The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the AFC Championship game again and this Sunday they host the New York Jets in what they hope will be their 8th trip to the Super Bowl. I can't say I feel good about this. This has been on the top of my mind for a long time and I'd like to collect my thoughts in this forum because in regular conversation or facebook comments the discussion almost always devolves into name-calling and dick-measuring. I firmly believe that the fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, for reasons both in and out of their control, are among the worst fans in professional sports.
So what do I know about Steeler fans? Well prior to this season I've spent each of the last 4 football seasons in Athens, Ohio. With Athens being the home of Ohio University and of relatively the same distance from Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, it's a melting pot of NFL football fandom. I'm convinced there's no better place to be on NFL Sunday than Athens. There's a sizable group of fans from the Bengals, Browns, and Steelers fanbases, and each has their own designated watering hole. There's also a small group of people who cheer for teams outside of the AFC North. They meet at BW3's on Sunday. I've even seen a guy in a Maurice Jones-Drew Jaguars jersey. We don't need to talk about them.
Funny story, I once saw 4 friends walking down Court Street sidewalk with each one wearing a different jersey of a team from the AFC North. Even Baltimore (the hard one to find) was represented. It was inspiring and beautiful in its diplomacy.
So I know a lot of Steelers fans. I'm actually friends with a few of them, believe it or not, but that doesn't sway me from believing that they are the worst fans in the NFL.
Am I objective enough to talk about the Steelers? Probably not. I hate the Steelers more than any team in pro sports. I hate Hines Ward and his fat smiling face. I hate Ben Roethlisberger and his ability to lumber out of any backfield sack, though I do find it hilarious that college aged girls are still wearing his jersey. We're not going to let you sweep that under the rug, Steeler fans. I hate their competently run organization. I hate the terrible towel (Is it really that terrible or are you just fans of alliteration?). My OCD hates that the logo is only on one freaking side of the helmet and overall I hate that they win year in and year out. I hate the Steelers so much I don't understand how anyone could like them. I'm not objective at all, but I'm still going to try to politely compose my thoughts.
*hurl*
Before we get to my reasoning allow me to explain some things before you misconstrue what I'm trying to say. First, this isn't an argument about on-field success. A Bengals fan will lose that battle every single time against a Steelers fan. I'm not denying the Steelers 6 Super Bowl titles, nor am I denying their sustained success since their first Super Bowl championship in 1974. Actually, it'll help prove my point later. The Steelers are a well-run, intelligently operated organization that does a lot of things right, and I'll give my respect to the team in that regard. However, that's not what we're talking about here.
I'm also not talking about a specific subsection of Steelers fans or the fact that they have thousands of bandwagon fans with no connection to the city of Pittsburgh. I don't care how you became a fan of the Steelers. I don't care if you're from Pittsburgh. I don't care if you live in Pittsburgh. I don't care if you're one of the many bandwagon fans that lives outside of Pittsburgh. I don't care if your parents are Steelers fans. I don't care if you're a 4th generation Steelers fan. I don't care if your dad played for the Steelers. I don't care if your dad is Terry Bradshaw. I don't care how you became a fan or how long you've been a fan. All that matters to me is that you are a fan of the Steelers.
Thirdly, am I jealous of the Steelers success? Yes. Am I bitter? Yes. I'm not denying that either. I'll own that all day long. I wish the Brown family operated the Bengals like the Rooneys operate the Steelers. I wish the Steelers had allowed Carson Palmer to play more than one snap in 2005's wildcard round. I wish the Bengals had 1/6th of the Steelers' super bowl success. I'm incredibly envious of what Steeler fans get every single season, and the fact that cheering against the Steelers has worked about as well as cheering for the Bengals, but that's not what I'm talking about.
I'm not talking about how the Steelers seemingly get every bounce (ie. This season when the Bills' Stevie Johnson dropped the game winning TD pass with no coverage in OT) or that they seemingly get every favorable call (ie the phantom holding call on Baltimore's Defense last week, or the entirety of Super Bowl XL), and I'm not talking about how injuring Carson Palmer made it unquestionably easier for the Steelers to beat the Bengals in 05. Like I said, I'm bitter, you would be too.
