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What's behind the "Steeler Nation"?


TheGerbil

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http://post-gazette.com/pg/07157/791678-109.stm

This article points out some ideas regarding why ex-Pittsburghers tend to band together so much behind the Steelers. I thought maybe it would be an interesting subject for us to discuss here.

Do you agree with the article? What are your own thoughts about the phenomenon? I personally think the article contains some excellent points.

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I have to agree with the article, being one of those who has "flown the coop" so to speak.

As a kid in the 70's, I can recall EVERYONE rallying around the Steelers during the "glory years".

I can remember being in 5th grade and two of my good friends got a big peice of yellow paper, probably about 3 feet by 2 feet, cut the edges to resemble a towel and took black markers to it. We were allowed to put it on the window of our homeroom. When all of the Super Bowl festivities were over, being the fair minded young lads, we cut up the towel and kept the piece we wrote on. I still have it today.

My strong belief is that when we as a city were down and out, we had the Steelers (and Pirates back in 79-80) to keep us cohesive as a people. We had that rallying point and it is unlike anything else I have experienced growing up. Those teams were a pinnacle of pride when we were losing things around us. They gave us a reason to look forward to another week and keep hoping.

I don't care what big city fans I run into, they aren't nearly as LOYAL and true to their team as those from Pittsburgh. Even my one good bud who now lives in Philly (yikes) and is a Flyers season ticket holder, still follows his Steelers and Pens. Here in Charlotte, we have bars all over the county and each team has their "home bar", but only us Steeler fans have several. One of the most ironic points is that there is a bar in uptown Charlotte (we call it Uptown instead of Downtown) that is only about 8 or so blocks from Bank of America Stadium. It is PACKED every Sunday. I can remember about 5 years ago on a Sunday when the Panthers were at home, we filled Dixie's Tavern and every TV, except one had the Steeler game on. The Panther game was on one TV back in a dark corner with the sound turned down. The game I went to last year when the Steelers played the Panthers was the best. There were more black & gold fans than Panthers fans.

There are some rabid Panthers fans here, but they are few and far between. They are too worried about "being seen" and drinking their wine in the private concourse restaurants than watching the game. Maybe in another 10 years or so, they will actually "get it." Its kind of all show here. The loyalty just hasn't sunk in yet.

One of the few things I really missed about living in Pittsburgh of late was the fact that I was stuck down here when they won the Super Bowl in 2006. I would have given my right arm to be up there running up and down Carson Street in the snow and cold acting crazy with the rest of Steeler Nation!

To steal a great quote: "And that's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

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My strong belief is that when we as a city were down and out, we had the Steelers (and Pirates back in 79-80) to keep us cohesive as a people. We had that rallying point and it is unlike anything else I have experienced growing up. Those teams were a pinnacle of pride when we were losing things around us. They gave us a reason to look forward to another week and keep hoping.
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  • 1 month later...

I stayed a weekend in Charlotte last December, and attended a Steelers rally at Dixie's Tavern. I got to meet Levon Kirkland too! (I have a picture of us together on my cell phone, if only I can figure out how to e-mail the damn thing to myself!)

The tailgate party the following morning was cold, but no one cared once the food was cooking, the beer was flowing, and the music was blasting. Bank of America Stadium was half Steeler fans! Oh yeah; and on the way back home, I was fortunate enough to get my 2007 Hooters calendar autographed by some Hooters girls from Charlotte who appeared in it! MERRY CHRISTMAS indeed! :)

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