Why do I care so much ?

I'm approaching 51 and have been a die-hard Steelers fan since I was 10. Here's the thing though, I'm not making a penny for each Steelers game. I'm not getting any glory when Antonio scores a TD or when Ben scrambles out of the pocket and makes an amazing play. I use to gamble (no more though) so at least back then, I could justify my emotions. My blood pressure climbed to near heart attack range during the 4rth Qtr if the Steelers/Bengals WildCard Playoff. Ironically, I do not have high blood pressure. However, I actually need to monitor it during Steelers games because it's virtually the only time it ever becomes inordinately elevated.

I realize that being a fan can take an enormous toll on ones mental and physical energy. Here's the thing though, my mother is in her 70's and a huge Steelers fan as well. Yet the most emotion I ever see from her is when she puts a blanket over her face during critical FG kicks. She literally adores the Steelers equaly as much as I, yet she can control her emotions ? I yell, scream, curse the refs and often times use foul language. Sad part is, outside of football, I never ever use foul language.

I've got other friends and family who are also Steelers fans but I sometimes (unfairly) question their loyalty because they seem calm in comparison to me (during games) I love the Steelers so much but sometimes wish they didn't matter so much to me. Problem is, they will always matter to me.

 

Good post, and I understand where you're coming from. The only thing I can say to you is that for some (myself included) they've learned through life experience that in the end, it's just a game. Many things happen that simply make things like this seem irrelevant. Yep, I'm a fan and have been for 40+ years, and I'll come here several times a week to read/discuss/debate issues surrounding our beloved Steelers - but I've come to realize that the outcome of any game I watch is meaningless in my overall life. So why should I get emotional about it? I get excited, but I'm no longer the person that would cuss, pound my fist onto nearby objects, yell at the TV or fume about it and avoid human contact for 24-48 hours after a critical loss. Now, I just shake it off and move on with my day.

And you know what? They play the next week all the same, regardless of how I act about it.

 

Sports psychology is incredibly fascinating to me. I'm the most easy going and passive guy you could ever hope to meet. You could punch me in the face and I wouldn't even care but man if the Steelers play bad you would think I was an alligator whose medulla oblongata is all out of whack. Either that or because I have all those teeth and no toothbrush. I just think the thing about sports is that the team that we love is the team that we "identify" with and that they "represent" US on the field. I'm also extremely competitive by nature and so whenever my team loses it is almost like I lose. I also love for us to win because I hate to listen to all the morons who hate us talk smack when we lose. If we win tomorrow I will literally wear my Official on field Ben jersey and take my Terrible Towel to work just because of how much smack I am DYING to talk. Don't ever think that we don't stand to "gain" anything from the team though. We actually gain memories that will last a life time whenever our team does something that no one seemed to think possible. The Steelers tick me off sometimes so bad I can't even stand it but I sure wouldn't root for any other team for all the money in the world and I really feel sorry for all the people that are not Steelers fans. We are clearly the best franchise in the history of sports.

 

Yup it sucks. It's getting worse for me. All the worrying

 

I'm going on 50 and my wife reminded me that I threw a bar stool last week when Jones threw that INT. My dear old mother is 83 and calls me after every game to see how I liked it. I'm thinking that we just all really bleed Black N Gold and always will. It is hard to keep our emotions in check during the games. I try and control it as best I can but then it comes to the forefront as usual. Maybe some day we will finally grow up but in the grand scheme of things we are just in a spec of time in a billion year universe so we might as well do what we always do and that is carry on as the crazy Steelers fans that we seem to be. JMHO.

 

Acorn, a member of our board, gets credit for bring up this thought:

"The great thing about sport is that it allows us to care passionately about something that doesn't really matter"

Scott Taylor
Winnipeg Free Press

 

I realize I care about steelers winning to shut people up. Sad I know

 

Wow- that about sums it all up. Excellent quote. Sadly, it still doesn't change the fact that most of us think that it does actually matter.

 

I have been rooting for the Steelers since the mid 70's. I used to get crushed when they lost a big game. That still bothers me but not as much as it used to. I remember on the old Bob Smizik blog when a poster said they were humiliated after a game and Smizik said, "If you are humiliated by the actions of grown men that you don't even know then you might want to check your fandom."

 

I'm the same way, and I've asked myself the very same questions you presented. After the AFCC game where the Steelers lost to the Chargers I felt drained and numb. I proclaimed that I would stop caring so much. That lasted for about a minute. I'm crazy about this team and will be until the day I die!