So what am I talking about? I'm talking about why being a Steelers fan automatically makes you the worst fan in sports.
When you become a fan of a professional sports franchise you make a deal that in exchange for paying for tickets and merchandise, and devoting your time and energy while watching crappy teams perform poorly, they'll give you one or two (if you're lucky) really good teams that go onto win championships.
Pittsburgh fans have weaseled out of the first condition of being a fan. Being a Steelers fan is incredibly easy. There's no struggle, there's no sacrifice. There's never a point where they look at another losing season and question why they're still a fan. They never have to watch a season fall apart in September. The only thing easier than being a Steelers fan is being a Yankees fan.
But Sean, what about the Patriots or the Colts, haven't their fans had it pretty easy? True, but both franchises have also had downright horrible seasons, recently too. Prior to this decade both franchises have a history of long stretches of futility. The Steelers do not, not since 1972 at least. In the last 25 years the Steelers worst record is a 5-11 in 1988. No Steelers fan my age remembers that season. They never have the absolutely hopeless, miserable, depressing seasons that every other NFL franchise has gone through. I'm talking 0-16 (Lions), 1-15, 2-14, 3-13. At this point I'd be happy if the Steelers just once went a Bengalian 4-12.
In 2003 they went 6-10. How cute, they think that's bad. That must've been awful for you guys. That 6-10 finish led to drafting Ben Roethlisberger. In 2004 they went 15-1. In 2005, they won the Super Bowl.
But Sean, the Steelers didn't win the Super Bowl from 1979 through 2004. Also true, but losing becomes easier when you have 4 titles to fall back on. You think Bills fans would be so strung out about their 4 Super Bowl losses if they won the first one or if they'd won one since? No way. When your team is good in the NFL you get to watch meaningful football all season long. When they're in the playoffs you get to go to playoff parties, gather with friends, and you get to do that every time they advance. Even if the end result isn't a Super Bowl championship, at least you didn't have to endure a long tedious season of bad football. If the Steelers are eliminated by the Jets on Sunday their fans won't bat an eye because they already have 6 in the bank. On the other side, a loss by the Jets, a team that hasn't won the Super Bowl since 1969, will be felt a lot harder.
But Sean, the Steelers were pathetically terrible before the 70's. Again, true, but how many Steeler fans were even alive for that period? Even if they were and are old enough to remember it, the last 40 seasons of league dominance has done more than enough to heal any old wounds.
I guess I should point out that selecting an NFL team is generally an arbitrary process. Few people choose their favorite team. Most people grow up from a young age liking one team for one reason or another and stick with it, but rarely is it a conscious decision.
Also, being a fan of a team means what they do in the front office and on the playing surface is completely out of your control. Fans can make noise and make it more difficult for the visiting team, but as an individual there's really nothing you can do to help your team win and you certainly aren't a better person for liking a winning team. We're all just along for the ride.
Because it's so arbitrary and out of your control, being a fan of a consistently good team is essentially like being born to rich parents. Basically, you're fortunate to be given a team that wins more often than not because you have no role in their victories. Constantly boasting about on-field performance is like bragging about how much money your dad has. You had no say in it so why are you shouting? And it is true, Steeler fans love to boast.
Steeler fans are the NFL's rich kids. There's no struggle, you don't have to work for anything, but you're given everything you could ever want. It's why the Saints winning the Super Bowl in 2009 was a far better story than the Steelers winning it in 2008. They were a historically terrible franchise and their fans deserved it with all their years of supporting a horrible team. The Steelers fans didn't deserve anything in 2008.
For that struggle, I respect Saints fans. I respect the fans of the Lions, the Chiefs, the Chargers, the Bills, the Falcons, the Vikings, and I even respect Browns fans. I respect any fan who has stuck around through the entirety of a down period and remained through thick and thin. I have no respect for fans of the Steelers because there is no thin. None.
