A heartfelt letter from Steeler Nation

[djb28]

I despise the Steelers. That goes way before XL. I am going to start a website with pics of Steeler fans. I find it amusing that EVERY Steeler fan I see in a 50 mile radius of where I live represents them by wearing the Dirtiest most filthy apparel I have ever seen a fan wear.

I pointed this out to my girl and it got to the point where we just take a pic of every Steeler fan we see. It never disappoints. Always dirty! I want people from around the globe to post their Steeler pics to it too! It can't be just here. Wash your damn clothes!

 

[bradynumber4]

Shittsburgh fans are just concerned we'll be catching them up with rings. This thread was a fail.

 

[HawkAroundTheClock]

How many Hawk fans are ashamed of Lynch? http://pit.scout.com/forums/1897-heinz- ... lynch?s=68

Sorry ass fan base.

Oh crap, I hadn't seen this link when I posted above. I hereby revoke any olive-branchiness that may have come across and I figuratively cram it into the garbage disposal. Wait, no. The wood chipper.

I had to stop shortly after the 3rd or 4th poster simultaneously called out Lynch for avoiding the media AND pushing teammates away for more camera time. :34853_doh: :lol: :34853_doh: :lol:

At least a bunch of others there called his BS. But the piss and vinegar being thrown at each other over there makes this post here all the funnier:

Great start! Classy=0, rude=1

Y'all can't keep from being rude to each other! How you gonna expect to be wrapped in ribbons and flowers over here, pal?

 

[lukerguy]

I'll admit that i'm a little disappointed by the reaction from a lot of you. I will admit that the SB hurt. There's no question there were game altering calls that went against Seattle, and it wasn't right. You don't even have to move on if you don't want to, but don't be rude to someone coming on to our board in naivety to talk about cheering for the Seahawks because of a common hatred for NE.

The Steelers fans don't owe us anything. I really hope Steelers fan can at least realize that the game was officiated terribly. Leavy admits it, and other fans poured out support after the game. That said, can't we at least treat him with some dignity?

 

[rideaducati]

Brady's never raped anyone, so he has that going for him...

No, that lucky sum beyotch has super models spreading their legs and begging for his seed. I can see why women wouldn't want Rapistburger's seed...dude is one ugly man.

 

[KiwiHawk]

Steeler fan comes to our board and brings up XL and you want him treated with dignity?

Not gonna happen.

He's not here because he supports the Seahawks. He's here because of hate. What's so dignified about that? Why should we welcome some hateful thing-you-do-to-your-finger-with-a-needle who is coming here claiming to be some kind of good fortune amulet as if we ever needed such a thing?

Where exactly is the positive in him? The enemy of my enemy is my friend? That's a logical fallacy. The enemy of my enemy is a bag-used-for-feminine-hygiene who thinks we can't win unless he comes to support us.

He can bloody well thing-two-people-do-who-love-eachother-very-much-and-are-using-adequate-protection off.

 

[AgentDib]

There's a lot more that nettles Hawk fans about the Steelers fan base than just the XL* refs.

Detroit was a day trip from Pittsburgh and an expensive flight + hotel + more travel package for Seattle fans. Of course there were more Steelers fans there, but the media and fan base jumped all over the chance to talk up how great they are on the "road." Right. Pittsburgh travels a fraction of the miles the Seahawks do every year and very rarely has to travel to the PST timezone, and naturally their fan base loves to dismiss talk about travel and time zones as a result when they get to play west coast teams in EST.

Big Ben, Harrison, Pouncey and Hines Ward are easy to hate even as neutral fans. Heck, Pouncey is still friends with Aaron Hernandez and thinks he shouldn't be in jail. Polamalu gets way too much credit when gambling on routes works and not nearly enough blame when it doesn't. Tomlin tries to trip opposing players, the Steelers flaunt the most hideous bumble-bee throwback uniforms imaginable, the Rooney's "do things the right way" except when it comes to rape or domestic violence.

Add the XL* controversy and I'll root for 31 other NFL teams before Pittsburgh. Moving the Steelers to London with a name change would really be the best thing for the league in the long run.

 

[Southern Steeler]

I'll try to address a few things....

First, using the logic of an overwhelming number of you....my first inclination would be that most Seahawks fans are dicks. Yet, you complain about that from us. I literally do not know one single Seahawk fan, so any introduction I have has been here. You haven't represented well. Nice to see that some of you are pretty cool, though. Like all fan bases, there are jerks and good folks.

Second, we hate the Patriots because they (and Brady and Belichick in particular) are smug little pricks who like to manipulate the system yet whine and cry every time someone dares hit Brady too hard. They also have the media slobbering all over them all of the time, which I am fully aware is not their fault. They are annoying beyond words. (For the record however, I don't dislike Patriot fans...they love their team and that's fine. Think about it)

I expected better from you guys. Seriously.

