How did you become a Steeler fan? Let's hear your story....

[Steeler]

I was born in 1970. My brother, being 2 years older than me, was a Cowboys fan. So being that we are both extremely competitive, I had to root against him. As everybody here knows, back then it was Steelers/Cowboys. It was only natural for me to cheer on his most hated rival. So here I am! Thanks Tim!!

 

[Stryker]

Seriously Though. I was conceived shortly after the Immaculate Reception, and have been alive for all the Steeler Superbowls, but don't really remember them until 1980 when my dad was swearing up and down all first half since Bradshaw kept turning the ball over. We had mushroom pizza at halftime, then the Steelers came back and won. Dad made me a Steeler fan. Our family worked in Steel. Grandfather and uncle at Bethlehem Wire Rope, my Dad was at Kellogg Stainless Steel, and was an inspector all of his life. The Steelers were the only choice for their line of work, and living in norther central PA, it was Steeler country.

I still didn't get into football until 1984, when my parents got divorced, and Mom took us to live in Hershey. Fortunately back then, Harrisburg was Steeler country, and I could pull all the games on antenna. I started really getting into football to have something to relate with my dad. My sister did the same thing, so we would all get rowdy watching games together on the weekends when he had us. So my first favorite players were Lipps, Abercrombie, Hinkle, Little, and Shell. Lipps jersey was my first.

 

[Steelworth]

I was a kid growing up in the 60s, my parents got divorced, and I was forced to live with my mom, who was a bit of a harlot.

I was about to say, you lyin' son of a *****. Which would've been partly true.

 

[Zack_of_Steel]

Was born in Iowa in '91. Lived in KC until I was 5. Moved to Nebraska and nobody here gives a **** about the NFL. My dad was always a Broncos fan so I grew up liking Elway, but somehow never latched on to the fandom, just didn't feel right. Then in 2nd grade as a gift I was given a Steelers Starter jacket like this one: https://poshmark.com/listing/Pittsb...D/USED&utm_campaign=1820142635&utm_source=gdm

Nobody in my family knows whom it was that gave me that jacket, but as soon as I got it they were my team. I don't remember a lot prior to the early '00s, but Ben is my ******' QB.

 

[TDX27]

Very simple. Born in 1970 in Pittsburgh. I was a little boy watching the great Steelers dynasty and playing football in the snowy streets. The Steelers winning those 4 Super Bowls were some of the fondest memories of my childhood. It was an amazing time to be a Steelers fan and when the Pirates won the World Series in 1979 as well! Oh my!

 

[slashsteel]

Huh? My story? Okay. It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the days, sittin' on the porch with my family, singin' and dancin' down in Mississippi.....

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Steeler Nation mobile app

 

[SteelChip]

Born and raised in western PA but I'm old enough to remember when they weren't good and drafted Joe Greene.

My story is very close to this but a littler earlier in time

My dad, now 83, will tell you that Bobby Layne and Elbie Nickel were the ****.

OK, not quite that far but I do remember Rogel stories

, my grandpa and my Uncle Mike were always parked in front of the TV in the living room, watching the game, and of course, I thought they were the coolest dudes in the world so I wanted to watch with it with them. Basically, I equated the sport of football with "Steelers", i don't think I even had a grasp on how many other teams were in the league until I was 7 or 8 years old. But yeah, that was in the mid-80's when the team was atrocious, and they'd lose most weekends, which of course, would piss everyone off lol. In any event, when they WOULD win it would feel so good, and the joy that the rest of my family would exhibit rubbed off on me I guess. So yeah, by the time I was 9 or 10, it was pretty much cemented in me, I was a fan and I knew I would be until my dying breath. A small part of me has always taken pride in the fact that I became a fan during a time when the team wasn't so good; nobody can ever accuse me of being a bandwagoner.

Same thing here, the games were not very pretty but the men gathered and cussed in front of the TV and the women hid in the kitchen.

I can say I did my part in the Steeler Nation to perpetuate it too. Losing my job on the Island, moved to Florida with my wife and daughter in '80 and we now count an even dozen on football Sundays.

GO STILLERS

 

[fedderone]

Was born in Iowa in '91. Lived in KC until I was 5. Moved to Nebraska and nobody here gives a **** about the NFL. My dad was always a Broncos fan so I grew up liking Elway, but somehow never latched on to the fandom, just didn't feel right. Then in 2nd grade as a gift I was given a Steelers Starter jacket like this one: https://poshmark.com/listing/Pittsb...D/USED&utm_campaign=1820142635&utm_source=gdm

Nobody in my family knows whom it was that gave me that jacket, but as soon as I got it they were my team. I don't remember a lot prior to the early '00s, but Ben is my ******' QB.