As if it couldn't get any worse, the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins have 3 championships of their own in the last 20 years. What the hell?
So call the whambulance, but I hope the Jets win. I hope they win by 50. I hope the Steelers are demoralized and it sets them back for a decade. If they do beat New York I hope they're defeated by either the Bears or Packers in the Super Bowl. Those are the things I hope for, but a lifetime of watching Steeler teams troll their way through the NFL has left me with that same sinking feeling as always. I'm not optimistic. Come on Jets, Packers, Bears! Do it for the rest of us and rescue us from another Pittsburgh championship. Save us from the NFL's version of the trust fund babies.
At least the Pirates suck. Thank god for baseball's pay structure.
There you have it. If you agree, disagree, or have thoughts of your own. Share them with me at sportshatemeSHM@gmail.com OR follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/SeanMcCarthySHM
There you have it. If you agree, disagree, or have thoughts of your own. Share them with me at sportshatemeSHM@gmail.com OR follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/SeanMcCarthySHM
I agree that we(Steelers fans) have had an easy road, but for those of us who were born into Steelers fandom, and we do, as you said, have no control over how they play, is it really the fault of the fan for cheering for a good performance? I understand that there are many bandwagon Steelers fans, but I've also seen my fair share of pink Carson Palmer and Colt McCoy jerseys. Therefore, I think you should redirect your verbal air assault on bandwagon fans of any team, or even Steelers players. However, I wouldn't just cash in my Steelers jersey for a Bengals or Browns jersey if they suddenly were outdone by either team. I know that hasn't been tested in recent years, but the success of the Steelers is in the hands of the players themselves and I'm just along for the ride, win or lose, as is every LOYAL fan of their respective NFL team. Oh, and one more thing...Black and Yellow!(there's the boasting you were looking for)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteYou are a vomit
Anonymous Clevelander
Well the point is that nobody's at fault for being a Steelers fan and it's not the fans fault that the Steelers are successful. The point is that it doesn't have to be anyone's fault. It's just really easy to be a Steelers fan. You guys don't know what the fans of the Bills or Browns or Bengals (or any bad team) go through because you haven't had to do it. That's not your fault, but it is a reality.
ReplyDeleteI'm partial towards the Browns for the fact that I live in the Akron/Canton area. I would love to see them have a good season for a change. Honestly and truly, I do.
ReplyDeleteBut, I'm also a Steelers fan. And while I can't deny that we've had more than our fair share of good seasons, I also can't deny that the bitterness of our rivals is misdirected. Sure we've 'had it easy' because we haven't had to suffer a bad season in what seems like FOREVER, but that doesn't mean we aren't exactly like you. It's not like we'll jump ship at the first signs of a bad season. We're just as devout as you are for your teams.
If it's any consolation, I wouldn't mind seeing The Pack win this year, for the sheer fact that the Steelers have had their run. Will that be what's set in stone at the end of the game? Who knows. Both teams are really good. I'll be watching, rooting for my team all the same, win or lose.
This is a reason I love finding blogs and articles like this…..because they are funny to read! Your argument makes no sense. Essentially, what you are saying is that Steeler fans are not “real” fans because we haven’t had the same hardships as other fans. I went to OU myself for 4 years and this was a constant trash talking point I got for being a Steelers fan (so if that isn’t your point, please point out how it isn’t and we can go from there). Like you said, we have had the luxury of having a great and consistent football team over the years. However, as you also pointed out, we have had a few bad seasons along the way. But you know what; we still supported our team and management. You never heard us call for a firing or a trade (the exception being Big Ben, but that was for other obvious reasons and we accept the trash talking around him bc let’s be honest, there isn’t much we can say to defend his off the field records). Isn’t that the point of being a fan, to support your team through everything? This is why I find this to be hilarious coming from a Bengals fan. Browns fans can agree with this, Bengal fans are the biggest bandwagon group of fans I have ever seen! Before the ’05 season, you never heard a whisper from a Bengals fan. Then, they have one good season and you think they won the Super bowl or something. The next season, they beat the Steelers in their first match up of the season and you flip cars on Court Street!? But they went back into hibernation mode that season until last season when they won the division and you hear “Who Dey” everywhere. Then they got hushed again, and this season I didn’t hear anything again from Cincinnati. Based on this, I can’t respect anything coming from a Bengals fan, but I do have respect for Browns fans because even though they are terrible every year, their fans are still behind their team.
