Tube City Almanac

October 04, 2004

Black and Gold and Red All Over

Category: default || By jt3y

I've got an original 1970s-vintage Terrible Towel and one of those flattened-out Iron City Beer "Super Super Super Steelers" beer cans, and I consider myself a red-blooded American and a life-long yinzer (so far), but for the life of me, I can't understand full-blown Steelers obsession.

I went to a fundraiser yesterday down at the Washington County fairgrounds for the local ham radio club that was supposed to run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It was a beautiful day to be outside --- a crisp breeze, bright sunshine, the smell of freshly-mown hay in the air. I arrived at about 11 a.m., just in time to find vendors packing their vehicles, getting ready to leave.

Why? The Steelers game, of course. Kickoff was only two hours away.

On the way home, I stopped in dahntahn Picksberg to buy a Sunday Washington Post; admittedly, weekends in the Golden Triangle make Death Valley look crowded, but at 1:35 p.m. yesterday, you could have shot a cannon down the Boulevard of the Allies and not hit anyone, or anybody.

I've talked to priests and pastors who tell me that church attendance drops precipitously when the Stillers have an early kickoff on Sundays. Stores have complained that sales go down during Stiller games, as well; I stopped at the House of Rancid Lunchmeat on my way home yesterday afternoon, and they were sending employees home, because the place was nearly empty of customers. (Admittedly, it was a great time to go grocery shopping.)

Look, the Steelers don't drop everything to watch me work (which would be pretty boring, I admit: "Wow! Look at him checking his email! Now he's reaching for his coffee!"), so why should I drop everything to watch them?

Even worse is the attitude the day after a Steelers loss; some people mope around with perpetual scowls on their faces. Do we have that little to get excited about that we have to live vicariously through the Steelers?

I realize it's just a hobby for most people, and Lord knows, I've got some goofy hobbies myself (vide supra, second paragraph), but allowing the activities of a football team, with which 99.99 percent of us have no direct personal connection, to dictate our own lives borders on something unhealthy.

Besides, I've learned that even if I'm not at home to watch the game, and I'm not in the car where I can listen to it on the radio, that I won't have any problem following the game. I stopped at Trader Jack's flea market in Collier Township as the game started, and was able to hear or see every play as I walked around --- there was hardly one person there without a portable TV or radio.

So, by all means, follow the Steelers, root for the Steelers, and listen to the games or watch them on TV --- but for heaven's sake, carry on with the rest of your lives while you do. Got it? Good.

Now, I'm going to go do two things just as useful as ranting about Steelers obsession: Namely, emptying Lake Erie with a thimble while attempting to spit into the wind.

...

And all that said: Boy, it was a hell of a game, wasn't it? That there fourth quarter was some football!

Also, I realize that Ben Roethlisberger has only started two games, but if I'm Tommy Maddox, this morning I'm checking to make sure my license to sell insurance is still valid.

Plus, there was good news for those of us who "turn down the TV sound": Myron Cope's voice seemed to be back to full strength after his recent illness. Hmmm-hah! Yoi!

...

In the comments section of Friday's entry, Suzie asks an excellent question that has puzzled generations of Pittsburgh baseball fans and fans from other regions who have moved to Western Pennsylvania. Namely, why don't the Pirates inspire the same fanaticism in Picksberg that the Stillers do?

I would argue that the Pirates did, once, inspire that kind of loyalty, up until the early '70s. I suspect several things conspired to steal (no pun intended) the average fan's heart away from the Buccos:

-- The Steelers under Chuck Noll suddenly won four Super Bowls after years of mediocrity;

-- Football (which is much faster-paced than baseball) became ascendant over baseball nationally, thanks in no small part to TV coverage;

-- Both teams moved to Three Rivers Stadium, which was a step up for the Steelers, but arguably a step down for the Pirates, which went from an intimate old-fashioned ballpark to a concrete bowl that was lousy for watching baseball;

-- Several Pirates were implicated in the 1980s major-league baseball drug scandals;

-- At roughly the same time, the Pirates began making constant threats to move, angering many Pittsburghers;

-- The economics of both sports have meant that the Steelers have stayed relatively competitive over the last 20 years, while the Pirates have been in steady decline since 1992.

If the Pirates could put a competitive team on the field --- one that could finish the season at least a few games above .500 --- and stay competitive for several years at a time, then I think fans would find their way back to baseball in Pittsburgh. Frankly, it's hard to expect people to root, year after year, for teams that they know are going to stink.

I know that Mets, Cubs and BoSox fans support teams that often stink, but I'd argue that a small proportion of true, die-hard fans, will support stinky sports teams in every market. But a small proportion of die-hard fans in New York City, Chicago and Boston is a much larger number than the same proportion of fans in Pittsburgh, because those are much larger media markets.

Without major changes to baseball's revenue structure, which are unlikely to come, then all of the teams in the dozen or so major league cities with the smallest metro populations are doomed to perpetual mediocrity, I suspect.






Your Comments are Welcome!

