Question for outta towners

[Deebo]

Born in '67 and mom's family was in Braddock. We'd visit for thanksgiving/christmas so the Steelers were on TV and became my team. Was riiiight at that age 7-14) when they were winning Super Bowls so the pride got instilled early and been a fan ever since. I remember the lean years of the 80s the dagger in 96 and the highs of the 2000s.

It's hard to give up when you've taken the flavr-aid at such an early age.

I remember in the 80s we got to the AFC Championship game but lost. I think Brister was the QB. That was Noll's last good year and I think he won coach of the year that year for the first time ever. I don't think he ever won for the 70s teams which is just not right.

Or I could have this all wrong as it was a long time ago...

1984

[gpclay]

Against Dan Marino, who torched them for 45 points. Which was too bad as the 49ers slaughtered them in the Super Bowl to finish the season 18-1. That one loss was at the hands of the Stillers, 20-17 in San Francisco. I was sure they could do it again if they could just get past the Dolphins.

[Steeler_Fanatic]

My dad's family lived in Pittsburgh since he was a kid. My grandfather worked for Westinghouse. As a kid I grew up hearing all the stories about growing up in Pittsburgh and of course visiting my grandparents there as a kid I spent a lot of my time growing up around the city. I once got knocked over by an elephant at the zoo lol. When I was in 3rd grade we moved to Meadville. A few years later we moved down here to VA.

I have a smattering of great Pittsburgh memories. I am barely old enough to remember the last Super Bowl of the 70's Steelers -- I was 4 years old and I distinctly remember my dad dancing around the living room cheering and yelling and dancing with my mom after Stallworth's catch. I have a signed Stallworth jersey that I got several years later because it's my first Steelers memory.

Easter weekend 1992 I had a City Slickers type memory -- I was at a Pirates game with my brother, my dad, and my grandfather. I met Bill Clinton there before he was president (no idea who he was, I was going to get hot dogs and beer/soda for everyone). Upon reflection the most amazing thing about that experience was that they didn't card me for the beer and I was a freshman in high school. Bonds got hit by a pitch, got up a few innings later and hit one out. It was a great day at Three Rivers.

I was there for the AFCCG in January '96 and that was the birth of my fanaticism. My brother and I were there for the Bears game in 2005 that started the run -- seated right there in the end zone where the Bus trucked over Urlacher. I got so drunk after that game and it remains perhaps my favorite game I've ever attended. I was there for the playoff game against San Diego when Holmes ran back a punt for a TD and the Steelers held the ball for pretty much the whole 3rd quarter. Damn it was cold that night. I've been to a lot of Pirates/Steelers/Pens games over the years. I love the city and the teams and love every chance I get to go back.

[Baltostiller]

Born at St Clair hospital in 1969 and grew up in Peters Township (before anyone had ever heard of it)

A Steelers fan for as long as I can remember. Lionel Taylor (the WR coach) picked me up and drove me home with my bike after a nasty crash.

John Banaszak lived in Peters as did Mike Webster (Webby was the keynote speaker at my senior football banquet)

Also a huge pirates fan, the Cobra was my favorite. I still have my ticket stub from game 3 NLCS when they clinched against the Reds. I jumped off the dugout and ran around 3 rivers.

Moved to Baltimore in 1992 for a job and have been here ever since. Can't stand these purple imbeciles but it is what it is.

[daikyu]

Both sets of grandparents were born in Pittsburgh, both parents were born in Pittsburgh, My Sister, brother and I were born in St. Clair hospital. My grandmother lived in Sheraton for 50+ years before she passed.

I graduated from Mt Lebanon high school in the South Hills. We were middle class but it was a fairly wealthy area. We had a community indoor ice skating rink where the Penguins used to practice before they got their own facilities.

First 2 years of college was at Penn State McKeesport.

I was born in 1970 and my earliest definitive Steeler memory is the 78 Super bowl vs the Rams. I was at my grandparents house watching the game and they took me home afterwards. I remember the people out in the streets celebrating the victory.

My stepfather got a job in central PA and we moved to Harrisburg when I was 19.

For a few years in the early 2010s I was making a bunch of money and a family member on my paternal grandmothers' side sold me 2 of his season tickets. I was living in central PA and it was fun for a while to go a bunch of games but a 4 hour drive one way got to be a grind and I gave them up.