ReplyDeleteThe blog you have written here is whining! Whining because your team isn’t winning. Whining because your team can’t consistently put good seasons together. You shouldn’t be ranting because about Steeler fan’s because we demand championships and our team is able to come up for us. What you should be writing about is how the Bengals organization should model itself after the Steelers. As you said above, the Steelers are run intelligently, something that the Bengals haven’t been doing. Furthermore, we certainly don't have our franchise players asking for trades out of our town.....
Steelernation, thank you for explaining exactly what it is that makes steeler nation so vomitous...
ReplyDelete"You shouldn’t be ranting because about Steeler fan’s because we demand championships and our team is able to come up for us."
This is honestly how your fan base thinks, and it is the essence of why you are so hated across the country. It is the false idea that somehow your ardent fandom has created the organizations' successes, when the opposite is the case.
The Browns have fans that are every bit as good and loyal, but the inadequacy of leadership has led to consistent failure. The steelers have a gigantic fan base BECAUSE of their success. Their gigantic fan base is not the CAUSE of their success, but an effect. If the Browns had won 6 Super Bowls, an entire sea of bandwagoners across the country would wear their jerseys and probably behave just as horribly as steeler nation does. But don't for one second think that somehow you are superior to every other fan base because of the results, you can thank the Rooney family for that.
So we hated fans because we want excellence from our own team? Isn't that something everyone wants from their team? Every time you sit down to watch the first Browns game of the season, don't you want them to come out and play with everything they got and win? I know from experience that was something Cleveland expected from the Cavs during the Lebron years. Every game they lost, all of my Cleveland friends made it seem like they lost game 7 of the NBA Championship. So how is that different from a Steelers fan?
ReplyDeleteAs for the "It is the false idea that somehow your ardent fandom has created the organizations' successes, when the opposite is the case." When did I ever mention anything about believing my fandom is creating success of the organization? I do believe fans can make a difference in the NFL during games, but I would never believe that we are the only fans making a difference in game time. Also, of course there are bandwagon fans and yes they are on the Steelers side or the Packers as of now. They flock to good teams! The Steelers had one of the best records in the NFL this year, so of course they came. When the Browns have a good year, they will flock to them. That is why they are bandwagon fans!
Finally, SteelNation is not about just the average fan. SteelerNation is tradition, much like the Dawg Pound in your neck of the woods. Can't you relate to that?
I see your Ohio State football peeking out in your header. How is being a Pittsburgh fan any different from being a Buckeye fan?
ReplyDeleteGood question, Chris. It's a noted hypocrisy on my part, but I'm less of an Ohio State fan and more of a Columbus resident with OSU graduate parents. That ball was just kinda there when the picture was taken. If I have a college football team then it's Ohio University, my alma mater. I'm a far bigger NFL fan than college as it is.
ReplyDeleteSean,
ReplyDeleteIt isn't a hypocrisy at all. You are a resident of Columbus and so you cheer for their sports teams. I moved to Columbus and began following the Jackets, and continue to do so after I left. There is a major fundamental difference between living in Ohio and rooting for the steelers and living in Columbus and rooting for the Buckeyes. If you rooted for Florida like Alex Niehaus, I may question your fandom since you haven't lived there, but rooting for the home team is the most basic form of being a fan.
SteelerNation
You didn't thoroughly read what I wrote because I was very specific in my point. steeler fans harbor the false belief that the reason for the success of the steelers is that they are superior fans to everyone else. It isn't that different than how many Americans feel, we believe that America is superior to other nations and that our superiority is why we are the world's #1 superpower. But in the case of pittsburgh, it is unequivocally false.
