My Relationship with Pittsburgh and their beloved Steelers

My name is Jeff Greer and I go to school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Recently, the AFC's champion was crowned and given a collective ticket to Super Bowl XL in Detroit. The city of Pittsburgh hasn't seen such excitement in years, so it's nice to see so many people celebrating and smiling. I can't say that I am jumping on the Steelers bandwagon, no, for I am, and always will be, a diehard New England Patriots fan.

I grew up watching Marion Butts, celebrating the arrival of greats like Bill Parcells, Drew Bledsoe, and Ben Coates, and quietly enjoyed three Super Bowls in four years. I remember the first time the Patriots made the big game, at least in my lifetime. In January of 1997, the Patriots beat the Jaguars 20-6, winning the AFC Title for only the second time since the beginning of the modern-day NFL. I remember jumping around and celebrating, causing a raucous all too similar to one seen on Forbes Ave. here in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.

I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city of Pittsburgh, and its residents. I see the joy in their eyes and immediately remember 1997 or 2001. I understand their excitement and enjoy seeing my friends happily smiling. This year's team, the 2005-2006 Steelers, squeaked into the playoffs in the sixth spot, riding high off a four game winning streak. With a major head of steam, they rolled through Cincinnati, demolishing their River City rivals easily. They followed the Cincinnati win with a stunning upset of the Indianapolis Colts, perhaps one of the biggest letdowns in recent sports history (think about it, the Colts were undefeated at 13-0 in Week 14, highly considered one of the greatest teams ever, and they lost at home in their first playoff game).

So credit the Steelers for winning two huge playoff games on the road. They played extremely well in Cincinnati and well enough to beat the Colts in Indianapolis. Then came the Denver Broncos and their 9-0 home record.

The Broncos stormed into the AFC Championship, having also won four in a row, and eight of their last nine. But, again, to the Steelers' credit, they steamrolled Denver, 34-17. Ben Roethlisberger handled the pressure of a big game well and passed his team to the Super Bowl.

Now, people say that I hate the Steelers, that I am a buzz-killer and a jerk. To be honest, I really do not hate the Steelers. In fact, I like most of their fans. The only time I dislike them is when they play the New England Patriots.

Now, I watched the AFC Championship with some rabid Steelers fans. These fans are all great people and fun to watch a game with, but for some reason, I forgot my manners. I simply acted foolish and treated them with some major disrespect. I had forgotten what it was like to go to the Super Bowl and actually be excited about it.

As you know by now, the Pats made the last two Super Bowls, and won them both. I expected them to win both of those games and took the titles for granted. With the memories of going to the Super Bowl in 1997 and 2001 long forgotten, I scoffed at these fans.

I was criticized justly for my lack of sensibility and among other things, my rudeness. Well, I have to admit that I am still hurt that the Patriots were terrible in Denver two weeks ago. Steelers fans know what it's like to be disappointed, lots of NFL fans do. So I don't think this concept is that hard to grasp. I am not bitter by any means that the Steelers won fair and square. Heck, I'm glad to see the celebratory parades and happiness consume the city in which I reside. But because I do not cheer or celebrate when the Steelers do well does not mean that I hate them. They deserve the chance to play for the Super Bowl.

So please, in my humblest of manners, accept my apology if I made any fans feel disrespected or mistreated by my sadness. It is hard to see another team do what I expect the Pats to do, yes, but I am glad it was the Steelers and not the Colts or the Broncos. Understand that I am still recovering from the Pats being awful in Denver two weeks ago.

At this time in two weeks, one city will be very excited and one will be disappointed. Both Seattle and Pittsburgh have great fan bases and very good teams. I honestly think this game will be close.

Good luck to all those involved with the Super Bowl. And remember, to reiterate:

Me= Disappointed, sad Pats fan
Me= Not a Steelers-hater, just not a Steelers lover

Good fight, good night.