 

[olyfan63]

Marquand Manuel, arguably the most key player in SBXL, is now on the Seahawks coaching staff.

Yes, the refs were a huge factor in SBXL, with the bogus DJack OPI call, the phantom holding call, but the Ruskell/Holmgren front office and coaching teamwork, or lack thereof, was a huge factor as well.

Name the one player, besides Russell Wilson, who if that player went down, the 'Hawks would be screwed in this game. In SBXL, Marquand Manuel went down in the 2nd quarter, and Ruskell and Holmgren's response was a man-off-the-street, Etric Pruitt, who had never played safety for Seattle before, and didn't really know how.

Can you imagine Earl Thomas going down in the Super Bowl and having Carroll/Schneider throw in an UDFA *cornerback* at Free Safety, a corner who couldn't make ANY NFL team's roster, has never practiced at either safety spot, and has practiced with the team for a total of 3 weeks or so? No, they have guys like Jeremy Lane and DeShawn Shead, who know the position, and are legit NFL players, who they can put in. DeShawn Shead played a series or two while Earl was out vs. the Packers, and the Packers offense didn't exactly go wild. This Coaching Staff and FO are much, much better prepared than Holmgren/Ruskell were.

The Stealers coaches saw the weakness, and decided to test it. The refs didn't let Willie Parker go 76 yards for a TD. Some say that was on SS Michael Boulware, but Boulware was probably trying to compensate and play his SS spot and Pruitt's FS spot too, since Pruitt didn't know what he was doing. Then the Stealers drew up the trick play that Pruitt bit on and scored another TD off that. So 2 of Pittsburghs TD's, 14 of their 21 points in SBXL, from one extremely weak spot in the Seahawk armor.

Just because the Stealers suck and the OP is clearly a troll, let's not dismiss the self-inflicted wounds in that game. Mostly, let's appreciate Carroll and Schneider, for showing us how to have a competitive, prepared, ready-to-play roster from the first man to the last man.

In the NFCCG vs the Packers....

* Garry Gilliam was ready when his number was called. He knew what to do. Seahawks coaches noticed a GB weakness on FG team, and went after it with a trick play, and won.
* Jon Ryan was ready and calmly made the pivot, made the run/pass read and then made a good throw, all with perfect timing, when his chance came.
* Chris Matthews was more than ready when his opportunity came up, and snagged the loose ball that sent Seattle to the Super Bowl.
* UDFA MLB Brock Coyle was ready when he went in on goal line defense and helped make a huge stop that was one of the differences in the game.
* Alvin Bailey has been ready and done his thing early and often all year, and filled in well for Britt at RT. IIRC, Bailey was inactive for the Super Bowl last year.

Up and down the roster, Pete and John and the staff have players coached up and ready to go and play at an NFL level, from the first man to the very last man. Let's appreciate a Coaching/GM-FO team that shows us how it's supposed to be done. Yeah, it would suck to lose key guys in the SB game, like Marquand Manuel in SBXL. But no matter who we lose, Pete can put in a guy who is a credible NFL player and who knows his position in the Seahawks scheme.

Anyway, yes, the OP is a troll, and there are few things more satisfying than seeing the Stealers lose, especially in the playoffs. (Having them NOT MAKE the playoffs is a little more satisfying). Let's not get so distracted with Stealer hate that we lose sight of how awesome this current team is. Let's briefly enjoy the irrelevance of the Stealers the last few years, and then get back to teams that matter this year. Teams like the Seahawks, Patriots, and Ravens. Yes, the Ravens, because their playoff game vs. the Patriots will be useful for deciding how to attack them.

OK, just this once, let's enjoy a brief moment of smug silence at the utter irrelevance of the Stealers. But, no more than, maybe 5 or 10 seconds.
Then let's get back to enjoying the awesomeness of the Carroll/Scheider/Wilson/Lynch/Thomas/Sherman/Kam/Bennett/Wagner/KJ Seahawks of the last few years,

 

[thebanjodude]

I'll try to address a few things....

First, using the logic of an overwhelming number of you....my first inclination would be that most Seahawks fans are dicks. Yet, you complain about that from us. I literally do not know one single Seahawk fan, so any introduction I have has been here. You haven't represented well. Nice to see that some of you are pretty cool, though. Like all fan bases, there are jerks and good folks.

Second, we hate the Patriots because they (and Brady and Belichick in particular) are smug little pricks who like to manipulate the system yet whine and cry every time someone dares hit Brady too hard. They also have the media slobbering all over them all of the time, which I am fully aware is not their fault. They are annoying beyond words. (For the record however, I don't dislike Patriot fans...they love their team and that's fine. Think about it)

I expected better from you guys. Seriously.