I suspect the Pirates are just as likely to leave Pittsburgh under an NFL-style revenue sharing model as they are now. You’ll notice that the NFL has no qualms about letting even its most storied franchises leave for greener pastures. (Like the old Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts.) Considering the relative lack of support for the Pirates—they couldn’t sell out Three Rivers even when they were in the playoffs—I’d suspect that Major League baseball would be glad to see small-market teams like the Pirates move to more lucrative markets in the event of revenue sharing.
Jonathan Potts (URL) - October 04, 2004



A while back, I think you asked for comments about favorite places in the Mon Valley.

The Mon Yough Trail does it for me. The trail has been strangely absent from Tube City postings, which is unfortunate. Our Fair City is increasingly becoming a stopping or starting point for people to access the trail. More important, the Pittsburgh-McKeesport link is one of only two unfinished sections of the trail, which sees something like 400,000 visitors every year, each of whom spend between $5 and $15. Do the math. See http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/s_257782.html

And these visitors aren’t your typical tree huggers. Parents, kids, retired people all use the trail, too. Check the Boston access parking lot any weekend. Better yet, try finding a parking space there after 10 a.m.

The widflowers, river, rock outcroppings, and history make the Yough Trail a spectacular getaway. Truly, it’s a Western Pennsylvania jewel.

Meet the regulars. There’s Hammer Chuck who often bikes a 100-mile length of the trail on a banana-yellow Tour Easy, the Cadillac of bicycles. Try keeping up with him. He’ll leave you in the dust every time. And the kicker is that depending on who you ask, Chuck is between 70 and 80 years old. He could easily pass for 50.

In fact, look closely at any of the older bikers. Every one looks at least 10 years younger than their age.

While bikers discover the beauty of the trail, Our Fair City is barely aware of the treasure nearby, barely aware of the thousands of visitors passing through on their way to the trail.

Hmmm. I wonder how popular the Pittsburgh-McKeesport link will be once it’s finished. I wonder how many bikers will make the trip from Pittsburgh, eat lunch in Our Fair City, maybe buy some other stuff before returning to Pittsburgh. I know I can’t wait to try it. And I know that’s happening at many of the trail access points where businesses has sprouted up. In Fayette County, a developer is marketing a new subdivision of homes based on its proximity to the trail. Say, is there a message here?

Tales of Our Fair City’s heyday make for fascinating and informative reading. Pick a clear fall day to bike the trail, and Our Fair City’s history will be a distant memory – guaranteed.

Sincerely yours,

Prof. Quackenbush
Prof. Quackenbush - October 04, 2004



A while back, I think you asked for comments about favorite places in the Mon Valley.

The Mon Yough Trail does it for me. The trail has been strangely absent from Tube City postings, which is unfortunate. Our Fair City is increasingly becoming a stopping or starting point for people to access the trail. More important, the Pittsburgh-McKeesport link is one of only two unfinished sections of the trail, which sees something like 400,000 visitors every year, each of whom spend between $5 and $15. Do the math. See http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/s_257782.html

And these visitors aren’t your typical tree huggers. Parents, kids, retired people all use the trail, too. Check the Boston access parking lot any weekend. Better yet, try finding a parking space there after 10 a.m.

The widflowers, river, rock outcroppings, and history make the Yough Trail a spectacular getaway. Truly, it’s a Western Pennsylvania jewel.

Meet the regulars. There’s Hammer Chuck who often bikes a 100-mile length of the trail on a banana-yellow Tour Easy, the Cadillac of bicycles. Try keeping up with him. He’ll leave you in the dust every time. And the kicker is that depending on who you ask, Chuck is between 70 and 80 years old. He could easily pass for 50.

In fact, look closely at any of the older bikers. Every one looks at least 10 years younger than their age.

While bikers discover the beauty of the trail, Our Fair City is barely aware of the treasure nearby, barely aware of the thousands of visitors passing through on their way to the trail.

Hmmm. I wonder how popular the Pittsburgh-McKeesport link will be once it’s finished. I wonder how many bikers will make the trip from Pittsburgh, eat lunch in Our Fair City, maybe buy some other stuff before returning to Pittsburgh. I know I can’t wait to try it. And I know that’s happening at many of the trail access points where businesses have sprouted up. In Fayette County, a developer is marketing a new subdivision of homes based on its proximity to the trail. Say, is there a message here?

Tales of Our Fair City’s heyday make for fascinating and informative reading. Pick a clear fall day to bike the trail, and Our Fair City’s history will be a distant memory – guaranteed.

Sincerely yours,

Prof. Quackenbush
Prof. Quackenbush - October 04, 2004



The call-in radio talk shows were hurting during the Steelers, as well. No calls. One host said as much. Hope they had plenty of extra material.

If you think Pittsburgh is full of football madness, try places like Oklahoma or Texas at the college level. Heck, even at the high-school level. Those people are possessed.

And I have long since learned to do my shopping, laundry, etc. at a time when everybody else is either busy or not inclined to do it. Friday night is a great time for mundane tasks, because everybody else is clubbing or eating out. This is doubly true for folks who use the laundry room in an apartment complex.

If you have a 24-hour grocery store, try shopping at 3 AM, if you can maneuver past all of the boxes in the aisles.

Hey, it works for me.
Alert Reader - October 04, 2004



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