SamSaid!

STEELERS

     In the topsy-turvy world of sports, the story of the Pittsburgh Steelers is truly remarkable. For the uninitiated, the Steelers are the professional football team located in Pittsburgh, PA. In 1933, the franchise was acquired by the Rooney family which has owned and operated the Steelers for 3 generations –  more than 70 years. The Steelers were not notably successful until 1969 when Chuck Noll, a relatively unknown assistant coach, was hired as the Head Coach. In short order he fashioned a football dynasty that won 4 Super Bowl Championships in 6 years  — a remarkable accomplishment. When Noll stepped down in the early 90s he was succeeded by Bill Cowher, a native Pittsburgher, who is still the Head Coach today. Imagine  – in times when wealthy owners of other teams spend fortunes on coaches in a futile effort to buy a championhip, the Steelers have had just 2 Head Coaches in 36 years. Bill Cowher may not be a household name, but he is “one of a kind” and there is an excellent article about Bill  and his family in the 1/17/05 issue of Sports Illustrated. The article is authored by Rick Reilly who is generally considered the best of the current crop of sports scribes. The sports world needs more articles like this one. Good reading.

     In the 1960s and 70s, Pittsburgh had a thriving economy supported by  many corporate giants including US Steel, J&L Steel, Westinghouse, Gulf Oil, PPG, National Steel, Alcoa, Mellon Bank, Heinz, etc., etc., who were headquartered in the City.  Now,  many (most?) of these firms are gone. They either relocated away from Pittsburgh or just vanished from the industrial landscape. The City suffered an enormous financial setaback and still hasn't recovered. For all practical purposes, the “steel” in the Steel City is long gone. All that is left is the Steelers. But if a City down at the heels needs a rallying point, it is the Steelers who are once again just a couple of wins away from the Super Bowl. They are now the emotional backbone of the City. Cowher has put together a solid team made up of veterans and led by a precocious rookie Quarterback. They are the pride of a City trying to fight back from tough economic times.

     There may be better owners, or better coaches or better teams, but there is no better story in Pro football than that of the Pittsburgh Steelers.