WARINING: Before You Decide To Relocate .....
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2/27/2009
Pittsburgh is an amazing city in regards to what it has to offer and could be comparable to Boston, DC or Seattle … HOWEVER all the arts, healthcare and low cost of living cannot suppress this city's major fault; the fervent obsession of the Steelers fan. There is no other region in the country that you will you find such a ruthless dedication to a sports team, almost reminiscent of the heinous lynch mobs of the fifties.
* A man walks into an Eat n Park and is beaten by several of the patrons for wearing a jersey of the opposing team .
* A woman debarking a plane from Boston has beverages thrown at her for wearing a Patriots jersey then security quietly chuckles to themselves over the incident.
* Two women return to their car in a mall parking lot to find it vandalized because they had a Browns logo on their vehicle. All the authorities could say "well you're in Steelers Country, you shouldn't have that on your car."
* A student is harassed by his teacher for wearing a Broncos jersey then allows the students to throw papers at him. His defense, he was trying to show students how minorities are persecuted …. Good Excuse!!!
* An elderly woman makes an illegal turn and hits Ben Roethlisberger on his motorcycle. The local press “accidentally” releases her name which she is then harassed and even receives death threats.
* After a game, a 49 year old Buccaneers fan gets into an argument with two Steelers fans at a local diner and is beaten to death. My sincerest condolences to his family.
All of this may sound like I am being petty yet is only a small list of the numerous incidents that occur in this region. Yes there are incidents in other cities regarding team rivalry HOWEVER, not with the vehemence that these fans possess. They have this deep seated inability to accept anyone liking any team other than their Black & Gold and let’s be honest, that intolerance goes beyond football.
Consider the fans distressed reaction when Art Rooney gave presidential candidate Barrack Obama an autographed jersey. Yes they used the excuse that “Politics Has No Place In Sports” but it doesn’t take much to see the underlying reasoning … Good Excuse!!!
If you’re relocating to the Pittsburgh area and are NOT a Steelers fan, this is something you do need to consider. Your sports affiliation will affect whether or not you are accepted, promoted at work and apparently whether your assailants will receive a justifiable sentence. If children are involved you need to ask yourself what the consequences would be raising them in an environment that seems to have an issue with acceptance. Lest we forget the infamous “Top 25 List of 2006” at Mt. Lebanon High School which the faculty defended as “Kids Just Being Kids” …. Good Excuse!!!
I wish someone had alerted us prior to relocating here. We do return to our home state next month however the experience of living in the Pittsburgh area for two years did help me recognize how a fear of progress can make a community cling so desperately to the last remaining icon of their past … a football team.
Incidentally I am aware that any Steelers fan who “can” read this will be infuriated and will attempt to defunct the facts or defend the actions. That is fine as it only takes a brief search online to confirm the accuracy and unlike them, I was raised to allow people to have a right to their opinion … and not to make “excuses” for my actions.
Bp | Pittsburgh, PA