I'll say flat out that I'm no sports buff. I know a few names in the sports arena, but no stats, no facts, no team rosters, no fantasy football. Everything I know about sports is from what I passively absorb. However, there is one exception to this: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As a Pittsburgher, I have no choice but to be a die hard Steelers fan. I could never imagine rooting for another team. Watching a football game gives entertainment to thousands of fans across America, but watching a Steelers game is on an entirely different playing field. And I know I'm not alone when I say this.
The entire city of Pittsburgh is absolutely fanatic about their team, and for good reason: the Steelers have been a respected team for decades, years filled with great games. In 2000, the city imploded the Three Rivers Stadium (R.I.P.) to pave the way for two brand new stadiums- PNC Park for our baseball team (better known for the P logo on hats than for stats) and Heinz Field, the football stadium built exclusively for the Steelers. This stadium has helped to preserve a long-standing streak, where every home game has been sold out since 1972.
In 2006, 'Big' Ben Roethlisberger became the youngest Quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, and the Steelers earned their 5th ring in Superbowl XL. Following this win, coach and Pittsburgh local Bill Cowher retired, but fans were still confident in Pittsburgh's perseverance.
Before the next season began, Roethlisberger suffered head and back injuries in a motorcycle accident, and some fans (myself included) began to fear that this chapter in the Steelers' Dynasty was coming to an end. That season, "Big Ben" was clearly playing below par, and the Steeler's 'high' wore off somewhat. Thankfully, this low point was short-lived.
The 2007 season began with a bang. Big Ben was back, throwing four touchdown passes against rival Cleveland, who managed only one touchdown. The season brought back the support of the fans, and although the Steelers did not make it to the Superbowl, we were glad to have Ben back in action and our new coach, Mike Tomlin, doing a great job.
2008 rolls around, and Steelers fanaticism is bigger and better than ever. Big Ben definitely factors into this, but also, Troy Palamalu proves himself as a player with a fierce voracity. The 'Pitts-burglars' had the hardest practice schedule in the league. As the season unfolds, the fan base and fanaticism only grows.
ESPN decided to survey America to rate what team has the best fans. After surveys, ratings, number crunching, dozens of games, and arduous work, Pittsburgh fans the Green Bay faithful for #1. Since you can't tie for #1 in the sporting world, ESPN's John Clayton made his choice- and that, of course, was for Pittsburgh.
Well, there was no doubt whatsoever over which team had the best fans when it came to the fateful first day of February on that cold Sunday afternoon. I was just in Pittsburgh the previous weekend for the playoffs, and following the game was a crowd of what I would estimate to be no less than 2,000 people taking to the streets in celebration. This was just the pregame.
I went to my friend's party in Oakland. Oakland is where the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon overlap, so there's no problem waking the neighbors. My friend, a die-hard Steelers (and Penguins) fan, has parties pretty much every game, in one way or another. I've been to several. The "Modus Operandi" is a keg, Steelers Jerseys, Terrible Towels, and lots of yelling. This took that to a whole new level.
He had moved his big flat-screen TV to the porch overlooking his (and everyone else in the building's) lawn. Crammed into a 10'x20' patch of icy grass were about 40 people with enough Steelers gear to clothe a small army. Even without watching, anyone could tell how the game was going just by listening to the cheers. Silence meant that the Cardinals had just scored.
Towards the end of the game, the tension was so thick that you would need a power tool to cut it. We never stopped believing, though, and Santonio Holmes made the touchdown catch of the year, miraculously keeping his toes in bounds in the end-zone. From this moment on, there was non-stop yelling and cheering for the next 8 hours or so.
When the game was an official victory, there were the giant man hugs, the yelling and fireworks, and of course, more beers. And then, without a moment's hesitation, everyone started running and cheering down the street, to the center of Oakland. Not more than two blocks away, a couch was already up in flames as a crowd was gathered around it chanting. The fire department was very considerate and did not put it out until the flames were dwindling and the crowd was moving on.
The sacrificial sofa brought us back to those primal instincts that we don't experience as much anymore these days. The flames were not just flames of fire and light. They were flames of victory.
We moved on, from one couch to another.
The crowds were huge, with terrible towels as far as the eye could see. There were lines or riot police in case anything got out of hand, but, given the context, it never got out of hand.
I wandered through the sea of Steelers fans, all united and thinking of one thing: "Sixburgh." For the next couple hours, I saw things burning, people climbing, chanting, singing, yelling, and cheering. I lost my friends and then met up with them, saw old friends I hadn't seen in years, and felt like I was one with the masses. It had taken a lot of planning for me to be right there for that moment. And in the moment, nothing else mattered. It was transcendental, to see so much positive emotion in one place.
I didn't go to bed that night until about 6 a.m. I ended up walking back to a friend's house, where many people were taking refuge, exhausted from the riots. I didn't want to tell anyone that in less than 6 hours, I would be on my way to Ravens' country.
I never thought that I would actually make it back home for the big game. But in the end, I can't see it happening any other way.
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