Steeler Nation facts for kids
Steeler Nation is the special name for the huge group of fans who support the National Football League team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. This name was first used by NFL Films in a film about the team in 1978. Sometimes, people also say Steelers Country to talk about the Pittsburgh area where the team started, or other places where many Steelers fans live.
Contents
History of Steeler Nation
How the Steelers Fan Base Started
The Steelers have had fans in Western Pennsylvania since 1933. That year, a law changed in Pennsylvania, allowing sports games on Sundays. This helped the Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles start playing in the 1933 NFL season. Before this, other teams had trouble because they couldn't play on Sundays, which is when most NFL games happen.
In the early days, the Steelers had to compete with popular baseball and college football teams in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Pirates (baseball) and the Pitt Panthers (college football) were more popular. Even so, the Steelers had a small but loyal group of fans. People in Pittsburgh loved American football a lot, even going back to the 1800s.
The Steelers Become Super Popular
By the 1950s, the Steelers were becoming more popular, almost as much as the Pitt Panthers. But they were still not as popular as the Pirates.
In the early 1970s, the Steelers really started to shine. They hired a great coach, Chuck Noll, in 1969. They also drafted a future Hall of Fame player, "Mean Joe" Greene. By 1972, the Steelers were good enough to play in the playoffs. They started selling out every game at their stadium, Three Rivers Stadium. This sellout streak continued when they moved to Heinz Field and is still going strong today! They have the second-longest sellout streak in the NFL.
The Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s. This happened during a tough time for the United States, especially Pittsburgh. Many steel mills in the city closed in the early 1980s. The team's success gave people in the city hope during these hard times. This also helped their fan base grow even more. Because of these economic problems, many Steelers fans moved to other places. But they still loved the Steelers, seeing the team as a symbol of their hometown's strong steel history.
Jack Lambert, a famous Steelers player, once said about Steeler Nation: "How lucky I was to have played for the Pittsburgh Steelers fans. A proud, hard-working people, who loves their football, and their players."
Player Fan Clubs
In the 1970s, many fans created special clubs for their favorite players. Some of these fun clubs included:
- Franco's Italian Army
- Frenchy's Foreign Legion
- Gerela's Gorillas
- Bradshaw's Brigade
- Lambert's Lunatics
- Dobre Shunka (meaning "Good Ham," for Jack Ham)
- Rocky and the Flying Squirrels
- Shell's Bombers
- Russell's Raiders
Steeler Nation Today
Since the 1970s, the Steelers have had a huge fan base. They are now the most popular sports team in Pittsburgh, even more popular than the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team's success helped them gain fans all over the country. Many people believe that when the steel industry in Pittsburgh struggled, it made the fan base in other cities even stronger. For example, when the Steelers play away games, their fans often fill the stadium, even if the home team usually has trouble selling tickets. At Super Bowl XL, one writer even said that Steelers fans outnumbered Seattle Seahawks fans by a lot!
In 2007, a study found that the Steelers' brand was the strongest in its local area compared to any team in the NHL, NBA, MLB, or NFL.
Many areas outside of Pittsburgh also have a huge number of Steelers fans. These fans often ask local TV stations in places like Harrisburg and Erie to show Steelers games, even if they are not officially in the Pittsburgh TV market.
Hines Ward, a famous Steelers player, won Dancing With The Stars. This also showed how many Steelers fans there are across the country.
In 2007, Steve Sabol, who helped start NFL Films, said about Steelers fans: "The Steelers don't need a mascot. Their fans are their mascot... You don't need a mascot when you have fans like that."
Famous Steelers Fans
Many famous people are also big fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers! Here are some of them:
- Elvis Presley, singer, actor
- Frank Sinatra, singer
- Christina Aguilera, singer
- Bret Michaels, singer
- Garth Brooks, singer
- Burt Reynolds, actor
- Curt Schilling, former baseball player
- Hank Williams Jr., singer
- Jake Gyllenhaal, actor
- January Jones, actress
- Jim Furyk, professional golfer
- Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR driver
- John Grisham, author
- Kurt Angle, professional wrestler
- Mac Miller, rapper
- Michael Keaton, actor
- Reggie Jackson, former baseball player
- Joe Manganiello, actor
- Kate Mara, actress
- Rooney Mara, actress
- Seth Meyers, actor and writer
- Sharon Stone, actress
- Snoop Dogg, rapper
- Stephen A. Smith, sports TV person
- Verne Troyer, actor
- Wiz Khalifa, rapper
- Adam Sandler, actor
- Britt Baker, professional wrestler
- Billy Gardell, actor
- Jason Momoa, actor
See also
- Myron Cope
- Raider Nation
- Red Sox Nation
- Cardinal Nation
- Yankees Universe