Been a die hard since the day I was born. In my adult life I have missed watching only a handful of games.

[JackLambert58]

What made "yinz" steeler fans? Most of yinz aren't old enough to have become fans in the 70s.

And for native Pittsburghers, what section of than yinz from. I'm from Swissvale obv, and I believe KC is from charleroi.

Just interested to know.

You know this but maybe some don't.

Dad was born and raised in Fairmont, WV. He loved all the Pittsburgh pro teams (college was, of course,WVU) and handed that down to me. I lived for a time in Fairmont and Elkins, WV, but we moved back to Rhode Island about six months before the Immaculate Reception. I couldn't have picked a better time to go to high school in Rhode Island during both the Steelers and Pirates glory years. I went off to the Navy nine months after the '79 World Series and six months after Super Bowl XIV.

[R_S]

Born in 1981, Grew up in Altoona and unless you were a contrarian asshole you rooted for the Steelers and the Pirates.

[Greenwood13x]

Well, from the replies so far it appears Swiss and I are the gray beards. Native of Western PA, born 1953, grew up in Ambridge in Beaver County. Started following the Pirates in 1960 as baseball was easier to understand as a kid. Started following the Steelers in late 1963. It wasn't easy being a Steeler fan in the 60's and you think NHALS is bad? Let's just say you had to be there to understand. There wasn't so much hatred toward the team but more of just a resignation to the fact that the Steelers were just a bunch of sad sacks, loveable losers if you will.

Anyway I graduated in 1971 and joined the service right afterward, and by October 71 I was in the Far East. I didn't miss the immaculate reception as I was listening to the game on the flight line in the wee hours on a transistor radio. I'm jumping up and down on the ramp and scared the shit out of the maintenance crews. It was difficult to get much sporting news back then. You relied on Armed Forces Radio or magazines and kept up as best as I could.

I never returned to live in PA. I married a girl from a farming/ranching family in Western Nebraska panhandle and decided to stay out west. Been here 50 years this year, but never have lost my attachment to Pittsburgh sports. Hell, I can't as it's baked into my DNA. Speaking of DNA, all 3 of my sons and grandkids are diehard fans as well. We always look forward to the Steelers whipping up on the Broncos.

I do have a question for the old timers. If you followed the AFL before the merger what team did you like of that group. I liked the Raiders as they were a pretty wild bunch and played a wide open game. A KC and Raiders game was usually a brawl and a must see game. After the merger..... F the Raiders. But it seems curious that the Steelers followed the template of that team and became their biggest rival in the 70's

[steelmann58]

Hey swiss i am grew up with thos 70 steelers

[swissvale72]

Well, from the replies so far it appears Swiss and I are the gray beards. Native of Western PA, born 1953, grew up in Ambridge in Beaver County. Started following the Pirates in 1960 as baseball was easier to understand as a kid. Started following the Steelers in late 1963. It wasn't easy being a Steeler fan in the 60's and you think NHALS is bad? Let's just say you had to be there to understand. There wasn't so much hatred toward the team but more of just a resignation to the fact that the Steelers were just a bunch of sad sacks, loveable losers if you will.

Anyway I graduated in 1971 and joined the service right afterward, and by October 71 I was in the Far East. I didn't miss the immaculate reception as I was listening to the game on the flight line in the wee hours on a transistor radio. I'm jumping up and down on the ramp and scared the shit out of the maintenance crews. It was difficult to get much sporting news back then. You relied on Armed Forces Radio or magazines and kept up as best as I could.

I never returned to live in PA. I married a girl from a farming/ranching family in Western Nebraska panhandle and decided to stay out west. Been here 50 years this year, but never have lost my attachment to Pittsburgh sports. Hell, I can't as it's baked into my DNA. Speaking of DNA, all 3 of my sons and grandkids are diehard fans as well. We always look forward to the Steelers whipping up on the Broncos.

