Steelers Fans: The Most Arrogant In The NFL

[Ron Sellers]

I just want to clarify since I responded with a clearly negative post toward the Steeler fan base. I respect the Steeler fans, I respect their passion.

My negativity stems from my experience with Steeler fans attitude toward Patriots fans in general. Without getting to indepth, I think the post from Ice Ice Brady encompasses my thoughts on the subject perfectly.

Some in this thread have pointed out that allot of Steeler fans are passionate and knowledgeable, and I agree............Unless the subject is the Patriots. Then all that knowledge tends to allude them, and the passion gets whipped into a frenzy of misinformation and downright dismissive behaviour.

CHEATERS!!

Please.

Like Ice Ice Brady said before, they have a knack for digging their heads in the sand when it comes to curious things that happen within their organization, and even cry bloody murder if they feel your misrepresenting the facts on Big Ben's rape incident. But god forbid they try to apply that logic to the rediculous Spygate affair! No, no, we cheated. It's the only explaination.

Good/Bad fans everywhere, i know, I know. I even understand. But I'm with the OP in this regard. When the subject is the Patriots. Steeler fans are patheticlly hypocritical, dismissive, and sad. Just my opinion.

Good post. I was going to respond in detail, but that pretty much sums up my experience as well.

Obviously not every single person in any fan base acts the same way; that is a given. However you can still make generalities - the stereotype of soccer fans in England would be an example. As a whole the Steeler fan base does indeed act more arrogant about their championships - to the point where anything pre-merger doesn't count at all and is the equivalent of preseason games, for example. And yes, a very large percentage seem to have this revisionist history about those two AFCCGs.

The other thing I will add is that they will bring up Brady, Patriots and 'cheating' without any provocation whatsoever into a conversation that has nothing to do with the Pats more than any fan base I have ever seen - even as much or more than Jet fans.

With apologies in advance to triggerfish, dino six rings, lillloyd and other quality Steeler fans that we have the pleasure of conversing with here, Russ' characterization of the Steelers fan base is sadly accurate, in my opinion.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I live only 3 hours north of Philly and 6 hours east of Pittsburgh but its definately more Steelers fans around here and they are by far the ****iest bunch ever...full of arrogance.

They brag about 6 titles all the time when they know I am a Pats fan ...I can just imagine if they get #7 in 2 weeks of how they up the tempo even more...I may have to move

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I live only 3 hours north of Philly and 6 hours east of Pittsburgh but its definately more Steelers fans around here and they are by far the ****iest bunch ever...full of arrogance.

They brag about 6 titles all the time when they know I am a Pats fan ...I can just imagine if they get #7 in 2 weeks of how they up the tempo even more...I may have to move

It's completely obnoxious. Honestly, I've never seen such an inferiority complex. The Steelers are never recognized as the league's top team, and the fans are totally insecure.

I mean, do you go around saying "17 titles" constantly about the Celtics. Even Yankees fans like to brag about their 27 championships, but only in own team pride, not as a kind of reassurance that they are constantly spewing to the sports world. We all know that teams like the Celts, Lakers, Yankees, etc. are true sports dynasties that are hands-down the best run franchises in sports. The Steelers? Obviously there are some doubts. They have the most championships, but the perception of domination isn't there.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

It's completely obnoxious. Honestly, I've never seen such an inferiority complex. The Steelers are never recognized as the league's top team, and the fans are totally insecure.

I mean, do you go around saying "17 titles" constantly about the Celtics. Even Yankees fans like to brag about their 27 championships, but only in own team pride, not as a kind of reassurance that they are constantly spewing to the sports world. We all know that teams like the Celts, Lakers, Yankees, etc. are true sports dynasties that are hands-down the best run franchises in sports. The Steelers? Obviously there are some doubts. They have the most championships, but the perception of domination isn't there.

What really irritates me is that they have thrived on winning titles in the past few years by virtue of a pathetic division with perrenial losers in Cleveland and Cincy and Baltimore underacheiving when the playoffs come around.

Granted we do not play in the most toughest division but overall the Dolphins,Jets and Bills are better than the Bengals,Browns and Ravens

What really irritates me that everytime we had played Pittsburgh in the playoffs during the BB era we beat them...In Pittsburgh's SB wins this decade they were able to bypass us,but its more of our fault of crapping the bed in the playoffs because they would of had to face us during those years they won it all
...its dissapointing again this year that they bypassed us to another possible trophy.

