When the New York Giants upset the heavily favoured New England Patriots during Super Bowl XLII, football fans all seemed to speak in unison. But none seemed to say “Hooray for the Giants!” aside from the immediate families of the players such as the quarterback’s brother, sitting in the press box. The messages were “Patriots suck,” “18-1, So much for the perfect season,” and “Take that, cheaters.” Yet, if the New England Patriots had won Super Bowl XLII, the consensus among fans probably would have been “Patriots rule,” “19-0. A perfect season,” and “What cheating?”
Upon the conclusion of Super Bowl XLIII, the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to eke out a victory in a game they were expected to dominate, the consensus among fans was, “Wow, what a well played game. It could have gone either way. We are not ecstatic that the Steelers won, nor are we exceptionally unhappy either.” There were a few dissenting voices, but those were mostly from fans that had bet large amounts of money on the Arizona Cardinals winning the game outright, and perhaps residents of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. While there are diehard Steelers fanatics, nobody new is jumping on the bandwagon.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have now won six Super Bowls, more than any other team. In the other three major sports, the teams that have won the most championships are the Montréal Canadiens, Boston Celtics, and of course, the New York Yankees. The teams that have won the second most championships are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Lakers, and the St. Louis Cardinals (the Boston Red Sox are third, despite an eighty-six year break). For casual fans, it is extremely likely that one of the aforementioned teams is either a favourite, or a least favourite.
Pittsburgh was previously tied for the most Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. Unlike the Steelers, these teams are often loathed by football fans, but also have many supporters, especially among female fans, like Jessica Simpson and Cameron Diaz’s “Mary”. Why are the Steelers, the franchise with the most championships, not considered part of sport’s true elite?
It may be the location. In most sports, the largest media markets feature the most popular teams: New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Toronto. While many NFL players were born in and around Pittsburgh, many fans simply feel sorry for the city. The hockey team is seriously slumping. As for the Pirates, the MLB held the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh twice in ten years to attract fans, which did not work. Sixteen straight losing seasons have not helped either. Since all Pittsburgh teams wear black and yellow, they seem to blend together in pathos.
The Pittsburgh Steelers do not feature a player that transcends the team, like Kobe Bryant in basketball or Alex Rodriguez in baseball. There are just a bunch of solid character guys on the team, like quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who recovered from a motorcycle crash, and wide receiver Hines Ward, who played the Super Bowl with a sprained MCL. James Harrison, the linebacker that ran the ball back 100 yards, was cut many times early in his career, and almost retired to become a veterinarian. Standing in opposition to the coach of the New England Patriots, lightning rod of controversy Bill Belichick, the worst thing that can be said about Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is that he resembles actor Omar Epps. The Steelers have likable players, but this doesn’t necessarily translate into a likeable team. Pittsburgh is famous for its defense, and while defense wins championships, it doesn’t win over the fans.
While other teams get the glory and the abuse, the Pittsburgh Steelers win championships. In the last four years, seven different teams have made it to the Super Bowl. The only team to make it twice is the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning the big game both times. While the fans wave terrible towels, this is one terrific team.
