Steelers Fans Being Part Of The Game

PITTSBURGH — The singsong refrain rains down from the rafters of frigid Heinz Field: “Here we go, Steelers. Here we go!” Perhaps the black-and-gold faithful should add the word “again” to their familiar chant. The National Football League team with the most Lombardi Trophies on the planet is vying for yet another trip to the Super Bowl. Today’s showdown with the New York Jets marks the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 15th AFC Championship Game, the most for any team since the 1970 merger of the NFL and the American Football League.

The winner goes to Super Bowl XLV, to be played Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Tonight's game will be televised on Fox at 6:30 p.m. In Pittsburgh, the team’s quest is known as the “Stairway to Seven,” or “Knocking on Seven’s Door.” Customized song lyrics have been written and recorded to the melodies of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” These tunes, along with the latest updates of old-standards such as “The Steelers’ Polka” and the “Here We Go” song, are but a few of the signs of the black and gold buzz saw that’s revving up in this football frenzied city.

Yet, with the Steelers long ago having risen from lovable losers to NFL royalty, does Pittsburgh’s perennial playoff party ever get old? Might Pittsburgh’s football fanaticism have reached its limit? The Steelers faithful do not simply cheer on a football team. They see themselves and their city reflected in the team’s mixture of blue-collar work ethic, family ownership and tough-as-nails mentality. So when Steelers fans want to show their black-and-gold allegiance, they don’t just don jerseys and leave it at that. They make themselves part of the team, intertwining their own life experiences with those of the Steelers until the two are inseparable.



 
City buses don’t just flash with the route number; their electronic signs alternate with the words, “Go Steelers!” Similar messages blink on traffic alert signs hanging over I-376 heading into the city. Fridays before playoff games are black-and-gold dress-up days in offices, retails stores and virtually every school, public or private, in Western Pennsylvania. In fact, one woman was overheard confiding to a friend that if she didn’t buy her daughter a Steelers’ T-shirt ahead of the championship game, the girl risked being teased mercilessly. This mother promptly picked over tables of Steelers’ merchandise outside shop after shop in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, a street of riverside warehouses known for it deals and its diversity of team gear.

Steelers fans, it seems, just can’t stop themselves from buying. “You can never have enough black and gold,” insisted life-long fan Dawn Phillips of East Liberty, who was combing packed racks at the Yinzers store in the Strip District. “We don’t take anything for granted,” she added of all the Steelers’ successes. “We know we’re blessed, but we know we’re No. 1, too.” Caroline Pina and Dustin Perry blew in to blustery Pittsburgh from laid-back Los Angles, and made a beeline from the airport to the Strip District, which they called “Steelers’ Street.” 

 

Jenny Kane, The Patriot-News Caroline Pina and Dustin Perry of L.A., traveled directly from the airport to buy Steelers merchandise in the Strip District, which they called "Steelers Street." In town for a grandparent’s 80th birthday, the couple happened to score tickets to the championship game. Now, the pair with only loose ties to Pittsburgh were getting crash courses in Steelers culture. “You don’t see this in L.A.” marveled Perry of the legions of similarly dressed Steelers fans. “We don’t even have a team.” “There’s a lot more camaraderie,” added Pina, already wearing a Steelers cap. “You go up the street, and you can feel the amount of Steelers pride.” While some teams’ fans fly their colors on game days, Pittsburghers wear their loyalty on their sleeves year-round. “When you live in Pittsburgh, black and gold is part of your wardrobe all year long,” he said. “It’s the loyalty.

People are so proud.” Fans seem as connected to the team this year as ever. That’s why Cheryl Doerfler wears the same pair of Steelers socks for every game. She’s convinced her footwear — and even the seating arrangement at the Steelers parties she throws at her house — have something to do with the team’s success. So as her guests begin arriving for this evening’s Championship game, expect Doerfler to pull out the seating chart from last week’s playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens. Doerfler said she wants everything just do for another Steelers win. What’s more, none of her guests will give a second thought to such a request, as if her seating chart strategy were perfectly logical. “It’s hard to explain if you’re not from Pittsburgh,” Doerfler said.  By JOHN LUCIEW, The Patriot-News

Steelers Hang On To Win 27-21 Over Bengals

       With an opening kickoff fumble recovery and a blocked punt deep in Bengals territory, it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to role over the Cincinnati Bengals. They had a 10-0 lead in the 1st quarter and hardly broke a sweat. For three straight quarters, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked like one of the most dominating teams in the NFL. Their defense smothered the defending AFC North champs and they built a 27-7 lead. 

 Then came the 4^th quarter. This season the Steelers have only allowed 102 points in seven games. Over half those points came in the 4th quarter. As Pittsburgh's defense collapsed and their offense made some bad plays, the Bengals were able to mount a comeback. They got to within a touchdown of winning the game, despite  a couple of missed field goals. 


Finally, the Steelers defense got a stop in the fourth quarter that they didn't get last season when the Bengals beat them twice. They were able to stop the Bengals on a fourth and 5 play from the Pittsburgh 12. A game that looked like it was over in the first half turned into a real nail biter for Steelers fans.

Next Sunday night they play the New England Patriots. Let's don't give Tom Brady a chance to comeback in the 4th quarter.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2006 Schedule Kicks Off Against Miami

The defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers have released their 2006 season schedule. They open the season at Heinz field with the Miami Dolphins on Thursday September 7th at 8:30 pm. I hope their off season moves will be able to carry them to another championship. You can see the rest of the Steelers 2006 schedule at Steelers-Fan.com With Super Bowl XL behind us and a hand full of Super Bowl championship rings, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a rematch of the ,, game with the Denver Bronco on November 5th at Heinz Field. The pre-season schedule includes the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday August 12th followed by the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and ends with the Carolina Panthers. Even though it's more than 4 months until the first pre-season game, the release of the 2006 schedule marks the beginning of football fever. Steelers fans had a great 2005 and we're looking forward to more of the same in 2006. That's Pittsburgh Steelers news. Get the rest of the story.