"Never going to change:" The Gruber household is divided ahead of Steelers vs. Bills
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's one thing to have friends supporting the Buffalo Bills this week, but what do you do when it's your spouse boiling your black-and-gold blood?
I connected with a couple this week that is facing that exact challenge.
Barb and Dave Gruber met as undergrads at Pitt and despite 34 years of marriage and three kids, Dave still has not seen the "golden light," so to speak.
You got the sense in talking to the Grubers that they kind of enjoy having a house divided.
"He does embrace other Pittsburgh teams, but he just can't let go of that Bills allegiance," Barb said.
"I was born and raised in Western New York," Dave responded. "I'm a Buffalo Bills fan tried and true and so that just was never going to change."
Dave isn't shy about it, either. He wore his Bills alliance for everyone to see when he was at Pitt.
"Because I was a Bills fan and I was not going to read for the Steelers," he said. "Even marrying a girl from the Mon Valley wasn't going to change that."
They did say that when the two teams play, they watch together in the same room, but only if things don't deteriorate to an extreme on one end or the other.
That's when someone retreats to another room and another TV but overall, they're not above some good-natured teasing.
"She'll bring up all the Super Bowl victories that the Steelers have had and the painful losses that my Bills have had," Dave said.
Barb, however, pointed out that they are compassionate rivals.
"I was very supportive when the Bills went to the Super Bowl, multiple times, and were unsuccessful," she said. "So I was there. I was the supportive wife there."
As for their kids...Barb had to deal with her sons donning Bills gear when they were little, it hasn't quite remained the case.
"In their lifetime, they have owned more Steeler shirts than they have Bills shirts," she said with a laugh.
When this Sunday comes along, there will be "Barb Wings" on the menu.
"We'll invite our boys over and we'll we'll have a little party of it and then we'll celebrate the Bills victory when the game's over," Dave said.
That or Barb will lead the celebration when the Steelers win!
They did say that whoever comes out victorious on Sunday, will support the other's team. Barb also added that she's always supported the Bills when the Steelers weren't involved.
Dave, however, said he would only support his wife.