The point I was making is that steeler fans don't make the steelers good, the Rooney's did. Consistent ownership that refuses to overpay for players or coaches is what makes the organization good. The fans aren't any better than Packers, Browns, Bears, or any other franchise of comparable age. There is a tremendous arrogance in steeler fans, I see it all the time. They will insult Bengal and Brown fans and blame the fan base for the teams shortcomings. Somehow it is the fans fault if they support cheesedicks like TO and Ocho Cinco, but then if they abandon them they are fairweathers.
Steelernation, that was about the absolute most cliched response possible and did more in the way of proving his point than anything you tried to defend. Did you even read the article? He credited all of the Steelers success and admitted that he was whining about the success of the Steelers relative to the Bengals. I'm going to address each point from what must be the world's longest paragraph.
ReplyDelete- On the main Point: Being a Steelers fan is the easiest thing in the NFL. You can't even argue that. You aren't real fans because you've never been challenged. That is exactly what he's saying.
- On how you stick by your team: We never hear Steeler fans calling for a firing or trade because it isn't necessary. Why would you want to fire someone who is successful? Also, why would players want to leave a team that wins and treats them well? That doesn't make you better fans, it's just basic psychology. Why fire a CEO who makes the company profitable?
- On Bandwagon fans: Be an adult and think about this for more than a minute. Bengals fans react to the miserly ways of Mike Brown and 15 years without a winning season would beat any fanbase down. Ask your city's baseball fans (if there's any left). Supporting terrible ownership only perpetuates terrible ownership. The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the same situation as the Bengals. You have a long stretch of losing with no positive signs of improvement with ownership that isn't trying and doesn't care. That's not the fans fault. Bengals fans "demand championships" too. Every fanbase does. The Pirates are proof that Pittsburgh isn't immune to fairweather fans. Tell you what, if Pirates fans aren't more visible and vocal when they finally have a winning season then you're right, but as it is now, 2005 and 2009 were just success starved fans happy that their team didn't suck for once.
What you're talking about is basic human behavior. Why would Bengals fans be vocal about a 4-12 season, why would we be celebrating that in the streets. Furthermore, why wouldn't we be celebrating our first winning season since 1990? Can you really blame Bengals fans? Again, you're not qualified to answer that because as a Steelers fan you don't know what it's like to cheer for a team with a worthless owner who doesn't try.
This is all while ignoring that from a sheer numbers game there isn't a larger group of bandwagon fans in the country than Steeler fans. Explain how the 25th largest media market in the country has so many fans outside of Pittsburgh. It's not because Pittsburgh is a fantastic vacation destination.
- On the Steelers' bad seasons: He didn't point out your bad seasons because you haven't had any. He pointed out that you had a 5-11 season over 20 years ago and that you were 6-10 in 2003, but he also talked about the consequences of that 6-10 season, which was Roethlisberger and winning the Super Bowl. Real tough go of it buddy.
- Browns and Bengals fans agree on something too. Steeler fans are the least knowledgeable, uneducated football fans in the NFL.
- On this, "You shouldn’t be ranting because about Steeler fan’s because we demand championships and our team is able to come up for us.": Don't overvalue your role. Fans don't win games, players win games and that's even more true at the professional level. You have a ton of fans because of the Steelers success, the Steelers don't have success because you have a ton of fans. You're just incredibly fortunate people to have an organization run by the Rooney family, you're not superior fans.
I think the discussion has swayed towards who has the most bandwagon fans, and that's okay, but that wasn't the argument I was trying to make.
ReplyDeleteMy argument is simple; in a league built on parity and an even playing field and when being a fan of a certain team is completely arbitrary, it is beyond unfair that one group of fans continually gets rewarded without going through any down periods. Main point once again: Being a Steelers fan is extraordinarily easy and that includes diehards and bandwagon fans alike. I fail to see how that argument makes no sense.
You aren't better fans because you're Steelers fans and you certainly aren't better people, you're simply more fortunate.