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Gladiators or Crybabies?

A Call to Arms

by Dennis Wright (6/10/01)

The past three seasons have been trying for the Pittsburgh Steelers to say the least. They've strained (and in some cases have broken) the spirits of not only the fans but the players as well. Case in point... every Steeler fan's favorite scapegoat, Kordell Stewart. We've watched Kordell play his Jekyll and Hyde brand of football for years, and season after dismal season, Steeler fans have kicked him when he was down. True, Kordell has well short of spectacular in recent years, but one thing he hasn't hasn't done is give up hope in the face of overwhelming adversity. That in itself inpires me, and that's why he's my favorite player.

Imagine having your sexuality publicly questioned, not by your enemies, but by your own fans. Imagine having beer dumped on you, once again, by your own fans. Not to mention being benched and exiled to wide reciever, having your starting position taken from you, having a whole team's blame hoisted on your shoulders, and having absolutely no idea of what to expect year to year because your teammates are leaving Pittsburgh like roaches when the lights come on. Amazing. Through it all, Stewart still wants to play for this team. He's had been down and kicked and still he wants to get up and try again. I don't know about you guys, but I respect that kind of perserverance, because I've been there.

Fans have every right to be upset with what this team has accomplished, or should I say hasn't accomplished, over the last few years. But let's not forget the lessons of the not so distant past... Kordell took a team in decline to the AFC Championship. He can do the same with this young team on the rise.

Often, we fans are so busy bitching about who didn't do this and why that didn't happen and you suck this and cut him that, that we forget why we're even Steelers fans. That's what's so wrong with this country right now... we live in such an era of "me-first right now" and in microcosm, a lot of Steelers fans have grown disgustingly cynical and pessimistic over the past three years. On so many occasions, we as fans become so engulfed by the present that we forget why we are fans in the first place.

Personally, I'm a fan of the Pittsurgh Steelers for one reason and one reason only... character. This football team is a testimony to not only the city and what it means to be an underdog, but a direct contrast to the selfish "me-first" plague that has robbed this country of it's aura and it's free spirit. Through all that, the Steelers and what they stand for have remained pretty much intact. My father was a fan before me and now in my generation, I'm still lucky enough to be able to have something as special as the Steelers to be a part of. I'm a fan because everytime I turn on a Steelers game, I don't have to worry about some showboat asshole or convicted felon ruining the game of football for me. These men play with heart, and ask any player that's played for this team... when that black and gold goes on, it does something to you. It changes you from a football player into a gladiator. I'm a fan because I am proud of this team's past and ever eager for their future. No matter what the present, I'll whole-heartedly give my unwavering support to whomever straps on that uniform, to whomever puts on that black and gold armor and bravely and passionately gives his all to win or lose, for us... for the fans, for the city, and for respect.

This is a team of gladiators... always has been, always will be. Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Rocky Bleier (a true gladiator), Joe Greene, Rod Woodson, Greg Lloyd, Kevin Greene, Levon Kirkland, Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward... the list goes on and on and on. Why do you think coaches and players that come out of this organization are so coveted? Because they know what it means to be part of something you have to experience to believe. It's an honor. Why do you think that Browns fans, and recently Ravens fans, even though they just won the Super Bowl, have so much animosity for this team? It's because they're jealous my friends... jealous of something they can't be a part of and don't understand. It's called class. When a Browns fan barks at me, the only thing that keeps me from sticking a well deserved bone in their mouth is the simple fact that on Sunday, win or lose, I'll be a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Everytime I think about that a prideful smile adorns my face.

Let's face it... no one wins all the time, but that's part of the game. Don't get me wrong, I'm not content with mediocrity by any means. But none of us should dogging out our own team and players while they're down. That just isn't what I call being a fan. Constructive criticism is great. But bitching is exactly what it is... bitching. And while it might make some of you feel better, it doesn't do an ounce of good.

I my view, we fans are as much a part of the Steelers as the players. Long after the players retire, the fans remain, and that's something we should be mindful of in times like these. We're all a chain, and the last thing we need are weak links.

Now I ask of you... why are you a Steeler?


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Fan Comments & Responses
The following articles are listed in the order they were received (with the most recent entries at the top). This isn't a "guestbook" format... I read and manually insert every message, so you may not see your submission show up immediately. Thanks a million for your comments, people!
Submitted by BCbubba7
I've been reading various message boards and can't understand what is all the uproar over people voicing their opinions. Granted some of the comments are negative but that is what these message boards are all about - fan feedback. Do we always agree what the president says and just sit there and shake our heads up and down. The press is one of the biggest violators of negativism. A player has a bad game and before he even leaves the clubhouse, he's crucified. Now I'm to understand that we must go along like little puppies and not say anything negative because they need our support when they are down. Try this at your job and see how far it gets you. These people make big bucks and if they perform poorly and often like some positions we know, then all bets are off - No different in any other forum.


Submitted by McMillen & Wife
'Ya know, I think you're hitting the head on Kordell Stewart. I think he's going to emerge from of all of this B.S. as a real tough guy. The leadership qualities I always questioned seemed to finally be surfacing late last season. He won the hearts of his teammates, and judging from our latest Mac & Wife poll, a large percentage of the fans as well.

By the way, your "teammates leaving like roaches when the lights come on" analogy is the best I've heard on the topic so far.

As for fans being cynical and pessimistic, I don't have a problem with with cynicism as much as I do with fans who just "pile on" certain people. The constant and unwarranted bashing of Stewart by some fans is the most glaring example, obviously, with Bill Cowher's job performance being a distant second. For the record, Kordell's performance last season earned him another shot, and so did Cowher's. I doubt many of us truly believed after witnessing last years' dismantling by the Ravens in the opener that only a Vikings loss to the Colts in the final week of the season would keep us from a playoff berth. Yet there we were. Let's give a little credit where it's due.

My only area of disagreement with you is concerning Browns fans. Are they jealous? Yeah, maybe a little... those four Lombardi's must look mighty enticing. But being a native of the Buckeye state, I can tell you that's definitely not why they hate us. Plain and simple, they hate the Steelers because their fans are exactly like our fans. The REAL hate isn't on the field when the Browns and Steelers meet... it's in the stands. It's in the living rooms and sports bars. It's in the hearts of the fans.

Don't misunderstand... Clevelanders are all still Lake Erie pond scum... but I can't help but respect their devotion to their team, however misguided.

With that, I'm gone. Thanks for the great article, dude.

Tim McMillen
Webmaster, McMillen & Wife

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