I still have my high school Steelers Starter jacket!
It's actually in pristine condition, too as I only busted it out going to actual games.
It's this one :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Pitts...402138?hash=item4d94f27f9a:g:lK4AAOSw1ZBUsQFH

 

[Steelr4evr]

Born into it in Western Pa 1971. So middle to late 70's was me,a nerf football,a German Shepherd taking me down and the recreation of Lynn Swann catches in the backyard about 6 million times. The entire family on all sides Steeler fans even being spread to 4 corners of the country. The 1980,s so disappointing. 1990,s close but no cigar 60 min men! 2005 was supposed to happen in 1981. I had the shirt.


The last 10 years has been accomplishing so little with so much.

This native is restless.

Go Stillers!

 

[Supersteeler]

Born into it in Western Pa 1971. So middle to late 70's was me,a nerf football,a German Shepherd taking me down and the recreation of Lynn Swann catches in the backyard about 6 million times.

Jesus I used to do that too....without the German Shepherd lol. I would recreate those Swann SB catches over and over in the backyard. He's the reason I played Wide Receiver in HS.

 

[MTC]

My pops saw the Steelers/Vikes SB as a kid.
He was a fan since. I was pretty much born into the Steelers gig.

As a result of the Steelers I adopted the Pens and Buccos.
Pens being my #1.

Yinz Yinzers sparked a culture lol

 

[oicu8ad]

Born / grew up in Louisiana, parents were Saints / Cowgirl fans (they still are) and I jumped on the Steelers bandwagon in 1978. Been bleeding black and gold ever since. Although most people think so, my decision to love the Steelers had nothing to do with Terry Bradshaw coming from LA Tech. I just loved the tough, hard nosed, dominating style of football.

I moved to Dallas in 1992 and my son is now a big Steeler fan as well. I started the family tradition, and he'll pass it on.

 

[SteveA]

I was a kid growing up in the 60s, my parents got divorced, and I was forced to live with my mom, who was a bit of a harlot. Mom hated my Dad, and Dad was a deadbeat, but loved the Steelers and always sent me Steelers gear for my birthday, and Christmas, even though we didn't see each other much. Pennants, hats, shirts, jerseys, jackets. But my mom hated my Dad, so everything I got, she would get rid of.

Now I know where all my stuff ended up. My mom's name is Marion...

This is freakin' classic

 

[Steelr4evr]

Jesus I used to do that too....without the German Shepherd lol. I would recreate those Swann SB catches over and over in the backyard. He's the reason I played Wide Receiver in HS.

She would chase me and take me down by the ankles..haha

 

[Steelaztec]

Born and raised in Mexico city. So my neighborhood was all about soccer, but in my family was all about baseball, so I played in a little league.

In the 70's the two mayor tv networks used to broadcast two nfl games each every sunday. One broadcasted american league games and the other one the national league's games.
Of course the Steelers were the main atracttion in one of the networks, in the other one the cowboys were. It created some sort of network rivalry also. That is why, to this day the most popular teams in Mexico are the Steelers and the Cowboys.

I liked baseball, but I loved watching football games. I guess the first thing that caught me on the steelers was their uniform. When i was around 8, my father was the manager of my baseball team and he got to choose the uniform. Obviously I asked him to be black and gold. My first vivid memory of an actual game is Jackie Smith dropping the ball on the end zone. The next year my father boss had tickets for the SB and invited him to go. He was a casual fan at that time but he brought me a pennant, a hat and a t-shirt and I became an official fan.

After that, I quit baseball and started playing football. My father never missed my games and became more involved with the Steelers. We had the chance to be in a couple of Steelers games together and had the time of our lives. SB XL came in a perfect timing in my life and I got the chance to watch them in Detroit after all those years of frustration. I knew that was once in a life experience for me so I was there wearing the hat my father gave me 25 years ago. There were only like three letters still visible but it was my favorite ever.

I called him from the stadium at the end of the game and couldn't help start criying. He was just diagnosed with cancer. He died a few months later but now I brought him a new hat that he wore until his final days.

 

[Tibs]

It was love at first sight, seeing those black helmets and the aggressive, hard-hitting defense played by the Steelers 70's SB teams. Grew up in the San Fernando Valley, I did have an aunt in Ligioner, PA who'd always mail me Steelers stuff on my b-days. Been a lifelong hobby and infatuation ever since, never gets old.

 

[Steelmann]

I lived and died playing baseball as a kid. The first two teams I was on were the Pirates. I wore my black and gold uniform with so much pride. My baseball hero was Roberto Clemente. Which in turn,turned me on to the city of Pittsburgh. As a 10 year old,I remember reading about the Steelers #1 choice being able to throw the ball as fast as any pitcher in the majors. I know I cried when Clemente died in the plane crash.

As a kid from Vancouver,Canada there sure as **** were no Steeler fans around.believe it or not the first game I saw the Steelers play on TV happened to be a little game against the Raiders in ‘72. When Franco picked that ball off his shoelaces and rumbled In I was hooked for life.
My favorite player in those magical days were Lyn Swan and Mel Blount. What a time to be a Pittsburgh sports fan,Willie Stargell was my favorite Pirate. The city must of been going crazy.

