Championships are expected in Steeler Nation. Since its founding in 1933, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made the playoffs 31 times and won six Super Bowl titles. When tough economic times hit the steel industry in the late ‘70s and scattered the team’s fan base, other cities around the nation – including the NFL markets in Florida – became hotbeds for fans of the black and gold.
While the fans around the nation await the next championship run, here are several pieces of Steelers swag for true Pittsburgh fans to sport.
Stand and cheer
Every true Pittsburgh Steelers fan should already own a Terrible Towel. If not, here’s the original model. Steelers radio announcer Myron Cope gets credit for generations of fans waving the yellow flags when he first promoted the idea during the 1975 playoffs. The Steelers went on to beat the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X.
Keep clean
Don’t dare to replicate a Pittsburgh favorite Primanti Bros. sandwich – always topped with french fries and cole slaw – without protection. This Steelers apron and chef’s hat should do the trick. Don’t forget the tomato.
Head scratcers
Wait – 500 questions? Time to study up on the Pirates, Panthers and Penguins too. (That’s the baseball, college football and hockey teams. If you didn’t know that, maybe you should pick up the sports section a little more often.)
Ready to relax?
The average high temperature in Pittsburgh during the final weeks of the football season hovers around 41 degrees. Save this towel for the beach and don’t waste it along the shores of Pittsburgh’s three rivers. (Can you name them? Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio!)
Polyester construction
With the way the temperatures drop inside Heinz Field in the autumn, maybe you should buy two of these 60 by 80 inch blankets.
Steve Spears is editor of Florida Travel & Life, an online brand that inspires active, affluent travelers, providing them with insider information on discovering the best of Florida. Informative and engaging, the website showcases travel destinations, arts and cultural venues, vibrant dining scenes, recreational activities, the great outdoors and the revitalized real-estate market. He is based in Orlando and counts St. Augustine, Key West and the Gulf Beaches among his favorite destinations in the state.
