football fervor in steel city

Today the Pittsburgh Steelers played the New York Jets for the division playoffs. Now, I don't usually pay attention to sports, but over the several years I've lived in this city I've noticed how the well-being of its people is very much intertwined with the success of its football team. I don't know about other city's but sometimes this seems the only thing Pittsburgh lives for. Well, that and drinking, but I think these two things are related. The Steelers name comes from the old steel industry that once was this city's lifeblood, but ended abruptly in the 70s when it was outsourced. This left the economy in ruins and many unemployed, disenchanted, and drunk, though steel city is beginning to pick itself back up again as a leader in 'high technology' (Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering and Robotics Institutes design weapons systems for the military). It was also the last time the Steelers had a winning year, until now. Despite the city's current financial crisis the team is 18-1 and the population is giddy with anticipation for another chance at the super bowl.

The people are so swayed by the game that a group of local anarchists calling themselves Steelers Fans Against the War showed up to show their football fervor. Dressed in the black and gold of the Steeler's colors, this marching band for peace serenaded the zealous fans with the team songs and ridiculous chants like "Endzones not warzones, quarterbacks not counterattacks, (etc...)," and Up with the Superbowl, down with the death toll." The crowd, many of whom were already quite drunk, responded with mixed singles; some raised fists and peace signs while others shouted that they were republicans (and for Bush), but most cheered along to the songs and then hurried away in confusion after reading the group's signs. One woman, whose brother just returned from a year in Iraq thanked the anarchists for being there.

After the game was over, and the Steeler's victorious, I heard people cheering in the streets.


(Pittsburgh is also for some reason called Iron City, pronounced 'a'hrn city,' which is also the name of one of its most drunk local beers.)

(The Steelers Fans Against the War were also asked (by a soldier) if they realized the contradiction in being against war but for football, as it is also a somewhat violent competitive sport. To which the group had no coherent reply.)