Masses Attend Church of Black and Gold (Xtreme Commentary)

Masses Attend Church of Black and Gold

By John L. Ashman
SteelersXtreme.com

Along the north side of the Allegheny River, in downtown Sixburgh, PA lays a landmark that inspires devotion like no other in the world of professional football. Every Sunday, 65,050 members of Steelers Nation flock to and fill the 1.49 million square feet that they call home.

Heinz Field, or The Big Ketchup Bottle, may have only been home to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the past 11 years, but the blood of Three Rivers can still be felt flowing through the 2.04 acres of natural grass. Grass that has seen its fair share of victory, coupled with the occasional defeat.

Eight times a year, for three hours a week, Heinz Field is not just a stadium. It can be compared to a place of worship, with services lead by Big Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace, and Troy Polamalu. Eight times a year an opponent enters confession, and each time they are far from forgiven. James Harrison, unlike Jesus, does not forgive. (Wasn't he the guy that called Goodell a gay slur?)

No other team inspires the devotion like Blitzburgh. In the rare occasion that a fan of a visiting team gains access into Heinz, you would never notice. The sea of Black and Gold consumes every other color. The Terrible Towels swirling in the cold air block out any chance of seeing an opponent’s fan. A television viewer would not be far off if he questioned whether the other team has any fans at all.

I have been a Steelers fan all my life, well at least all of the time I have understood football. I have been to three games in my life, and if you guessed my attire consumed of Black, Gold, and White, your catching on.

I remember my first game as clear as Santonio making the catch, in triple coverage in the corner of the end zone.

White Hines Ward jersey, Black, White and Gold cap, Steelers Reeboks, and a Terrible Towel in hand. I was at home. Sitting in the parking lot, I could almost visualize Ben Roethlisberger conducting one of his trademark fourth-quarter comebacks, or Franco Harris catching the legendary Immaculate Reception, resulting in the Steelers first playoff victory.(I know it wasn’t at Heinz, but it’s more or less the same location.)

My thoughts of Lynn Swann performing one of his classic spectacular catches, 30 years ago, fast-forwarded to Hines Ward, mocking that other PA team after a blowout ... trademark smile on his face. Who would believe this young, cocky converted college quarterback would go on to be the Steelers all-time leader in receiving yards and touchdowns? Better yet, he broke all of John Stallworth’s records at home, adding even more history to a town that already has it spilling out the ketchup bottle.

Speaking of ketchup bottles, a stadium named after one wouldn’t be complete without a 100-foot-tall rendition of one that turns over and "spills" ketchup whenever the Black and Gold scores. Sure, Dallas may have the biggest screen known to man, but with their amount of fair-weather fans, who will appreciate it? Steelers fans have sold out every game played in Pittsburgh for the better part of the past 30 years. Try comparing that to organizations like Arizona or Jacksonville, who are consistently faced with television blackouts due to poor showing at home games.

Heinz field has and never will face such problems. Even during times of economic downturn, fans entered the gates of the Steelers stadium to forget their troubles from the week, and to see a win for the home team.

The Steelers are, and will always be, a part of Pittsburgh. Everything that appears in downtown western PA is homegrown. The field is named after a local company. The players are drafted and tend to stay in Pittsburgh throughout their career. It is hard to imagine Troy’s hair flowing above another uniform, because unlike other teams, players want to be a part of the Steelers lore. It’s not just a paycheck for them. It’s a way of life.

Jerome Bettis once said “Smash mouth football, Pittsburgh style” after a playoff victory in 2005. A truer quote may never have been uttered. It’ not just a football game that takes place on Art Rooney Ave. It’s a lifestyle. And what better place to live than at “Heinz, Sweet, Heinz.”


To read more articles by John L. Ashman, visit his blog: http://johnyyrock.hubpages.com/