Honestly, most of us aren't dicks...but when a Stealer fan comes to our sanctuary with your cavalier attitude, you better believe that we ain't gonna appreciate it. If it was possible and the Stealers played the Pats in the Super Bowl, you better believe that about 99% of this forum would be rooting for the Pats.

 

[Scottemojo]

I'll try to address a few things....

First, using the logic of an overwhelming number of you....my first inclination would be that most Seahawks fans are dicks. Yet, you complain about that from us. I literally do not know one single Seahawk fan, so any introduction I have has been here. You haven't represented well. Nice to see that some of you are pretty cool, though. Like all fan bases, there are jerks and good folks.

Second, we hate the Patriots because they (and Brady and Belichick in particular) are smug little pricks who like to manipulate the system yet whine and cry every time someone dares hit Brady too hard. They also have the media slobbering all over them all of the time, which I am fully aware is not their fault. They are annoying beyond words. (For the record however, I don't dislike Patriot fans...they love their team and that's fine. Think about it)

I expected better from you guys. Seriously.

You are here because of hate of a team.
But don't want your team to be hated.

Dumb.

 

[Largent80]

Hard to believe this thread is in the main forum.

 

[-The Glove-]

I'll try to address a few things....

First, using the logic of an overwhelming number of you....my first inclination would be that most Seahawks fans are dicks. Yet, you complain about that from us. I literally do not know one single Seahawk fan, so any introduction I have has been here. You haven't represented well. Nice to see that some of you are pretty cool, though. Like all fan bases, there are jerks and good folks.

Second, we hate the Patriots because they (and Brady and Belichick in particular) are smug little pricks who like to manipulate the system yet whine and cry every time someone dares hit Brady too hard. They also have the media slobbering all over them all of the time, which I am fully aware is not their fault. They are annoying beyond words. (For the record however, I don't dislike Patriot fans...they love their team and that's fine. Think about it)

I expected better from you guys. Seriously.

If you expected a warm embrace and a big ol "let-bygones-be-bygones" group hug, you are incredibly naive.

 

[dontbelikethat]

If you were literally a fan of any other team...the reception would've been better lol.

But as you can obviously see, the people have not forgotten or forgave.

 

[50yrpatsfan]

Hey Southern Steeler, care to comment on this passage from Terry Bradshaw's book?

Most fans don’t know it, but before the game we would doctor the footballs that would be used. Until the season of 2000 it was up to the home team to provide twenty-four game balls to the officials for each game. A brand-new NFL football straight from the factory is not easy to throw or catch. It’s rock hard and very slippery. So in the privacy of the locker room before the game, players would take the footballs and rub them and scrub them to remove the glaze, or deflate them, then pump them up with air real big to stretch the leather. On some teams the kickers would put them through a cycle in the dryer. Some teams did this, but naturally not the Steelers, because we were righteous folk who would never stretch the rules, and when these other teams—not the Steelers—were finished, they would put them back in the plastic wrapping and right back in the box. Some teams—who were not the Steelers—after the officials had checked and approved the game balls, would let out a couple of pound of air to make it easier for the quarterback to grip it. A little less air would make the ball spongier. It was what might be called a perceived advantage-both teams played with the same ball.

 

[Smellyman]

Hey Southern Steeler, care to comment on this passage from Terry Bradshaw's book?

Most fans don’t know it, but before the game we would doctor the footballs that would be used. Until the season of 2000 it was up to the home team to provide twenty-four game balls to the officials for each game. A brand-new NFL football straight from the factory is not easy to throw or catch. It’s rock hard and very slippery. So in the privacy of the locker room before the game, players would take the footballs and rub them and scrub them to remove the glaze, or deflate them, then pump them up with air real big to stretch the leather. On some teams the kickers would put them through a cycle in the dryer. Some teams did this, but naturally not the Steelers, because we were righteous folk who would never stretch the rules, and when these other teams—not the Steelers—were finished, they would put them back in the plastic wrapping and right back in the box. Some teams—who were not the Steelers—after the officials had checked and approved the game balls, would let out a couple of pound of air to make it easier for the quarterback to grip it. A little less air would make the ball spongier. It was what might be called a perceived advantage-both teams played with the same ball.

You also used to be able to use stick em, club players in the head and drill qb's at will.

 

[ivotuk]

Greetings from http://www.steelernation.com

Allow me to provide a bit of back story here...

We despise the Patriots. Worse than the Ravens (and that's really saying something). Before the last two Super Bowls that they appeared in I went to the Giants message board and extended their fan base our unilateral support. While I fully realize that it has zero bearing on the game, it felt karmic. It REALLY felt karmic after the Giants went and upset the Patriots in both games. Having said that, here I am...wishing the Seahawks all the best in their endeavors next Sunday. There isn't a score possible in which you could beat this team bad enough. 43-8 would be terrific. We at Steeler Nation hope that your defense pounds Brady to the point that he is literally in tears. Shove that deflated ball up his butt and send him packing.

