “For a while, we watched both games [Packers and Vikings],” he said, noting his daughter had a purple bear in her room along with a plethora of Packers gear. “Everything will heal in Green Bay in time,” said Beranek, who’s been to games at Lambeau Field three times.

Kalispell native Jim Knop, 43, plans on hosting a chili feed at his home.

The Fun Beverage beer representative has a room set aside specifically for Steelers paraphernalia.

Knute Kriger, 55, will watch the game with a house full of die-hard Steelers fans, including six children, his sister, brother-in-law and nephew.

Kriger has an original “Terrible Towel,” which he will place on top of the TV since he can’t be at the game in Arlington, Texas.

Kriger grew up in the Steel City and was “born and bred and fed on Pittsburgh football.”

The FedEx courier, who has lived in Montana since 1982, believes the Steelers will play their traditional brand of “smash-mouth football with a little finesse here and there.”

The game starts at 4:30 p.m. on Fox.

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