I do have a question for the old timers. If you followed the AFL before the merger what team did you like of that group. I liked the Raiders as they were a pretty wild bunch and played a wide open game. A KC and Raiders game was usually a brawl and a must see game. After the merger..... F the Raiders. But it seems curious that the Steelers followed the template of that team and became their biggest rival in the 70's

Yeah, way back in mid-late 60s, steeler away games were televised and maybe a special 4pm nfl game every once in a while but there was an AFL game on tv every week. Ironically, I kind of liked the Boston patriots, playing at Fenway Park with babe parilli and Gino capeletti. Capeletti was a receiver who kicked as well and I remember one Saturday game where the pats scored 40 and he accounted for like 28 points himself. Only 8 teams in that afl....all teams played everyone else twice. A lot of people liked the chargers. I didn't

[swissvale72]

A lot of good shit on this OP. I've enjoyed reading all of your stories. I've told mine more than a few times but I'll ask for indulgences while I tell it again.

My first steeler memory was the finale of the 63 season and Steelers about to play the giants in ya keenstadium with a win elevating them to the championship game as eastern division champs. I remember my dad saying "if I had a hundred bucks I'd bet it on the Steelers. Well, good thing that dad was a struggling Swissvale barber cuz the drunkard ed brown at qb, was on the wagon that week, threw multiple picks and Steelers lost, 33-14.

I started really following the team in 65 when my oldest brother Tony, 8 years my senior, and a penn state sophomore, took me to the opener against the packers which the steelers lost, 41-9, after leading at halftime, 9-7. I went to three more games that year, a 10 year old by himself inside pitt stadium, with my dad dropping me off on Forbes Avenue and i woukd climb cardiac hill to the edifice on top.

For the remainder of the 60s, I attended every game, 7 home games cost me $13, with the assistance not four $1 youth days every year. Saw Steelers hold gale sayers to 2 yards rushing in 67 home opener, though he took a kickoff back 103 yards as Steelers beat the bears 41-13/

Some of you have mentioned your pirates fandom and I would take the streetcar from Swissvale to Oakland, by myself as an 11 year old, and remember seeing sandy Koufax shut out the pirates bingo the 9th until Clemente put one over the sceeen. Bucs lost 4-1 but somehow that memory stuck.

My other Burgh sports memory was lying to my mom and taking the bus, by myself as a 13 year old to see Connie Hawkins and the Pittsburgh pipers win the first ABA championship in game 7 versus the New Orleans bucs. This was a couple weeks after the MLK assassination and a lot of racial tension in Pittsburgh. I got off the bus in the lower hill district and a 30 something black guy said to me, "you better walk with me," and walked me up to the civic arena.

I went off to college in 72 to play for the lebanon valley college flying Dutchmen, in the middle of eagles country and only saw 2 games the year the Steelers were finally good. I was in the house for the immaculate reception though and then for the AFCCG loss to the dolphins the following week on New Year's Eve. Penn state lost to Oklahoma in the sugar bowl latet that night and we woke up to the news that Roberto Clemente plane had gone down.

I last lived in Pittsburgh as a 23 year old, then in Winchester, Virginia for a year, where I met the future mrs Swiss, then accompanied her to her New England home where I've lived, behind enemy lines for the past 45 years.

Ive seen a lot of good ones in person, 75 AFCCG bs ravens04 playoff win vs jets, 08 AFCCG classic vs ravens, 10 div playoff vs ravens and some awful AFCCG losses in 97, 01 and 04. Oh, 94 playoff win over browns I've described as closest I've ever had to a religious experience.

My kids aren't sports fans, but they're steeler fans of that makes sense. I remember my daughter going on a date in high school, the kid comes to pick her up, I'm taking football with him. He says to my daughter, "how about you, you a pats fan?" She simply says "nope...Steelers." My son had been a good luck charm was like 9-0 in person but now they've lost a couple. They were both traumatized last time we went, which was last year vs arizona, two weather delays, they're begging me to leave and I wouldn't even get outta my seat, much less leave the stadium.

I've been banned from at least 4 websites, numerous times from this one,'once for 2 years, during which i co-authored a front page article with Ed, then owner, and stayed banned. Was banned from Jim wexell's site, but then he later had me write weekly articles.

Okay, enough about me. Lol. I'll stop now

[Steelafan77]

My origin story is similar as most.

Growing up there were few teams that were ‘mainstream’ and Pittsburgh was one in the 70’s.

The team colors, their popularity with my best friend a Steelers fan to boot, sold me.

Might be seen today as bandwagoner,… Oh well!

