Why Do So Many People Like The Steelers? (coaches, cheerleaders, uniforms)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Why do so many people who have no ties to Pittsburgh like the Steelers? I have lived in 9 states and traveled to all 50, and it blows my mind how many Steeler fans there are everywhere. I have had many co-workers who have no ties to the city, have never been to Pittsburgh or know anything about it, or seen a game in person. And yet the Steelers are "their team".
I was recently in Kansas, and their top team is obviously the Chiefs. But in stores, they would carry Chiefs, and the only other team they would carry is the Steelers.
I may be taking a trip for work to Iowa, and so I sent for some visitor info. There was some info about a school on one of the pages. The picture had a little boy at a desk coloring, and he was wearing a Steelers' jersey.
I was in San Antonio last week, and out on the Riverwalk with some friends, and saw tons of Steelers jersey before the game.
So why is this? If the answer is simply "because they're good", then that is not a good reason. Is it becasue they are a "low risk" because more often than not they do win, and when they do have a slightly bad year, it is just an exception to the norm? Is it tied to the whole "blue collar" concept people still have about Pittsburgh? There are other cities like that; Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay, Chicago, but I never see them like I do the Steelers.
I am from Pittsburgh, but lost my love for the city and everything about it because of some really bad experiences growing up. But if you are from Pittsburgh or live there now, then it makes sense to be a Steeler fan. But if you are not from the area, then why out of 32 teams, do so many love this team?
Pittsburgh has one of the largest fan bases in the NFL next to the Packers, Cowboys, and Redskins.
Part of it is that fanship is passed down in families and the older a team is, the longer that trail goes. People move from cities all the time so the fans get spread out all over the country.
The Steelers have a large fanbase in Kansas City and they even have an official fan club and watch parties all over the city on Sundays.
The people that I know that are Steelers fans are because their family stems from Pittsburgh at some point in time and being a fan of the team is passed down from generation-to-generation. Some of them have never been to Pittsburgh but their dad or grandfather was a Steelers fan so they inherited it from them.
I am a Packers fan in Kansas City. I am a Packers fan because my family is. My family is from Iowa which consists of lots and lots of Packers fans.
With that said, there are tons of bandwagon fans of successful teams.
Pittsburgh has one of the largest fan bases in the NFL next to the Packers, Cowboys, and Redskins.
Part of it is that fanship is passed down in families and the older a team is, the longer that trail goes. People move from cities all the time so the fans get spread out all over the country.
The Steelers have a large fanbase in Kansas City and they even have an official fan club and watch parties all over the city on Sundays.
The people that I know that are Steelers fans are because their family stems from Pittsburgh at some point in time and being a fan of the team is passed down from generation-to-generation. Some of them have never been to Pittsburgh but their dad or grandfather was a Steelers fan so they inherited it from them.
I am a Packers fan in Kansas City. I am a Packers fan because my family is. My family is from Iowa which consists of lots and lots of Packers fans.
With that said, there are tons of bandwagon fans of successful teams.
Exactly.
I tried to explain this but it was deleted in bits and pieces. A lot of it has to do with job loss in Pittsburgh which forced many residents to other areas in search of employment.
Of course there will be the bandwagon crowd, but it comes down to the exodus out of a very depressed, downtrodden city in the 70's, 80's, and 90's.
I may be taking a trip for work to Iowa, and so I sent for some visitor info. There was some info about a school on one of the pages. The picture had a little boy at a desk coloring, and he was wearing a Steelers' jersey.
Real good chance that little boy was wearing a Iowa Hawkeyes Jersey. They look nearly identical to the Steelers Jersey...
Outside of Pittsburgh I'd say it's mostly bandwagon fans. They've popped up in recent years. Just like the Patriots, Colts and Saints "fans".
People will try to say it's because of Steeler fans moving about the country but that's a load of crap. Fans in every NFL city move around the country but don't spawn legions of fans elsewhere. If/when the Steelers take a dip in form again many of the fans will disappear.
I was thinking about the same thing in regard to Iowa. However, from what I have heard the team's colors are based on the Steeler colors which was the favorite team of one of the coaches for Iowa. If I am mistaken, I do apologize in advance but I am also sure I have heard that explanation several times from different sources. Also, the exodus has a lot to do with the fan base being widespread but in my opinion, the Steelers represent those of a generation of hard-working steel workers and coal miners. Those jobs were tough and demanding. The Steelers ( especially the defense) are regarded in the same way. They are tough and get the job done like so many of those who froze in the mills during winters and who stood in the heat of the summers in front of furnaces and molten steel. Likewise, the coal miners had to face the possibility of the ever-present dangers of the mine. My dad was a steelworker and my grandfathers were miners. For many, the Steelers represent the common man. Also, while the Steeler did have cheerleaders at times, they have not had them for years. It's about football and that's it. There are no reality based shows on TV attached to the team. I remember reading that Pittsburgh was asked to be "America's Team" before Dallas but Pittsburgh turned it down. I am not sure, but I do believe it was Art Rooney who said that the Steelers are Pittsburgh's team. And now, they are the team of all who love the town, the heritage of the people and/or the history of the team. I am proud to be from Western PA and am proud of those who came before me in making Pittsburgh the town that it has been and is today. Today, I am especially proud to be a resident of Steeler Nation. Win or lose, I will always be proud to proclaim my status.
I won't call myself a Steeler fan, but more of an "admirer". The two main reasons:
Smash-mouth football: I don't like how much the league has become a big QB love fest. Nowadays, we've got a bunch of prima donnas who want to sit in the pocket like they're Prince Charles and play pitch and catch. The Steelers play old-school football, emphasizing defense and toughness. I love when they play the Ravens; only one team can win, but both will be limping back to the locker room.
Organization/Tradition: Around the time I began following the Redskins, thiir owner died, and was succeeded by a bratty, ego-maniacal young billionaire, who preceded to shuffle coaching staff like a deck of cards, make ridiculous free agent signings, find new ways to stick it to regular fans every year and give the team an increasingly corporate culture, and generally suck the morale from the organization. I look at the Steelers as the anti-Redskins: team's been in the family the whole time, and they value consistency (how many coaches have they had in the last fifty years, three?).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
