A Letter From the Editor: Steelers fans don’t just “travel well” they are everywhere

If you watch the Pittsburgh Steelers on television enough, you’ve likely heard an announcer say something like this when the team is playing away from home.

“As you can see, Steelers fans travel better than anyone!”

Or this...

“Those Steelers fans sure do travel well, don’t they?”

Plenty of visiting stadiums have been taken over by black and gold fans, but what is missing in this equation is the constant perception of the Steelers fan base leaving the Pittsburgh area and traveling around the country to see games in visiting cities.

I’m not suggesting there aren’t fans who don’t travel to see the Steelers play elsewhere, I know they do. Growing up my Dad’s bar would get a charter bus whenever the Steelers played the Bengals in Cincinnati. The Bengals were one of the worst teams in the NFL, and it was easy to obtain tickets. However, things have changed in a lot of ways. Ticket prices are higher than ever, and it becomes increasingly more difficult to take a family of any size to a game. That is, if you want to put kids in that type of environment before they are mature enough to handle it.

While some fans do travel, the majority of the Steelers fans who take over visiting stadiums are not Pittsburghers who hopped on a bus or plane and traveled. They live in that area. The fact is, Steelers fans don’t travel well...they are everywhere.

There’s a difference.

Some will say this is due to the changing working climate in Pittsburgh which forced many jobs out of the city. This was what started the ever-reaching Steelers fan base. Some will cite young fans who grew up in the midst of the Steelers’ Super Bowl 40 and 43 wins and they became fans because of that success.

Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. The fact is Steelers fans are not just around the country, but around the globe.

Yesterday I ran the BTSC census once again. I first did this several years ago, and had a tremendous response. We had covered all 50 states, and plenty of fans abroad. If you haven’t checked in, go to the article below and tell us where you reside! As comments come in, I’ll check off the states and add the international cities/countries.

Steelers fans are everywhere, and we’re proving it not just this week with the census article, but every time the Steelers play on the road and take over a stadium.

Steelers Nation is worldwide.

(Note: The Letter From the Editor article runs every Sunday during the Pittsburgh Steelers offseason.)