I will provide a link to this thread over on our site, and hopefully some more of our members can drop in and extend their feelings on this game. While our fan bases really haven't ever been "friends" (especially after Super Bowl XL)....I feel certain we can all join together to hate a common enemy.

For the love of God, PLEASE spare us all of the media slobbering that will inevitably come should New England win. We are all eternally grateful to the Giants for stopping the undefeated season. Imagine hearing about THAT for the rest of your life.

Sincerely,

Southern Steeler

Bravo! Bravo! I'm with Matthew Hasselbeck on this, XL is in the past. All I hope and pray is that the referees call a fair game and don't throw bullshit "roughing the passer" flags to benefit Tom Brady "Panties in a Bunch"

 

[HawkAroundTheClock]

I'll try to address a few things....

First, using the logic of an overwhelming number of you....my first inclination would be that most Seahawks fans are dicks. Yet, you complain about that from us. I literally do not know one single Seahawk fan, so any introduction I have has been here. You haven't represented well. Nice to see that some of you are pretty cool, though. Like all fan bases, there are jerks and good folks.

Second, we hate the Patriots because they (and Brady and Belichick in particular) are smug little pricks who like to manipulate the system yet whine and cry every time someone dares hit Brady too hard. They also have the media slobbering all over them all of the time, which I am fully aware is not their fault. They are annoying beyond words. (For the record however, I don't dislike Patriot fans...they love their team and that's fine. Think about it)

I expected better from you guys. Seriously.

1. Your expectations of us means less than spit. Spit is actually useful in some situations.

2. The fact that you would come here spewing hate in combination with the gall to have expectations of a welcome reception says a lot about your dickishness. Did you really expect us to say, "Hey look guys, some random dude hates the team that's playing the Seahawks in the Super Bowl! What a neat guy! Hey look, he brought up that game between our team and his team that makes all the 'worst officiated games in NFL history' lists. Let's be friends with him!" ???

3. This is a Seahawks forum. We talk Seahawks football. You have demonstrated no interest or knowledge of the Seahawks nor offered any football information. You leapt on the very first response within 2 minutes, labeling it "rude" and making it clear you were keeping score on responses before waiting to hear from anyone else. That's a very trollish move, and a red flag that your decision to post here was anything but heartfelt.

That's like walking into someone's house, saying "I hate your neighbor. I'm here to say I harbor ill will for them." Then, when your host recoils at your arrogance and negativity, you say, "Wow, I'm surprised you're such a jerk. That's one point in the jerk column."

4. One glance at a Steelers forum discussing a Seahawk shows Steelers fans demonstrating as much "class" as a glob of spit. Except spit is actually useful in some situations.

5. As for your first sentence above, the feeling is entirely mutual.

6. Using "annoying beyond words" aimed at anyone else is laughable.

7. Feel free to go away. If you have anything of substance to share, have at it.

 

[canfan]

For any Hawk fan posting on this thread that doesn't understand the hatred for anything Stealers and thinks that hate is in the minority of Hawk fans, move this thread to the shack and you will see how wrong you are.

It wasn't just the game, or the Stealer (not misspelled) fanbase...it was the whole experience. To be going to what was the crowning achievement of the franchise to that point and find out that you are just an unwanted prop at the "Jerome Bettis" retirement tour. Just thinking about the vibe from the media, the Pittsburg fanbase, AND the NFL during SuperBowl week makes my blood pressure climb. Shack it please!

 

[volsunghawk]

Jesus Christ. This thread reminds me of something I'd see over at the Extreme Skins forum. I was never mad at the Steelers. I was infuriated with the Refs and the NFL for making sure Bettis got his "dream" send-off. I didn't see any Steeler players throwing ridiculous flags. And what are their fans supposed to say? "Oh, you're right, we don't deserve this Lombardi... Here, take it". This is one of those times where you have to look at things from their point of view, and realize that we would have sounded like them had the situations been reversed. I thought this guy came in here totally in peace, with kind of a humorous post, and he's slammed like he had something to do with XL. C'mon guys... I thought we were better than that. Guess not.

What ever gave you the idea that .NET was better than that? I mean, I love this site, but we're an NFL fan forum with all the fanaticism, myopia, etc. that entails. Every single NFL fan forum out there has members who love to crap all over visitors who represent teams they hate. Usually, it's fans of divisional rivals or of teams who have knocked the fan's team out of the postseason legitimately or otherwise. We're no different.

XOXO

Neil O'Donnell