For some contrast the Dolphins, Cowboys, Raiders, Rams and Vikings were the other ‘mainstream’ choices.

This was a period of time as kids we had zero idea the intricacies of this game. Was just a fun backyard sport.

All we knew was we needed someone to throw the football, catch the football, run the football, kick the football and defend against all four.

That said, I am the black sheep of my family. Growing up [to this day] the only Steeler fan. Proud Steelers fan.

[KCSteeler]

Grew up in the 70s in Iowa. Chiefs, Bears, Vikings and Packers all pretty much blew. My favorite Steeler was Rocky Bleier after I learned his story. Also an Iowa Hawkeyes fan. New coach Hayden Fry wanted to instill a winning attitude in a losing team. He asked the Steelers if Iowa could design their uniforms similar to the Steelers. I have been a fan ever since.

[BouldernBun]

I was born in Wilkinsburg 1957. Lived there thru '60 when dad graduated from Pitt. Dad finished his schooling at Purdue and Michigan State. We would go back to the 'Burgh every year or so until we moved to SoCal 1972. I remember dad and I sneaking down to the playing field at Pitt Stadium back in 1971 and throwing a football around for a while. Pittsburgh never left our lives even though we left. But man growing up with The Steelers (and Pitt) was tough. Particularly Pitt..I remember classmates laughing and offering to give me 50 points every time the Panthers rolled into South Bend to play Notre Dame. The Steelers weren't much better, but like someone else mentioned, it was just different back then. I started soaking up every single bit of info I could find on football and baseball like a sponge around '65. When Chuck Noll arrived you could tell pretty quickly that things weren't going to continue being the same old same old for long. By '71 even though they had a losing record there were games that made it apparent that the defensive was going to be a tremendous force. I remember watching a few games that season thinking to myself holy fuck this defense is going to be good. Wasn't long after that well.. everyone here knows the story. Sad to have followed The Pirates and Steelers all my life only to see both teams completing a circle. Nothing lasts forever and losing doesn't bother me much, but the manner in which both The Pirates and Steelers are run these days drives me nuts. As a result I really have not watched a Pirates game in forever and even though I still watch most every every Steelers game I fear that I may head down the same path with them. They.are.just.so.hard.to.watch. Not entertaining at all. It is like a visit to the dentist. Anyways, I'm hoping in the next 10 years, the new Rooney in charge/new head coach combo echos the good parts of the Noll, Cowher eras. Lets Go Steelers!!!!!!!!!

[swissvale72]

I was born in Wilkinsburg 1957. Lived there thru '60 when dad graduated from Pitt. Dad finished his schooling at Purdue and Michigan State. We would go back to the 'Burgh every year or so until we moved to SoCal 1972. I remember dad and I sneaking down to the playing field at Pitt Stadium back in 1971 and throwing a football around for a while. Pittsburgh never left our lives even though we left. But man growing up with The Steelers (and Pitt) was tough. Particularly Pitt..I remember classmates laughing and offering to give me 50 points every time the Panthers rolled into South Bend to play Notre Dame. The Steelers weren't much better, but like someone else mentioned, it was just different back then. I started soaking up every single bit of info I could find on football and baseball like a sponge around '65. When Chuck Noll arrived you could tell pretty quickly that things weren't going to continue being the same old same old for long. By '71 even though they had a losing record there were games that made it apparent that the defensive was going to be a tremendous force. I remember watching a few games that season thinking to myself holy fuck this defense is going to be good. Wasn't long after that well.. everyone here knows the story. Sad to have followed The Pirates and Steelers all my life only to see both teams completing a circle. Nothing lasts forever and losing doesn't bother me much, but the manner in which both The Pirates and Steelers are run these days drives me nuts. As a result I really have not watched a Pirates game in forever and even though I still watch most every every Steelers game I fear that I may head down the same path with them. They.are.just.so.hard.to.watch. Not entertaining at all. It is like a visit to the dentist. Anyways, I'm hoping in the next 10 years, the new Rooney in charge/new head coach combo echos the good parts of the Noll, Cowher eras. Lets Go Steelers!!!!!!!!!

Being from a penn state family, I once gave a friend on bet pitt and 44 points. Penn state won, 65-9.

