"I've never gone to a place where fans go out of their way to make your life a living hell."So as I was making the rounds of this here world wide web this morning, I came across a topic struck me as particularly noteworthy -- My man Coolong over at Die Hard Steel found an interesting article in today's Cincinnati Enquirer (PS - pretty sure the word is "Inquirer" but I didn't name the thing...) about Steeler fans "reprehensible" behavior toward Bengals fans at Heinz Field.
- Bengals Fan #1
"Pittsburgh is home to nasty, horrible, classless fans."
- Bengals Fan #2
This is actually the same thing I remember hearing the last time we played the Browns. The whole "classy" vs. "classless" argument. In fact, when that buzz was swirling, I remember some of my Steeler blogger brethren engaged the Browns fans quite readily, while I chose to let the scoreboard do my talking for me. Nonetheless, it really gets me heated when I read shit like this.
So let me get this straight - Steeler fans are dicks to opposing fans in their stadium but Bengal fans are perfectly cordial and inviting to Steeler fans at Paul Brown Stadium? Get a clue. I guarantee any Steeler fan that attends a game at PBS would get the same uninviting, tasteless taunting that a Bengal fan would get in Pittsburgh. This has nothing to do with Steeler fans in particular. Any fan who attends a game in an opposing team's stadium is bound to get shit on. What do you expect them to do - shake your hand and say "I hope we have a good game today?" It's FOOTBALL. This is a BATTLE. I won't belabor the point any further, but listen -- Do not think you're somehow being slighted if you're a Bengal fan at Heinz Field. It's not because you're a Bengals fan, and Steeler fans are not any worse than any other fan base. If you choose to travel to an opposing teams stadium, expect that you will catch some flack.
For christ's sake - if you think Pittsburgh is bad, what do you think it would be like in Philadelphia?
Reference Material:
Enquirer feature piece paints Steelers fans in negative light [Die Hard Steel]
A little Northern inhospitality [Cincinnati Enquirer]
14 comments:
#1 classiest fans = colts
Last place = philly
every fan base has assholes....i'm definately in the asshole column for steelers fans
Watching arizona game...hopefully they can hang on...a cleveland loss would add an extra urgence into tonights' game
Let's go Arizona Steelers
I'm glad the ScaryBirds(Cards) won. I'm tired of hearing people talk about how "weak" Arizona is. They are far from weak. In fact, they're only three plays away from being 9-3. They've had some very close games this year and played everybody tough. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them in the playoffs. They did kinda kick our ass in that game in AZ. Some bad calls against us helped them too, but they were very physical and played well.
And i, for one, support Whiz, Russ and Co. Pittsburg West indeed.
As for Pittsburgh fans being "classless", all i can say is that Domski is right: the other team's fans *always* give visiting fans trouble. It's part of the process. Anybody who wears a visitor's jersey to a home game should be mature and adult and realistic enough to expect some kind of harrassment. It's not like Steeler fans lay the beatdown on opponents fans every home game. Or throw poop on them. THAT would be classless...like cinnamon in chili!
Sure, maybe some goofball, nutcase Cincicrappy family brings Mom, Dad, Billy, Bruce, Bobby and Little Sally Rottencrotch to Pittsburgh in full Bungals regalia and get made fun of, pointed at and generally embarrassed. But what did they *expect* to happen?
Big hugs and kisses from die-hard Black-n-Golders?
Ha.
Nobody ever thinks the other teams fans are nice folks. Period. I can't even believe Ohioans are that naive(although i should believe it).
Got Stillers! Pound the pussy-cat Bun-gals! And the refs!
PS- Maybe, just maybe, we can see an entire Steeler game *without* some obscure ruling against us at a pivotal, crucial moment in a game tonight. Is that too much to ask?
Also-
Anybody else think the whole "Pass Interference" rule is effed?
Personally, i think that 80% of the calls ref's make *should* be "Illegal Contact", which carries a ten yard penalty and replay of down.
"Pass Interference" is SUPPOSED to be on par with Unsportsmanlike Conduct and Intentional Facemasking, which both are very serious infractions.
Every time i see soime official call "Pass Interference" i get pissed. It's the wrong call, unless the defender knocks the reciever down, grabs his arms, kicks/punches him or otherwise INTENTIONALLY "interferes" with his ability to recieve the pass. When that sort of blatant stuff happens i can understand giving the other team the ball at the spot of the foul. Otherwise, it's a bad call and ruins a game.
Illegal Contact is when a defender bumps into or gets tangled up with a reciever too early or other accidental(but illegal) touching of the reciever.
This penalty has changed TOO many games for the worse, and needs to be either changed, much more rarely enforced or thrown out altogether. It's the ONLY call that an official can make that will give the offense the ball on first down 50+ yards downfeild simply on the official's opinion. That ain't right.
Any thoughts? Or am i just crazy? (I'm looking at you, Domski!...lol)
Well, here we go again:
The officials didn't throw the flag for delay of game until AFTER the incomplete pass, giving Cinci a secind shot at the conversion.
How do the refs get away with this shit week after week?
Jeezzuss.
can i get a pass rush???
And a personal foul on the facemask, despite the fact that only the reciever's head moved, not Tyrone's arm. It shoulda been a five-yarder. Good acting by the Bungle, i guess.
I swear i'm gonna give up on the NFL soon. This is sickening....
Just once i'd like to see a Steeler game that doesn't involve the g*ddamned officials handing our opponents TDs.
And i looovee how Madden(a well-know, long-time Steeler-hater) complimented Levi Brown for tackling Silverback.
It *should* have been a holding call against Cinci.
But that doesn't sell more merchandise for the League....
Did anybody see Faneca move? cuz i sure didn't...
Madden sounds like he has a man-crush on Carson...
Of course it's a personal foul against us.
Of course it is....
Bullsh*t.
loved seeing collinsworth at the empty bengals bar in nyc....the bus greeted by classless fans...halftime just doesnt get much better
Lol...yea, that was pretty funny. I was surprised they played that bit. Usually everyone in the media hates on the Steelers. It was good to see us get some props.
It did still sound like Madden and Michaels were rooting for Cincicrappi at first, but once we got ahead they jumped on the bandwagon.
Antbody else see the banner towards the end of the game:
"Five rings-No cheating"
Al Michaels even actually said "I think that's intended for Foxboro". I was dumbfounded. He must think they cheated their way to those rings to. I think it's pretty obvious to everybody who isn't a Patricheat fan anyway.
OK....i gotta admit something: the pfficials actually gave the Bungles a bad call at a critical point late in the game. I'm a big man. I can admit it. I'm not sure the Bungle D-back *really* held Hines on that third down call, but i'll take it anyway. It ain't like we don't deserve it after all these years of meddling officials.
And what the H-E-double-hockey-sticks was with FWP? As much as i hate Madden as an announcer, he might have had a point about those elbow wraps causing the fumbles. Thank G*d we won those challenges, or we might all be crying now.
Funny, but the last few weeks i've noticed that our luck has changed with the bad calls after i cried about them here. Maybe i'll have to keep up the mojo....
I'm not a hundred percent sure we're gonna win in Fixboro. I know we CAN, but i'm not sure we'll be fighting a gair fight against the Kings of Cheat. So, as long as we go in there and knock the dog sh*t out of them, leave a few temporarily crippled and generally ruin them for the post-season i'll be pleased. Everything else will be bonus.
It's gonna be a fuuuuuunnn week of attacking the absent ethical code of the Cheatriots, eh Cotter?!
Rock on, Steelers. Rock. On.
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