So now the circle of life. My dad was a Packers fan,he was a stone,brick mason as tough as they come. I don’t know why I never became a Packers fan,but it obviously had something to do with those first baseball uniforms. Now my son is a diehard Steelers fan,we have been to watch a game in Pittsburgh,and hoping to go to Arizona this year. My daughter married a good guy from Nepal,who knows fuckall about football but believe me he is a Steelers fan. I just had my first grandson,and he sure as **** will be a Steelers fan too.

 

[GMC]

Born and raised in central PA.

 

[CoolieMan]

you ******* born and raised in PA don't know how ******* hard it was to be a good fan of a team that you might only get to see highlights of during Monday Night Football....

before Al Gore invented the internet keeping up with the team was difficult as hell down here in Texas

 

[JMM]

Born in 68 and grew up in Redskins country (SW VA). My older brother was a Steelers Fan during the 70s so I naturally followed in his footsteps. I don't remember the first two Super Bowls but I definitely remember 3 & 4. Remember Bradshaw's last game and the Myna bird treatments. Remember watching them struggle throughout the 80s and that grief all culminated in a great wild card win in the Astrodome back in 89...New Years Eve at that. Came damn close to beating the Broncos the following week but wasn't meant to be. Always appreciated their gritty style of play. Even when they sucked, they beat the hell out of their opponents. At least back in the day...

 

[Omar10213245]

you ******* born and raised in PA don't know how ******* hard it was to be a good fan of a team that you might only get to see highlights of during Monday Night Football....

before Al Gore invented the internet keeping up with the team was difficult as hell down here in Texas

This! Preach, Coolie!

I remember back in the early-mid 90's, when of COURSE the Steelers weren't on TV here in Ohio during 1:00 Sunday games, and I'd have to toggle between whatever game was showing on NBC (usually some ****** bengals game) and headline news, since back then, HLN was the ONLY network (that I can remember) that had the constant sports ticker at the bottom of the screen for updates on the Steeler game score. Oh, and every half hour they'd put out updated highlights, albeit brief, if my memory serves correctly.

 

[Confluence]

Born in Galt, Ontario, Canada

Sent from my SM-N950W using Steeler Nation mobile app

 

[Ike Kelly]

Ok..little bit of a clarification request from folks who may know how the broadcasts went back in the 60s/70s. Not finger pointing at you Steelmann. Roberto and Pops was always...still are my favorite Pirates/baseball players.

Paternal Grandfather and family are from Pittsburgh. From the early 60s the family lived in McKeesport until the 90s. My Grandfather and Uncle saw the game on TV. Most of the writers, PG/Tribune/Beaver etc. have all written articles about how “millions” of people have said they were at the game or watched on TV the Immaculate Reception when it happened. However, it’s reported that the game was broadcast only in the Pittsburgh and Oakland markets. It wasn’t picked up on the national broadcast. Plus Three Rivers held maybe 51-52k capacity back then. My father got the call from my Uncle about Franco winning the game right after it happened. He could still hear my Grandfather celebrating in the background. My siblings and I found out shortly thereafter.

The market I lived in at the time only included Washington and Baltimore and Miami. Radio Broadcasts were the same.

How is it folks who didn’t live in Pitt or out in the Bay area were able to “see this game”? That always has perplexed me.


Sent from my iPad using Steeler Nation mobile app

 

[Steelmann]

As 1972 was the last year that the NFL forbade any local telecasts of home games, the game itself wasn't shown live on Pittsburgh NBC affiliate WIIC-TV (now WPXI), nor was it shown on nearby NBC affiliates WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, Ohio; WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, West Virginia; and then-NBC affiliate WTRF-TV in Wheeling, West Virginia, all of which are secondary markets to the Steelers—WICU-TV in Erie, Pennsylvania and then-NBC O&O WKYC-TV in Cleveland, Ohio, were the closest stations to air the game (although WIIC-TV showed the game on tape delay the following day). Starting the next year, any home games that sold out 72 hours before kick-off could be televised locally. As the Steelers began their home sell-out streak in 1972, blackouts have never been needed in the
Pittsburgh area.

From what I have read so far you are right in some ways. Many people in the Pittsburgh area couldn’t watch it on tv because of the blackout rule. Some of the articles I have read say they did not broadcast it in the Pittsburgh area. In Canada they typically pickup the NBC feed and broadcast it over a Canadian channel. Especially as it was a playoff game. Now,I am not going to swear I watched it live,but I believe I did,but I was 11 years old,and god knows if I saw a tape or extended highlights. But I would like to thank you for trying to remedy my little boys memory. Why you felt the need to do it truly “ perplexes” me.

 

[Steelmann]

https://sports.yahoo.com/us-glitch-reminder-immaculate-reception-blacked-pittsburgh-203045431.html