[smithessmokin]

I'm a born and bred Hoosier. When I started getting into football, my uncle, some of you might remember FastWillieParker who posted here, was a big Steelers fan. I didn't get interested in football until I was 12 back in 2022. My first football ever game was Antwaan Randle El's last game as a Hoosier. When he got drafted to Pittsburgh I adopted the Steelers as my team.

[Sir Lambert]

I was a kid living in West Virginia. In 1973 one day I was playing in the kitchen when my mom was cooking or something, and my dad was in the living room watching a game. For some reason, my mom said, why don't you go in there and get your daddy to teach you about football. So I went in and my dad explained the rules of the game to me. He told me what an interception was, and I said, "But why do they want to have the ball? They could get tackled!" At the end of the game my dad said they'll probably just kneel down with the ball, and that's what happened. I was amazed that Daddy knew what play they were going to run.

At some point he said, "I like Pittsburgh." I thought, I like Pittsburgh too. Some time later that fall, I learned that "Pittsburgh" and "the Steelers" were the same team, so then I was a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. One thought that didn't occur to me until decades later: That day in the living room with my dad might have been a Saturday, and I might really be a Pitt Panthers fan, and I might not have a favorite NFL team. There's no way of finding out now. My dad is dead, and he probably wouldn't remember that day anyway, decades later. He was more of a college football fan than a pro football fan, but he'd watch what was on, and he sort of liked the Steelers, and also the Redskins.

Through most of the 70s, I was too young to sit still for 3 hours and watch a game. I preferred to go outside and play football in person. I don't remember watching Super Bowl 9 or 10. I remember watching the 76 season playoff loss to the Raiders, and hearing the announcer saying something about "Frank O'Harris." Maybe he was saying the Steelers sure wish they had Frank O'Harris here in this situation. Was Franco even playing at all that day?

By the time of Super Bowls 13 and 14, my parents were divorced and my mom had moved us further south. I remember those 2 Super Bowls. In the early 80s I was mature enough to be a die-hard fan, just in time for the Mediocre Years. I kept thinking they're going to wake up now, and be the best team in the NFL again.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

They made liking them in the 70s pretty easy.

They are pretty damn unlikeable for about 15 years.

[langer]

They made liking them in the 70s pretty easy.

They are pretty damn unlikeable for about 15 years.

It helped that a majority of them were not thug idiots and had to work in the offseason and be responsible adults and not man-child psychopaths.

[OhioSteeler]

My great-grandparents on my dad's side immigrated to McKees Rocks from Poland. Had a cousin that played at Montour, then Penn State and then drafted by the Raiders. Football was always huge in our family and early was more of college fans. My dad was a huge Pitt fan growing up.

I was born in '88 in OH (Columbiana County). I still reside in the same county, but I'm only a little over an hour away from Pittsburgh. I don't remember a time when I wasn't a Steeler fan. We spend a decent bit of time in the city just to visit and my wife's volleyball coach from HS has season tickets, so we get to a game every year.

I now have a 5 year-old son and the deal with my wife was that if we had a boy he is a Steeler fan, no argument. She used to be a Browns fan until I took her to a game and I guess the rest is history.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

"and be responsible adults and not man-child psychopaths."

save Ernie Holmes

How I wish that modern Steeler skill players would limit their off-field "flava" to Frency Fuqua's outfits and goldfish platform shoes.

[Jtf]

A lot of good shit on this OP. I've enjoyed reading all of your stories. I've told mine more than a few times but I'll ask for indulgences while I tell it again.

My first steeler memory was the finale of the 63 season and Steelers about to play the giants in ya keenstadium with a win elevating them to the championship game as eastern division champs. I remember my dad saying "if I had a hundred bucks I'd bet it on the Steelers. Well, good thing that dad was a struggling Swissvale barber cuz the drunkard ed brown at qb, was on the wagon that week, threw multiple picks and Steelers lost, 33-14.

I started really following the team in 65 when my oldest brother Tony, 8 years my senior, and a penn state sophomore, took me to the opener against the packers which the steelers lost, 41-9, after leading at halftime, 9-7. I went to three more games that year, a 10 year old by himself inside pitt stadium, with my dad dropping me off on Forbes Avenue and i woukd climb cardiac hill to the edifice on top.

For the remainder of the 60s, I attended every game, 7 home games cost me $13, with the assistance not four $1 youth days every year. Saw Steelers hold gale sayers to 2 yards rushing in 67 home opener, though he took a kickoff back 103 yards as Steelers beat the bears 41-13/

Some of you have mentioned your pirates fandom and I would take the streetcar from Swissvale to Oakland, by myself as an 11 year old, and remember seeing sandy Koufax shut out the pirates bingo the 9th until Clemente put one over the sceeen. Bucs lost 4-1 but somehow that memory stuck.

My other Burgh sports memory was lying to my mom and taking the bus, by myself as a 13 year old to see Connie Hawkins and the Pittsburgh pipers win the first ABA championship in game 7 versus the New Orleans bucs. This was a couple weeks after the MLK assassination and a lot of racial tension in Pittsburgh. I got off the bus in the lower hill district and a 30 something black guy said to me, "you better walk with me," and walked me up to the civic arena.

I went off to college in 72 to play for the lebanon valley college flying Dutchmen, in the middle of eagles country and only saw 2 games the year the Steelers were finally good. I was in the house for the immaculate reception though and then for the AFCCG loss to the dolphins the following week on New Year's Eve. Penn state lost to Oklahoma in the sugar bowl latet that night and we woke up to the news that Roberto Clemente plane had gone down.

I last lived in Pittsburgh as a 23 year old, then in Winchester, Virginia for a year, where I met the future mrs Swiss, then accompanied her to her New England home where I've lived, behind enemy lines for the past 45 years.

Ive seen a lot of good ones in person, 75 AFCCG bs ravens04 playoff win vs jets, 08 AFCCG classic vs ravens, 10 div playoff vs ravens and some awful AFCCG losses in 97, 01 and 04. Oh, 94 playoff win over browns I've described as closest I've ever had to a religious experience.

My kids aren't sports fans, but they're steeler fans of that makes sense. I remember my daughter going on a date in high school, the kid comes to pick her up, I'm taking football with him. He says to my daughter, "how about you, you a pats fan?" She simply says "nope...Steelers." My son had been a good luck charm was like 9-0 in person but now they've lost a couple. They were both traumatized last time we went, which was last year vs arizona, two weather delays, they're begging me to leave and I wouldn't even get outta my seat, much less leave the stadium.

I've been banned from at least 4 websites, numerous times from this one,'once for 2 years, during which i co-authored a front page article with Ed, then owner, and stayed banned. Was banned from Jim wexell's site, but then he later had me write weekly articles.

Okay, enough about me. Lol. I'll stop now

Why did you get banned from other sites?
I am not steeler fan. I was told this site was great entertainment. So I joined. Are you the soap guy? Or manifesto guy?

[swissvale72]

A lot of good shit on this OP. I've enjoyed reading all of your stories. I've told mine more than a few times but I'll ask for indulgences while I tell it again.

My first steeler memory was the finale of the 63 season and Steelers about to play the giants in ya keenstadium with a win elevating them to the championship game as eastern division champs. I remember my dad saying "if I had a hundred bucks I'd bet it on the Steelers. Well, good thing that dad was a struggling Swissvale barber cuz the drunkard ed brown at qb, was on the wagon that week, threw multiple picks and Steelers lost, 33-14.

I started really following the team in 65 when my oldest brother Tony, 8 years my senior, and a penn state sophomore, took me to the opener against the packers which the steelers lost, 41-9, after leading at halftime, 9-7. I went to three more games that year, a 10 year old by himself inside pitt stadium, with my dad dropping me off on Forbes Avenue and i woukd climb cardiac hill to the edifice on top.

For the remainder of the 60s, I attended every game, 7 home games cost me $13, with the assistance not four $1 youth days every year. Saw Steelers hold gale sayers to 2 yards rushing in 67 home opener, though he took a kickoff back 103 yards as Steelers beat the bears 41-13/

Some of you have mentioned your pirates fandom and I would take the streetcar from Swissvale to Oakland, by myself as an 11 year old, and remember seeing sandy Koufax shut out the pirates bingo the 9th until Clemente put one over the sceeen. Bucs lost 4-1 but somehow that memory stuck.

My other Burgh sports memory was lying to my mom and taking the bus, by myself as a 13 year old to see Connie Hawkins and the Pittsburgh pipers win the first ABA championship in game 7 versus the New Orleans bucs. This was a couple weeks after the MLK assassination and a lot of racial tension in Pittsburgh. I got off the bus in the lower hill district and a 30 something black guy said to me, "you better walk with me," and walked me up to the civic arena.

I went off to college in 72 to play for the lebanon valley college flying Dutchmen, in the middle of eagles country and only saw 2 games the year the Steelers were finally good. I was in the house for the immaculate reception though and then for the AFCCG loss to the dolphins the following week on New Year's Eve. Penn state lost to Oklahoma in the sugar bowl latet that night and we woke up to the news that Roberto Clemente plane had gone down.

I last lived in Pittsburgh as a 23 year old, then in Winchester, Virginia for a year, where I met the future mrs Swiss, then accompanied her to her New England home where I've lived, behind enemy lines for the past 45 years.

Ive seen a lot of good ones in person, 75 AFCCG bs ravens04 playoff win vs jets, 08 AFCCG classic vs ravens, 10 div playoff vs ravens and some awful AFCCG losses in 97, 01 and 04. Oh, 94 playoff win over browns I've described as closest I've ever had to a religious experience.

My kids aren't sports fans, but they're steeler fans of that makes sense. I remember my daughter going on a date in high school, the kid comes to pick her up, I'm taking football with him. He says to my daughter, "how about you, you a pats fan?" She simply says "nope...Steelers." My son had been a good luck charm was like 9-0 in person but now they've lost a couple. They were both traumatized last time we went, which was last year vs arizona, two weather delays, they're begging me to leave and I wouldn't even get outta my seat, much less leave the stadium.

I've been banned from at least 4 websites, numerous times from this one,'once for 2 years, during which i co-authored a front page article with Ed, then owner, and stayed banned. Was banned from Jim wexell's site, but then he later had me write weekly articles.

Okay, enough about me. Lol. I'll stop now

Why did you get banned from other sites?
I am not steeler fan. I was told this site was great entertainment. So I joined. Are you the soap guy? Or manifesto guy?

My most recent banning from this esteemed website is memorialized on my fb background pic, for "repeated personal attacks." I was banned from stillers for getting into a jam with the proprietor, danno, and for general commotion. I was banned from Jim wexell's site cuz after being threatened with banning, I said, "I've been kicked outta better places than this." Banned. Wexell later had me write weekly articles. I was banned from a Seahawks site, as was STD i believe, as day after they WON the SB, all those douchebags could do was still bitch about losing to the Steelers. So I called them out on it. BANNED!!

Oh...I'm the manifesto guy.

[DumlinBumlinStumlin]

just want to know if this will all be on your tombstone Swiss, will you be buried upside down like bobby knight requested or a mauselium monument?

[blu]

I was never in Pittsburgh until the fall of 2023 for my first live Steeler game versus the Jaguars. My second game was the home opener in 2024 was a better game. But I grew up watching the Mean Joe Greene Pittsburgh Steelers win super bowl after super bowl. The games were televised here. The year they didn't 1976 was probably the best year to watch. I watched the Willie Stargell Pirates, too. Another amazing Pittsburgh team. Toronto hadn't got the Blue Jays yet. Work, marriage & children took over & I didn't watch much tv including sports. Years later while Stewart was qb before Maddox took over while I was dealing with a terrible divorce (whenever fathers get custody you know all hell has broken loose) & one day trying to clear my head I found Stillers.com & through the immense football-knowledge (along with the daily hilarity of obscene insults & fights) regained my love for the Steelers & found the camaraderie here very welcoming. I even spoke on the phone with Fukcowher & had contact with Killcowher & others. I learned a lot about football & about Pittsburgh. But I never came to a game until years later when the woman I had established a new relationship was ready for the drive to check out the city & Acrisure. It was easy as she knew the game well as her father had starred for the Cardinals & had been a superstar for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts & she had grown up watching the game & meeting many football players at her family home. We loved the great architecture of the city & enjoyed the Strip. I didn't think so much of Jerry's Records but we enjoyed the jazz at Con Alma. We hope to come back next season. I don't expect the Steelers to be great with its dismal coaching but Acrisure is fun & we love Pittsburgh. It's an easy 5 hour drive around Lake Ontario to Buffalo then go along the south of Lake Erie to Erie & south to the city of bridges.