On February 1, 2009, I set out on a Pittsburgh Pilgrimage for the purpose of accomplishing one simple task: to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers play against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII with friends, family, and the most insane fans on the face of the planet. This trek was very close to a religious experience. It began as I arrived at LAX on Saturday morning representing my home town with a black and gold “Pittsburgh” scarf and a “boot” I was instructed to wear in order to protect a previously broken toe. I festively painted the boot black and gold, and called it a “Terrible Boot” in honor of the iconic and definitive Steelers fan symbol “The Terrible Towel.” It’s the tiny gold things you see waving around in the packed stadiums wherever the Steelers play.
As I awkwardly hobbled through the airport, I obtained my boarding pass and headed to the security checkpoint where the TSA officers snickered at my non-Arizona allegiance. When I arrived at my departure gate I was pleased to find that I was not alone. In fact, about 75% of the people waiting to board my plane were wearing black and gold, including the pilots! Everyone greeted each other with a sense of camaraderie that I have never experienced here in Los Angeles, ever! “Black and Gold” bridged black, white, young, old, first class, and coach. In addition to the unspoken but clearly felt unity among my fellow Pittsburgh pilgrims, there was an undeniable energy that buzzed throughout the plane as we boarded. We all knew that we were headed to the “Mecca” of the Steelers. The irony is that the Steelers were not even playing in Pittsburgh. The Super Bowl was in Tampa, Florida! But that did not stop fans (thousands nationwide) from traveling to “The Burgh” to join family and friends in watching what ended up being a sporting event for the ages. Prior to take off, our pilot introduced himself and welcomed us all aboard. He then played one of the many Steelers pep songs, “Here We Go” throughout the entire aircraft. People sang along in unison like we were at a church service! Then we took off.
Once I arrived in Pittsburgh, I realized that this whole Steelers thing, including the Pittsburgh Pilgrimage, (a term I coined in reference to the Pittsburgh Diaspora that reconvenes over the Steelers) was much bigger and more profound than I previously understood. Everyone at the Pittsburgh airport wore some kind of Steelers attire. Everyone was excited about the upcoming game. Everyone shared a common fraternal bond.
Only 33 hours passed between the time I landed in Pittsburgh and the time I got back on the plane headed back to Los Angeles. But in those 33 hours, I realized once again that the “Steelers Nation” (as it is so affectionately called) is an example of community that I do not see anywhere else. I don’t see it or experience it in school, in my neighborhood, and sadly, I don’t experience it within the church. Throughout the course of my visit I broke bread (in the form of a Primanti’s slaw and fries topped ‘sammitch’) with friends, chanted songs, and proudly adorned myself with symbols relevant to the occasion. I was received warmly by people from all over the country as they spotted my injured foot cradled in the “Terrible Boot.” And all of this was prior to the start of the actual game!
And what a game it was!!! I don’t think I need to get into the game. If you are a remote sports fan, you already know what I am talking about. If you are not a sports fan you don’t really need to know the details of the game, because the heart of this entire endeavor had little to do with football. The heart of the matter i.e. the Steelers, the people who live in Pittsburgh, the people who used to live there, and the people who are loyal fans from afar, is all about community and connection to a larger narrative. It is about staying faithful in good times and bad. It is about coming together for a common good. It is about long years of putting in dues that rarely pay off in the time frame in which you prefer.
The heart of “Steelers Nation” is that you become a part of something even if you can’t make the pilgrimage. You celebrate in a spirit of unity that cannot be easily matched these days. The narrative behind the Steelers is far more profound than the game of football itself, and that is what Pittsburghers (and fans) cling to. A narrative in which the hard workers, the ones with honor, the ones with character and humility, and even the ones who have failed & been broken in the past, emerge triumphant. Pittsburghers understand that story. It is their story, and it is the story that characterizes every aspect of their beloved Steelers, and above all, it is a story that many who are not from Pittsburgh can relate to as well.
Some people I’ve spoken too either don’t understand why Pittsburgh Steelers fans feel the way they way they do about a football team. Others think it borders idolatry. Admittedly, I didn’t understand it either until I actually moved away from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles and desperately longed for the sense of community I always took for granted back home. But as I twirled my terrible towel, wore my lucky number 7 Ben Roethlisberger jersey, (which is unusual for a non sporty person like myself-I mean I barely understand what a first down is!) and bore the pain of every celebratory jump on my broken toe, I knew I was at one with my Pittsburgh “peeps.” I was at one with my parents, aunts, uncles, friends and even grandmothers who I know were yelling at referees making bad calls, high fiving each other at each score made, dishing out the tough love when necessary, and cheering the Steelers on to historical defeats, and I was comforted by that reality.
I can’t help but see the connection between the “Steelers Nation” narrative, and other important narratives that we hold dear. I can’t help but think that there isn’t something to gain on a spiritual level from the example of Steelers fans who seem to have mastered the art of connecting to one another over a shared bond (in joyful times as well as bad) without regard to differences of any kind. Nothing was more evident of this than seeing a Muslim woman with her fully covered head peaking out of the sun roof of her car waving her terrible towel in celebration of the historical win, hipster kids with skinny jeans and old school Steelers beanies, and elderly, retirement home residents dancing in the streets with inebriated frat boys, on Pittsburgh’s historic Southside. Words are not sufficient in explaining the whole experience. Especially the tension felt when the Cardinals gave us a run for our money prior to the win! The collective fear was enough to send Sully Sullenberger over the edge!
As I make my way through this life journey, often feeling like my broken toe in one way or another, I continue to draw strength from the narratives that unite. For me, my “Terrible Boot” acts as a reminder of the reality that there is a back story, a struggle, and a hope for triumph for all of us in this journey. I cannot forget that. I continue to be amazed at the profound life lessons I learn through the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans, and I look forward to supporting them as they make their way to the “Stairway to Seven!” GO STILLERS!
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