 

[Ron Sellers]

What really irritates me is that they have thrived on winning titles in the past few years by virtue of a pathetic division with perrenial losers in Cleveland and Cincy and Baltimore underacheiving when the playoffs come around.

Granted we do not play in the most toughest division but overall the Dolphins,Jets and Bills are better than the Bengals,Browns and Ravens

I had totally forgotten about the division excuse, another of their favorite whines.

Their fan base loves to say the Pats win because they play in an easy division and that the AFCN is so much better - and that gets repeated so often it becomes accepted as fact.

Reality is that with the Browns and Bengals in that division, they have a much easier path to the playoffs. Yes, the Ravens have been good the last couple of years but before that they were just as likely to have a losing season as a winning season. The fact is that since the NFL went to eight divisions the AFCE is at or near the top in winning percentage; the AFCN is in the middle of the pack.

That goes hand in hand with another whine they love to repeat on an annual basis - that the Steelers have a tough schedule and Patriots have an easy schedule. I heard it earlier this year, just like I hear it literally every year for the last ten years - and I am very sure I will hear some Steeler fan bring it up again next year.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I had totally forgotten about the division excuse, another of their favorite whines.

Their fan base loves to say the Pats win because they play in an easy division and that the AFCN is so much better - and that gets repeated so often it becomes accepted as fact.

Reality is that with the Browns and Bengals in that division, they have a much easier path to the playoffs. Yes, the Ravens have been good the last couple of years but before that they were just as likely to have a losing season as a winning season. The fact is that since the NFL went to eight divisions the AFCE is at or near the top in winning percentage; the AFCN is in the middle of the pack.

That goes hand in hand with another whine they love to repeat on an annual basis - that the Steelers have a tough schedule and Patriots have an easy schedule. I heard it earlier this year, just like I hear it literally every year for the last ten years - and I am very sure I will hear some Steeler fan bring it up again next year.

I would put the Ravens on an even keel with the Jets and the Dolphins/Bills seem about even with the Browns/Bengals

Both the Steelers and Patriots respective divisions in terms of talented and less talented teams are eerily close IMO

 

[Ron Sellers]

I would put the Ravens on an even keel with the Jets and the Dolphins/Bills seem about even with the Browns/Bengals

Both the Steelers and Patriots respective divisions in terms of talented and less talented teams are eerily close IMO

Right now and for the last two years: yes. I was referring more to what I have heard from Steeler fans over the last ten years. Somewhere I recently saw a listing of all the year-by-year records of each of the divisions since the NFL split into eight divisions; I think the AFCS was first, followed by the AFCE; I think the AFCN was 5th.

 

[Russyracuse]

Certainly everyone has the right to their opinion (however sweeping). But some of your statements suggest that either 1) you're drawing conclusions from an extraordinarily small sample set of "data" or 2) you've had horrendous luck in your encounters with Steelers fans.

I'll say this: a couple of the statements in your article could be disproven with even the most cursory review of a Steelers board. This makes me wonder if your objectivity isn't clouded by the very "homerism" that you categorically assign to our entire fanbase. For example:

"If you have ever checked out the Steeler messageboards you will notice mostly a love fest that has very little critique on the team."​

Russ, I ask this with all sincerity: have you ever been to a Steelers board after a loss, or when a player has a bad game? They called Troy "Bustamalu" his rookie year. Many players suddenly become "worthless". Fans called for Tomlin's head as recently as last year (SB be damned). Even Lebeau hasn't been above reproach. The point being, like many teams' boards, our boards often brutally critical of our team when things aren't going perfectly well (and sometimes, even if they are). All of which makes your statement sort of mind-boggling if you've spent any time at all at a Steelers site.

"I have yet to see Steelers fans give credit to another team."​

This is extremely curious, since I've seen complimentary posts after Steelers losses to the Pats *on this board*. To know this, you don't even have to make the effort to go to a Steelers board...it's on your own site!

Your article is literally one of the first things you see currently on the patsfans.com home page, which sort of makes it look "official". I'm not sure if you're one of the mods or someone involved with patsfans.com, but I thought I'd respond again in case you were. Hopefully your article doesn't express a shared sentiment of the folks responsible for running patsfans.com (where I've had a very good experience as a "rival" fan btw), because I couldn't disagree more.

lillloyd

lillloyd,

Thanks for responding again.

