Growing Up In Steeler Nation | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

Growing Up In Steeler Nation

Welcome to the Burgh.

86
Growing Up In Steeler Nation
Anna Graziano

As children, there are a lot of things that we learn throughout our adolescent years - how to walk, how to tie our shoes, what we should and shouldn’t put in our mouth – there are so many things that we need to be taught.

But, growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, there was one thing that I never had to learn – not necessarily. What was that, you may ask? It was that certain feeling that took over the house on Sundays as we all gathered around the television during the most wonderful time of the year (and no, I’m not talking about Christmas).

I’m talking about football season.

If you’re a Pittsburgh native, you know how it is when you enter Steeler Nation. To paraphrase Wiz Khalifa, “everything we do, we do it big.” The Steel City has produced a lot of great things in the past, but what goes on in Heinz Field gives ‘great’ a whole new meaning. There is something so surreal about stepping into that stadium for a home game – seeing the blur of thousands of Terrible Towels in a sea of black and yellow, hearing the screams and hollers of some of the most devoted football fans in America. Football is not a hobby here. It’s not even just a sport. In Pittsburgh, football is a religion.

Even if you’re not from the Burgh, you’ve no doubt heard tales of how seriously the city takes its sports. Just a few weeks ago, Primanti Brother’s restaurants in Pittsburgh refused to serve fish leading up to the first round of the AFC play-offs, in which the Steelers took on (and crushed the Super Bowl dreams of) the Miami Dolphins at home. This past week, Magee-Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh wrapped their newborn infants in Terrible Towels as the city itself prepared for the next step as the team inches closer and closer to the playoffs. We are a city with no problem showing our devotion, our spirit, and our dedication to one hell of a team.

There have been ups, and there have been downs. Though we haven't won a Super Bowl Championship since 2009, Pittsburgh still leads all NFL teams in Super Bowl wins (Pittsburgh: 6, followed by the San Francisco 49ers & Dallas Cowboys with 5). 2017 is ten years since we said goodbye to coach Bill Cowher and hello to young and bold Mike Tomlin, and six years since we rooted for out team in a Super Bowl. Still, fans never faltered. Steeler Nation never dwindled.

Now here we are on another Sunday night, gathered around the television as our beloved Steelers take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Kansas City. At the end of the second quarter, it is too early to make any assumptions and I wouldn't want to anyways. Superstition is real here. It is why we wear the same shirt 5 Sundays in a row or spend the evening with the same group of people as always or sit in the exact same spot on the couch for a few hours just in case because you would never forgive yourself if you changed one little thing and your favorite team took an L.

We are all a part of the teams we cheer for. Without the fans, there wouldn't be a point to the game. I feel so blessed to have grown up in a city that takes so much pride in their history, their teams, and their fans. No matter what happens tonight or next week or even next season I - and all or you other yinzers out there glued to your television as we approach the end of the first half - will ALWAYS bleed black and gold.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
an image of taylor swift standing center stage surrounded by her backup dancers in elegant peacock esque outfits with a backdrop of clouds and a box rising above the stage the image captures the vibrant aesthetics and energy of her performance during the lover era of her eras tour
StableDiffusion

A three-and-a-half-hour runtime. Nine Eras. Eleven outfit changes. Three surprise songs. Zero breaks. One unforgettable evening. In the past century, no other performer has put on an electric performance quite like Taylor Swift, surpassing her fans ‘wildest dreams’. It is the reason supporters keep coming back to her shows each year. Days later, I’m still in awe of the spectacle ‘Miss Americana’ puts on every few days in a new city. And, like one of Taylor’s exes, has me smiling as I reminisce about the memories of the night we spent together.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

85174
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

11044
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments