ESPN Magazine Cover and Article

[SnakeEyes43]

Pretty neat write up (there are several articles to read) and Harrison is on the cover.

Ben article: (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7239390/nfl-game-day-pittsburgh-steelers-qb-ben-roethlisberger-espn-magazine)


Excerpt:


As fired-up Steelers bound out of the locker room in the bowels of Reliant Stadium, they're careful not to disturb their QB. Ben Roethlisberger (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/5536/ben-roethlisberger) leans against a wall with his eyes closed, taking a final minute to mentally prepare. The eight-year vet has won two Super Bowls and 32 road games, more than Aaron Rodgers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/8439/aaron-rodgers) has played. He thinks about how the crowd in the closed stadium will be loud. About his injured offensive line. And about how Texans OLB Mario Williams (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/9587/mario-williams) sacked him twice the last time they played each other. As the last Steeler passes, Roethlisberger breaks his trance and jogs out of the tunnel. Then, just before kicking into a full sprint, No. 7 yells: "We rollin', we rollin'."

Steeler fans article: (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7239692/nfl-displaced-steelers-fans-found-new-home-houston)


Excerpt:


The Polish grocery store is around the corner from the strip-mall Polish restaurant. Two oilmen, residents of Houston by way of Pittsburgh by way of Italy, Ireland and Germany, settle their lunch bill and head over to shop for a taste of home: pierogies, 96 of them, and three pounds of sauerkraut. You know, tailgate food.

The Steelers are coming to town for the first time in six years, and their fans who live near the Gulf of Mexico are hunting down tickets, searching for familiar food and combing stores for the odd case of Iron City. Jim Trocchio, clad in a black Steelers polo, is a Pittsburgh native who has spent most of his adult life drilling for oil. With him is Lucas Martin, a young employee he was assigned to mentor. Lucas grew up in the Pittsburgh area and looks the part, complete with a barrel chest and a thick, wild beard. Together they look like the setup of a slightly offensive joke: So an Italian and an Irish-German walk into a Polish store ...

The woman behind the counter sees Jim's shirt. "Pittsburgh Steelers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers)?" she says with a thick Polish accent. "I know Pittsburgh Steelers."

"Are you a Steelers fan?" Lucas asks.

"Yes, I am. I used to live in Ohio. Half of my friends were from Pittsburgh. I chose Pittsburgh over Cleveland."

She pauses. Behind her is an oil painting of Pope John Paul II. Then she adds, "I did not like Bernie Kosar (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/6457/bernie-kosar)."

Lucas laughs. "Nobody likes Bernie Kosar."

[LatrobePA]

That's some damn good stuff! Thanks for sharing!

[TampaSteelGirl]

Great article!! Ilove that magazine cover!!!! :cope:

[Scorp]

Beautiful. Love it. Thanks.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Added a small excerpt from each article.

Good stuff, love reading stories about displaced Steelers fans and how they unite with the common Black N Gold heritage all over the world.

[DBR96A]

Added a small excerpt from each article.

Good stuff, love reading stories about displaced Steelers fans and how they unite with the common Black N Gold heritage all over the world.

I especially appreciated that the author of that article illustrated that 21st-Century Pittsburgh is markedly different from late-20th-Century Pittsburgh. It's about ****ing time that somebody from a mainstream national media source illustrated this.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Yeah I agree, everybody thinks that people from western PA are nothing but hillbillies. I like the blue collar mentality that Pittsburgh thrives on, the hard working heritage that made that city great. There are so many people though may have their roots in the old factory days of Pittsburgh but there's also a ton of white collar workers who spend 8 hours in an office who cheer just as hard. Or the food service person, the transportation workers, everyone. Pittsburgh is a city filled with office buildings like anywhere else. It's pretty diverse actually when you think about.

People come and go over the generations but they remember where they came from and who they cheer for.

[SteelDad]

Awesome Get here 43!! Really good articles and I can't wait for the issue to hit stores!

[LarryNJ]

Great article.

Many national media portray Pittsburgh as a totally different city than it was 30 years ago. They often talk about the great medical, computer industry and how educated the work force is. I think the reason that some may consider them hillbillies is the way they talk. You have to admit that speaking Pittsburgese doesn't make you sound educated, it actually sounds ignorant to proper English speaking people.

I was part of the mass migration in the early 80's although I did move back during the 90's only to leave again. Yes those that left are die hard fans, it will be interesting to see if our kids continue to have the same passion as we do.

[LatrobePA]

Good old W. PA Polish peeps! I'd know, great grandparents came from Poland, worked in the mines and mills up to the day they passed. We have been spread E and W but all still support the black & gold!!

The Steelers team has a lot more meaning than 99.9% of other fanbase..

[PITTxPRIDE]

that the cover where harrison is holding the two guns?

[Sir Blitzelot]

Awesome read, think I'm going to pick this up when it hits the shelf.