 

I am old enough to have seen the good and the bad, As a kid growing up loving football and then to have your local favorite team be The Steelers
Dynasty team/players all that was ever talked about, dreamed about. I know I
care far too much for The PGH Steelers. As I have gotten older my interest has waned a little. Football is still king as far as
I am concerned, and I will be rooting for one team and one team only. The greatest franchise on the planet The PGH Steelers.

 

I bleed Black and Gold. I have a close friend from Pittsburgh who is a Steelers fan. I ask him Friday to choose between Pittsburgh winning the Super Bowl this year or him winning the power ball lottery. He chose power ball. Sheesh, what kind of fan is that?

 

Yeah I try to be less emotionally involved as i get older and, for the most part, I'm succeeding. But game day and shortly thereafter, is a different story. It's been with us for decades, so hard to just walk away. Ultimately, I think that shows our character and loyalty.

 

I won't even watch the game in front of my kids !! And the pacing, I've got trail marks in the carpeting next to my big screen.

 

I have been a fan since 1975, I used to get real upset after a loss I would be in a bad mood the rest of the day. I used to go watch the games at a sports bar and would be cursing on every bad play, once the Steelers won their 5th and 6th Super Bowl I don't let the losses affect me as much as they once did.

 

My neighbor, also a Steelers fan, but father of two young girls, invited me over to his house for last week's game. I had to politely refuse for the same reasons you stated! And it was a good thing seeing how that game turned out. I couldn't refuse this week, so they're coming over for today's game. Not sure what I'm going to do. Get a bunch of chewing gum so they can't hear me swearing I guess, lol!

I was still fired up about the media's comments until mid week though. I have been getting better about the losses as I get older. But its still tough. I grew up outside of Cleveland, you would think I'm used to being called out for being a Steeler fan.

 

Id pick the powerball too.
Then next year I can see them win the Super Bowl in person.

 

I'm a die-hard too and get really into the games. I yell, cheer and even sear like Turtle, but I've never understood the whole throwing things or punching things that some fans do. In the end, it's just a game and getting so mad and breaking your TV (or other things) means that it's going to cost YOU money to fix/replace it. Makes not sense.

As I said, it's just a game and we're all adults (I assume). Getting THAT angry about it is pretty childish.

 

Oh and by the way, Steelers Super Bowl or Power Ball winner? How could anyone even consider not making your life better with the Powerball? It's not even a question for me.

 

I get upset when we lose, but I try to not act out on it.

I have a group of friends (Steelers fans) that have been coming over to my house for 20 years to watch games.
One friend has had some serious health issues the last couple years and has gotten so negative about the Steelers during this span. I've overlooked it cause he's really had a rough way to go.
Last week when Landry threw the pick he got up and kicked my coffee table across the room. On top of that he was going on all game with the "this game is over" nonsense.
Anyway. I was pissed and got up to confront him about it and before I could one of the other guys went off.
Told him it wasn't fun to watch games around him anymore and to get his ****t together or watch the game somewhere else.
I was glad my other buddy spoke up as I was ready to lose it.

 

Yeah, I hear ya and I also don`t understand why I care so much.

For example, if I heard during the off season that Burfict was shot and killed, I would say "YEAH, thug bites the dust", and smile without regret, but all I know about him is in regard to football.

Look at the crazy "football" soccer fans in Europe who start fires, stampedes and mass riots in the stands that kill people. They like to think they are more civilized than us, yet they do that.

So the question remains why do we care so much?

 

and everygame they play until..............

 

For me, Pittsburgh sports is a way of life. Pittsburgh sports memorabilia and sports talk are everywhere... In bars, restaurants, convenience stores, major department stores, grocery stores, the workplace, on billboards, etc. I see people's cars decked out, as well as their homes. There's no escaping it, and I love all of it.

Fans like us are not only passionate about our team, but about the game, as well. We not only watch the games, but then watch the highlights, read the blogs, watch and listen to all the sports talk shows, comment on awesome message boards such as TSF, as well as on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

I yell and shout and get mad, but I don't care. I'm Pittsburgh Steelers proud, and I believe! Always.

As others here have stated, it's in our blood. For me, as I live in western Pennsylvania, it truly is a way of life. Every. single. day.

GO STEELERS!