WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT STEELER FOOTBALL?

Being a Steeler fan means so mu! more t!an foot"all# It means "eing from
a orner of t!e $orl% unli&e an' ot!er# It means "eing from a (lae $!ere t!e
(eo(le are so toug!)min%e% t!at t!e' !a*e sur*i*e% t!e Homestea% stri&es+
t!e ,o!nsto$n -oo% an% most reentl' t!e Etna Floo%s# T!ese (eo(le !a*e
t!e D.A of !ar% $or&+ in mills an% mines+ $it!out t!e neessit' of om(laint#
T!e' li*e sim(l'+ $it! no frills# T!e' %on't !a*e mo*ie stars or fan' ars#
Instea%+ t!e' !a*e sim(le tra%itions li&e &iel"asa+ /enn'$oo%+ an%
ele"rations# T!e' li*e in %istinti*e neig!"or!oo%s li&e 0olis! Hill an% t!e Hill
Distrit an% all of t!e surroun%ing ounties# T!ese (eo(le are genuine# T!e'
%on't !a*e !i internet afes an% a((uinos+ "ut t!e' !a*e T!e Original
Hot Dog 1oint+ 0rimanti's+ Eat n' 0ar& an% Iron 2it' Beer#
0eo(le from 0itts"urg! %on't !a*e sunn' "ea!es or fan' "oats+ "ut t!e
ri*ers roll gentl'+ onneting t!e small to$ns of (eo(le $!ose !istories !a*e
"een "uilt on strengt! an% !umilit'# 0eo(le from 0itts"urg! %on't !a*e t!e
"iggest s!o((ing malls or t!e "est nig!tlu"s+ "ut t!e''ll ta&e Fri%a' nig!t
!ig! s!ool foot"all an% Steeler Sun%a' o*er an't!ing#
Steeler foot"all means so mu! more t!an 'ou t!in&# It s'm"oli3es a
Dias(ora of generations $!o !a% t!e "est !il%!oo% t!e' oul% imagine#
T!e' ran free $it!out a are or onern in t!e *alle's of t!ose
Alleg!en' 4ountains # T!eir "lue)ollar $orl% $as eas' ### t!ere $as
no one to tell t!em t!at t!e' la&e% material t!ings# T!ere $as no one
to tell t!em t!at t!e' nee%e% more# As t!e steel mills lose% an% t!e
1o"s %isa((eare%+ some of t!ese (eo(le !a% to lea*e# W!ile t!e $orl%
"ene5ts "eause t!e' s(rea% t!eir 0itts"urg! *alues+ t!e' long for
t!eir !ome $!ere t!ings $ere sim(ler an% more (ure# T!e' tea! t!eir
&i%s a"out ,a& Lam"ert+ L'nn S$ann+ Terr' Bra%s!a$+ Frano Harris+
,a& Ham+ L#2# Green$oo%+ ,oe Greene+ an% 4'ron 2o(e in !o(es of
im(arting not 1ust t!e &no$le%ge+ "ut t!e feeling t!at t!e' re(resente%#
T!e' are e*er'$!ere+ t!ose Terri"le To$els# T!e' $a*e+ not 1ust for t!e team+
"ut for !e !earts t!e' left "e!in%# T!e' $a*e in li*ing rooms in Fort
Lau%er%ale an% in t!e "ars of Was!ington + D#2# T!e' $a*e all t!e $a' to t!e
Seattle Su(er%ome6 T!e' $a*e for t!e Roone' famil'+ $!ose *alues mirror
our o$n ) lo'alt'+ grit+ an% !umilit'# T!e' $a*e for foot"all (la'ers li&e
,erome Bettis an% Hines War%+ $!ose unsel5s!ness an% toug!ness !a*e
allo$e% s(orts to "e a"out t!e game an% t!e team#
4a&e no mista&e t!at Steeler foot"all is not 1ust a"out foot"all# I oul% not "e
(rou%er to "e from t!e 0itts"urg! area t!an I am rig!t no$66 E*en if 'ou no
longer li*e in t!e area+ 'ou !a*e Sout! Western 0enns'l*ania in 'our "loo% no
matter $!ere 'ou go# An% %ee( %o$n in 'our !eart of !earts+ 'ou an still
!ear t!e Su(er Bo$ls of times (ast+ t!e e7itement in e*er'one's *oies
es(eiall' our fat!ers+ ousins+ an% an'one else $!o gat!ere% aroun% t!e T8
on Foot"all Sun%a's6 4a&e no mista&e+ its 1ust as e7iting rig!t no$6 It's not
1ust a"out ri*alries an% $!o is "etter t!an t!e ot!er+ it's a"out famil'+
tra%ition an% roots6 It's more t!an foot"all+ "ut its foot"all at its 5nest6 If 'ou
no$ li*e in Ari3ona + 2olora%o + O!io + In%iana + 2alifornia + Flori%a + .e*a%a +
or Te7as + "e (rou% of $!ere 'ou $ere "orn an% $!o 'our FIRST fa*orite
foot"all team $as6
9 Go Steelers 0i&s"urg! GO STILLERS6 A! 'es6 :0i&s"urg!:
9 ;un3 is from t!e 0i&s"urg! area or ma'"e 'ou gre$ u( t!ere if<
=# ;ou %i%n't !a*e a s(ring "rea& in !ig! s!ool#
># ;ou $al& arefull' $!en it is :sli((': outsi%e#
?# ;ou often go %o$n to t!e :ri&#:
@# ;ou'*e tol% 'our !il%ren to :re% u(: t!eir rooms#
A# ;ou an remem"er telling 'our little "rot!erBsister to sto( "eing so :ne""'#:
C# ;ou'*e gotten !urt "' falling into a :1agger"us!:#
D# ;our mot!er or gran%mot!er !as "een seen $earing a :"a"us!&a: on !er
!ea%#
E# ;ou'*e :$ors!e%: t!e lot!es#
F# I as& 'ou to !an% me one of t!ose :Gum)Ban%s: an' 'ou atuall' &no$$!at
I'm tal&ing a"out#
=G# ;ou &no$ 'ou an't %ri*e too fast on t!e "a& roa%s+ "eause of t!e %eer#
==# ;ou &no$ Bea*er 8alle' + Turtle 2ri&+ 4ars+ Sli((er' Ro&+ Greentree an%
.e$ 2astle are names of to$ns# An% 'ou'*e "een to most+ if not all+ of t!em#
=># A girl $al&s u( to t!ree of !er girl frien%s an% sa's+ :HE;+;E.H GU;S6:
=?# ;ou !ear :'ou gu'ses: an% %on't t!in& t$ie# E7am(le< :'ou gu'ses !ause
is nie#:
=@# ;ou &no$ t!e t!ree ri*ers "' name an% un%er stan% t!at :T!e 0oint: isn't
1ust on a $riting instrument#
=A# Someone refers to :T!e 4on: or :T!e ;oug!: an% 'ou &no$ e7atl' $!at
t!e''re tal&ing a"out#
=C# ;ou remem"er t!e "li33ar% o f =FF? Ior =FDC+ or =FAG+ or =F?F+ or### an%
remem"er not "eing a"le to go outsi%e "eause t!e sno$ $as o*er 'our !ea%
an% 'ou $oul% !a*e suJoate%#
=D# Someone starts t!e !ant+ :Here $e go Still)ers6: an% 'ou 1oin in# In t!e
(ro(er a%ene+ $a*ing t!e a((ro(riatel' olore% to$el#
=E# Bo" 0rine an% :T!ere's a "ug loose on t!e rug#: !ol% s(eial meaning for
'ou#
=F# ;ou'*e eit!er eaten a Far&le"err' Tart or &no$ someone $!o !as#
>G# ;ou %rin& (o(+ eat !oagies+ lo*e (erogies an% one of 'our fa*orite
san%$i!es atuall' !as olesla$ an% Fren! fries O. it#
>=# ;ou &no$ $!at a :still mill: is#
>># ;ou e7(et tem(s in t!e $inter to "e reor%)"rea&ing ol% an% tem(s in
t!e summer to "e reor%)"rea&ing !ot#
>?# ;ou &no$ $!at Eat '. 0ar& is an% freKuentl' ate "rea&fast t!ere at ><GG
A4 after t!e "ar lose% an% ma%e fun of (eo(le#
>@# ;ou or%er :%i((' eggs: in a restaurant an% get e7atl' $!at 'ou $ante%#
>A# ;ou s(ent 'our summers+ or a s!ool (ini at Luna 0ar& + /enn'$oo%+
West*ie$+ San% 2astle+ or I%le$il%#
>C# ;ou'*e "een to t!e Braun's Brea% 0lant or Stor' Boo& Forest for a s!ool
5el% tri(# We $ent to t!e Hein3 (lant an% t!e Isal''s (lant for 2u" Souts#
>D# :2!i((e% !am: $as al$a's in 'our refrigerator $!en 'ou $as gro$in'u(#
>E# ;ou refuse to "u' an' on%iments "esi%es Hein3 unless a 0itts"urg!
at!lete's (iture is on t!e si%e of t!e ontainer#
>F# W!en 'ou all t!e %og or t!e &i%s 'ou s!out+ :/um)mere: an% t!e' ome#
?G# Frano+ Ro"erto+ an% 4ario %on't nee% last names an% 'ou an reite t!eir
e7(loits "' !eart#
?=# Foo% at a $e%%ing ree(tion onsists of rigatoni+ stuJe% a""age+
sauer&raut an% (ols&a &iel"asa#
;ou'll sen% t!is on to famil' an% frien%s $!o use% to li*e in t!e 0itts"urg!
area as $ell as to t!ose $!o !a*e ne*er li*e% t!ere+ 1ust so t!e' an
a((reiate !o$ %iJerent $estern 0A reall' is# Won%er !o$ man' of 'in3 gu's
atuall' un%erstoo% all %at? Some fol&s 1ust %on't#
It's $inter in 0enns'l*ania
An% t!e gentle "ree3es "lo$
Se*ent' miles an !our
At t$ent')5*e "elo$#
O!+ !o$ I lo*e 0enns'l*ania
W!en t!e sno$'s u( to 'our "utt
;ou ta&e a "reat! of $inter
An% 'our nose gets fro3en s!ut#
;es+ t!e $eat!er !ere is $on%erful
So I guess I'll !ang aroun%
oul% ne*er lea*e 0enns'l*ania
'2ause I'm fro3en to t!e groun%66