ESPN has ranked the fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers as #1 in the nation, just ahead of the fans in Green Bay.
To me, this is no surprise. Many times over the years, I've heard fans of other football teams talk about the black-and-gold invasion of their stadiums when the Steelers came to town. Through the best and worst of times both, Steelers fans have always displayed fanatical loyalty to their team, no matter where the boys were playing. It's a Steelers tradition, something the unfortunate Pirates can't likewise claim.
I think this goes beyond just stadium invasions and tailgating, though. Even in the years when I was far away from home and not watching the NFL, I still fondly remembered the days of my early childhood when names like Bradshaw, Harris, Swann, Greene and Ham defined "football". I even smiled when I thought of the futile years of Malone and Brister. It's something that gets into your blood, when you're born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. You can take the boy out of the 'Burgh, but you can't ever take the 'Burgh -- or the Steelers -- out of the boy.
It all ads up to the greatest fan base in the NFL, and in my opinion one of the greatest in all of pro sports worldwide. Say what you will about Manchester United. Point to the undying loyalty of the Montreal Canadiens' partisans. Show us pictures of baseball crowds in Japan. The Terrible Towel rises above them all, a swirling banner of black and gold pride and tradition.
Keywords: espn, fans, pittsburgh steelers, terrible towel
Comments
I think the reason the Steelers' fans got the drop on the Pack here is the mobility factor. Every road game for the Steelers still has a mass of black and gold in the stands. I'm sure the Packers get the comforting sight of cheeseheads on the road too, but not to the degree of Pittsburgh.
You can probably imagine what it's like on those rare occasions when the Steelers and Packers meet -- yellow everywhere, picked out by black and green. Madness.