"How 'Bout Them Steelers?"

The sun was shining that day and the air was humid. I had on the Hines Ward jersey that my brothers had bought me for my birthday, a terrible towel clutched in one hand and my dad’s hand in the other. I was making my way into Heinz Field for my first ever Steelers game. The anticipation and excitement of the crowd was contagious. We made our way up what seemed like a never-ending flight of stairs and into our seats in peanut heaven. We could not have been any further away from the field, but the enthusiasm of the fans made its way up to us. It was not long into the first quarter that the Steelers scored their first touchdown, and the reaction from the crowd was mind-blowing. The stadium was filled with golden towels whirling above the heads of many fans, and there was not a Steelers supporter left in their seat. The crowd kept up their momentum throughout the entire game, and although the Steelers did not walk away with a victory that day, the fans never stopped supporting the players. It was that day, my eighth birthday, as I exited the stadium hand-in-hand with my father, that the pride Pittsburgh had for their football team caught hold of me, and I vowed to always be a Steelers fan.

When walking through the streets of Pittsburgh nearly every building you pass bears the Steelers’ emblem or a terrible towel in the window. While continuing to walk down the streets you will most certainly pass a resident of Pittsburgh wearing a number seven, Ben Roethlisberger jersey. The city of Pittsburgh has great pride in its football and all of its players, which is why when anyone mentions the word Pittsburgh; the first thing that comes to mind is the Steelers. The Steelers’ Pride in Pittsburgh goes way beyond the recent success the team has achieved. The Steelers have always been a mascot for Pittsburgh, and it is nearly impossible to describe one without the other. The relationship between the two dates back to the creation of the city.

The history of the Steelers seems to mimic the history and development of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the oldest team in the AFC and have won more Super Bowl titles and AFC Championship games than any other team in the league. As any person of Pittsburgh would know, the Steelers acquired their name due to the steel industry, which once predominated Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers thus became a representation of the working class. It was then that the Steelers’ victories became more than just simple triumphs over an opposing team, but they became small victories for the city as a whole and all the people in the city that the team represented. As the Steelers suffered through brutal losses followed by amazing successes, the city of Pittsburgh began on a rollercoaster ride of its own as it began to flourish into the city we know and love today. The Steelers’ games were something that residents could come together and bond over. As our country suffered through depressions and economic troubles, one thing was for certain, the Steelers would get on the field and play that night, leaving their hearts and souls in the stadium. Whether or not they walked away with another victory under their belts never diminished the fact that they were fighting just like everyone in Pittsburgh was fighting.

Still to this day sports commentators continue to address the similarities between Pittsburgh and the Steelers. Pittsburgh is often characterized as a hard-working, blue-collar city with many residents making a living through manual labor. The Steelers are unique in the same respect as a football team because they are often recognized as a hard nose team, who much prefers a running game to a passing one. With running backs such as Jerome Bettis, better known as “The Bus” to power through defenders the Steelers did not need any fancy trick plays. Through hard work and tough playing characteristics the Steelers quickly became a recognized football team, and associated themselves with the hard-working Pittsburgh citizens.

It clear that the Steelers are much more then a football team to Pittsburgh. Many of the players on the Steelers team have played for Pittsburgh for so long they begin to feel like close friends or family to the residents of the Pittsburgh area. Some of the players can even be seen eating at the restaurants or hanging out at the bars in the city. Not only can players be found at various locations throughout the city, many have their own restaurants or bars. For instance, Pittsburgh is the proud home of Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36, along with Southside 86, in honor of Hines Ward. Oftentimes the players can be found there interacting with the customers, just as if they were old friends.

Entertainment is not the only aspect that the Steelers bring to the community. Players, coaches, owners, and even the mascot of the Steelers are involved in numerous charitable events throughout the city. Steelers chairman Dan Rooney and president Art Rooney II are known as two of the most active NFL owners and are some of Pittsburgh’s most involved executives in civic affairs. This sort of relationship between players and their fans results in the most loyal fans a team could ask for. These fans stick with their team throughout their highs and lows, never giving up faith. The Pittsburgh citizens know that the Steelers will always be a part of their city, supporting it and helping it to flourish, and the Pittsburgh fans in return will always be there to support the Steelers.

Clearly, the Steelers have become more than just a football team in Pittsburgh; they have become a representation of the city. Whenever one goes to Pittsburgh, whether the Steelers made the play-offs or not that season, the Steelers pride can be seen throughout the city. The enthusiasm and loyalty of Pittsburgh fans is for good reason; when this city felt as if it were at its all-time low, the Steelers brought victory, triumph and, most importantly pride to a city that needed it. Not only has Pittsburgh been there for the Steelers, but the Steelers have been there for Pittsburgh, and hopefully always will be. This is why, when anyone walks down the streets of Pittsburgh and ask a passerby, “How ‘bout them Steelers?” be prepared for a more than just a few cordial remarks. The pride that Pittsburgh residents feel for the black and gold has seemed to spill out elsewhere, and it is being noticed by all. It captured the attention of an eight-year-old girl at her first Steelers’ game and is continuing to capture the attention of others as “Steelers City” turns into “Steelers Nation.”