This is my opinion and mine alone. I have a blog on Patsfans.com and am not a moderator. If you click on my article it goes to my blog.


In regards to the Steelers boards, I have been going to them for many years.

I have gone to the boards after a Steeler loss and I am sure over the years I have seen some critique of the team and its players. I just don't think it is nearly as critical as this forum can be. Again this is just my opinion.

We agree to disagree which is fine.

I can tell just by your comments that you are a diehard fan of your team and that is great that you come on here.

Again, I have been on the boards and on twitter and seen many negative comments by Steeler fans towards other teams including the Patriots. I never knew the term "ratbirds" until I went to the Steeler boards. That is a term to describe the Ravens. How about the terms "Cheatriots and Belicheat"? Honestly I never saw those terms until I went to the Steelers boards.


It is of course not all of the Steeler fans. There are great respectful fans like yourself and others.

In all honestly good luck in the Super Bowl.

 

[lillloyd]

lillloyd,

Thanks for responding again.

This is my opinion and mine alone. I have a blog on Patsfans.com and am not a moderator. If you click on my article it goes to my blog.


In regards to the Steelers boards, I have been going to them for many years.

I have gone to the boards after a Steeler loss and I am sure over the years I have seen some critique of the team and its players. I just don't think it is nearly as critical as this forum can be. Again this is just my opinion.

We agree to disagree which is fine.

I can tell just by your comments that you are a diehard fan of your team and that is great that you come on here.

Again, I have been on the boards and on twitter and seen many negative comments by Steeler fans towards other teams including the Patriots. I never knew the term "ratbirds" until I went to the Steeler boards. That is a term to describe the Ravens. How about the terms "Cheatriots and Belicheat"? Honestly I never saw those terms until I went to the Steelers boards.


It is of course not all of the Steeler fans. There are great respectful fans like yourself and others.

In all honestly good luck in the Super Bowl.

I'm reminded that the term "fan" is short for "fanatic", and maybe it's unrealistic to think that a group of fanatics--myself included--can ever be completely objective in their debates.

I gave some thought to responding to your specific bolded references above, but in the end I figured there was little point in doing so. So I think I'll cry "uncle" here and simply bow out.

FWIW I think this thread contains a few (unintentionally) ironic statements that actually exhibit some of the very characteristics that you've criticized in your article. I'm not saying this to be disparaging; rather, I'm just trying to point out that large fanbases are comprised of all types of fans--good, bad, and in between--and in the end fanbases are much more alike than they are different.

Thanks for the well wishes btw, I have a feeling we'll need them against Green Bay.

lillloyd

 

[MassPats38]

I don't really buy the "most arrogant" argument. The same could be said of Pats fans after 2004. Teams that win frequently have fans that expect championships, which implicitly means their team is simply better than every other NFL team.

The Steelers actually have a pretty good fan base wherever I have lived, and they were present last year without the playoffs just as much as this year. Given the popularity of the Steelers, there are going to be some turkeys in the group, just as there will be in any fan base.

As far as unflattering references to the Pats go, I have seen those terms from fans of a number of different teams. I am not going to give the Steelers fan base credit for that as Spygate brought out pretty much every fan with an axe to grind.

 

[DEVIOUS 1]

To the Steeler fan who has posted reply's on this thread, I apologize if it seems like I'm trying to pile on. I just read this article...The Flem File knows Pittsburgh Steelers are champions, but they also have a dark side - ESPN

..And then read the comments, and thought it made my point pretty well.

One of the first comments I read from an irate Steeler fan was.....

Sorry Mr. Fleming, but the fact that your network had a huge hand in covering up spygate was bad enough. The blatantly biased, agenda driven organization you work for is now beyond ridiculous in its definition of "journalism"

I had to laugh. ESPN who brought us a disgrunteled ex Patriots employee, and an hour long special of speculation, covering up Spygate. Great logic provided there.

But more importantly it's a great example of Steeler fans dismissive behaviour towards any negative slight. Which is fine, you expect that as a fan. But, still feels they have some moral high ground on judgement of the Patriots and there accomplishments.

Very boorish, and hypocritical.