10) No Cheerleaders
- Cheerleaders? We don't need no stinkin' Cheerleaders! This is Football, baby!!
9) The Terrible Towel
- Who doesn't love to see the black and gold towels waving wherever the Steelers are playing. It's a bonding sign between fans. I, for one, have 6 of my own! They are a must for every fan, and for ever Steeler game.
- The home of the Pittsburgh Steelers deserves a spot on the list for a couple reasons. Only a few years old, Heinz Field is home of the Heinz Red Zone - where giant ketchup bottles on either side of the jumbotron open up when the Steelers are in the red-zone and "pour ketchup" (red lights) It's fun! Plus, where else can you buy Iron City Beer during a football game? No where I know of!
- While other teams have changed their uniforms completely over the years, even their logos and color schemes, the Pittsburgh Steelers have kept the same Black and Gold home and away uniforms for approximately 40 years now. Some stripes may have widened here and there, but overall, the look and feel is the same. Plus, I can't think of any other city in the country where all the professional sports teams have the same colors, but the Pirates and the Penguins both share the black 'n' gold with the Steelers. Why? Those colors make up the official flag of the City of Pittsburgh. Now that's solidarity.
- Since the onset of the Super Bowl era, the Steelers have only had FOUR, that's right just four, head coaches. Most head coaches are lucky if they keep an NFL job for 4 or 5 years, but there have only been four of them in Pittsburgh in 43 years. The first one, Bill Austin, was admittedly only around for a few years, but Chuck Noll coached for the Steelers for an amazing 23 years, and Bill Cowher for a nearly impressive 14 years and both men left of their on volition. It's an impressive testament to the faith the organization puts into its head coaches.
- Players come and go, this is true, but it's not so much the individuals I'm referencing here, as much as it is the type of player the Steelers draft and sign. It's rare to see a guy who likes to showboat or turn "Hollywood" play for the Steelers. The organization tends to lean towards guys who will play as a team, and allow the fans to win them over by making us all feel like they are just regular guys. Guys like Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker and Hines Ward truly embody this spirit, but the tradition of such players goes back far further than "the Bus."
- This is football - it's a tough hard nosed, beat-em-up game. And no one does it better than the Steelers. They are known for their hard-pounding running game, and the tough, never say die attitude. They love to get physical, and play hard-core. None of this pretty West Coast Offense for us... just keep pounding the rock!
- The biggest reason that the team has retained its identity for all these years, is the fact that the team has been owned by only one family for its entire 76 year history. The Rooney Family has owned the team and has been committed to excellence. In the hands of another owner, the team likely wouldn't be the Steelers we know today. And Pittsburgh loves the Rooneys - we even named our dog Rooney!
- Tales have been told that no matter where you go in the world there is a "Steeler Bar" where you can enjoy the game with fellow fans. I don't know exactly how true it is that there is one in EVERY city, but I know there is a lot of love for the Steelers in the world. Just before this Super Bowl, there were soldiers who flew their terrible towels over Afghanistan - and the photos then seemingly made their way to every Steeler fan in the world! The fans are great, whether they are in Pittsburgh, or anywhere else.
1) Six-Burgh
- Six Lombardi Trophies - the only team that can claim that. I think that says it all!
Posts
All very good reason. Congrats on the win.
ReplyDelete