Now I know how those of you that watched the 70's Steelers must feel...

I'm 25 years old, and for as long as I can remember I've called myself a Steelers fan despite living in Cincinnati my entire life (because my dad was from Altoona). However, it wasn't until I was about 13 that I became obsessed.

We drafted Hines Ward in '98, when I was 10 years old... So he was coming into his own about the same time that I really got into the Steelers... and I have to admit, I'm still not over him not being out there. These past few years, I feel like all my heroes are gone! I have my Steelers man cave covered in mostly Hines and some Bettis stuff.

His personality, toughness, and love of the game just made me love watching the guy play... and I'm just not getting that from anyone else on our roster. I can remember when Hines was holding out, it seriously depressed me... and when he came back and said he couldn't stand to be away from his teammates, I really knew that wasn't lip service.




Anyone else feel the same way? Did you Lambert-Maniacs feel the same way as me during the 80's and 90's? Do you still feel the same way? I'm not sure if a lot of people can choose a favorite Steeler, but for me it's not even close.

Not much going on, so just thought I'd start a discussion on something new.

 

First and Foremost I would never consider a professional athlete to be a hero. Well with the exception of Rocky Blier and Pat Tillman.

I am quite a bit older than you are. Probably near you dad's age actually. I have seen the game change so much over the past couple of decades that I really have to wonder how much players of today with their self inflated ego's would compete against the likes of Lambert, Ham, Donnie Shell, Mean Joe Green,YoungBlood, Nitchke, and others of those era's.
Mike Webster used to play in sub zero temperatures in just his jersey and pads. Now we have players like Mike Wallace showing his exuberance because he can now play in warm sunny Florida.

 

I just turned 41 and I've been a Steeler fan since the mid to late 70s (and I also live in Ohio, not too far from you). I do remember what it was like during the 80s when a lot of the guys I had been watching since becoming a Steelers/football fan were no longer there.

Now though, it doesn't affect me like it did back then to have players leave the team or retire. This is probably because I've been through a lot more personnel changes than I had been as a kid back then and I'm just used to it by now. I do miss Ward being on the team, though, and he will always be one of my favorite Steelers.

 

I miss not having the Bus around. I miss Cohwer in his younger years when he used to run out on the field and get amped.

Carnell Lake was another great player I'll miss, and I miss Peezy's SWAG.

 

I'm 70 and have been a fan since well before the dynasty began. I've pretty much seen it all, the good and the bad (mostly good). It's really not important how long you have been a fan, only that you are now a fan of the greatest sports franchise ever. The game has changed a lot and will change a lot more, but being a steeler fan never changes. You are always supporting the best football organization there has ever been.

 

Is big snack in any body else top 5 tags. He sits three on my list. I'm 31 so I can't comment on the 70s though

 

im 41 so i was pretty young during their 70's domination, but i was right at the right age or wrong age if you will to fully remember the 25 year drought between super bowl wins and all the terrible times they had during that span.

dont get me wrong they had some pretty good players during those down years. a couple of my favorite were Mike Merriweather and Levon Kirkland. Louis Lipps was and still is one of my all time favorite Steelers.

when i was 25 i used to take Steeler loses very tough. probably to an unhealthy level. once i had my daughter that all changed. i still love the Steelers and dont miss a game, but when the dont win the pain doesnt last as long.

as far as feeling crappy when one of my favorite players retires or leaves. that doesnt really happen anymore either. we are in the era of free agency and players changing teams all the time. i hate to say that players have no loyalty anymore, but with free agency there are very few players that play their entire career with one team so its tough to get too attached to any players.

as far as Hines retiring goes. it was time.

 

Well said ffl...Yinz can be 8 or yinz can be 88.....But once yinz become a STEELER fan yinz in for LIFE!!!!!!!!!

 

I pretended to be Kordell Stewart when I was a kid. As far as jerseys I have Troy, Ben, Swann, and Lambert. I really only wanna buy a guy's jersey if I'm sure that he's gonna always be a Steeler. My next jersey is Heath but I wanna get an older one because I personally don't like the Nike jerseys as much as the Reebok. I also want a Mean Joe.

 

BFT yinz buy me a 59 for Christmas...Ill get yinz a 75...deal?

 

Absolutely! However you should know that I'm only 5'4 so I have to wear a youth XL but the problem is that when I stopped growing upward I started growing outward and it's really hard for me to find a good size. LOL.

 

Ok Ill get yinz a youth XL short.........?? Work for yinz??

 

I think that might work. It would sure make it a lot easier if I were properly proportioned. LOL.

 

LOL....Yinz da best BFT......Lets just buy our own.....Dont see this turning out well!!

 

One of my favorite Cowher moments was when the team got called for having too many men on the field, only they didn't. Cowher ended up getting one of the photographs from the play a few minutes later that showed the correct number of men. So he walks over to the Ref, yells at him, and stuffs the photo in the Ref's shirt pocket.

 

Love `em big,... I could be your twin...
Same age, pretty much the same take on things...
Besides the ones you mentioned, Greg Lloyd was one of my all time faves, But there is no question, Jack Splat, made me wanna play football!
He will ALWAYS, be my unquestioned favorite STEELER, even tho we have have had plenty of players that deserve to be in the H.O.F, from the time I was born, till now...
Another difference, between us, is, that it STILL bothers me, when we have to part ways with a player like Harrison...
I understand the realities of life in the salary cap age, but it doesn`t really ease the pain of letting go one of my favorite players, even tho it`s the right thing to do for the teram, moneywise..
That whole, "Moneywise" thing bothers the crap outta me...
But I recognize, that it is what it is, so I have no choice but to accept it, and deal with it.
If you notice, nowhere in there, did I say I have to LIKE it!!!

And the only other thing I wanna say real quick, before I go eat dinner, is...
No way in hell could these kids today play in a league the way it was, when our defense(and others), could absolutely knock the snot out of the players on offense...
What some of you younger posters might have seen on tape, but I highly doubt you truly understand, is the level of flat out INTIMIDATION, we could play with back then...
We did not get penalized for "seperating" the reciever, from the ball, or his head...
And OUR recievers had to be tough enough to deal with that, because the same was being done to them...
They call Swann an "acrobat", but... He would still come down with the ball in his hands, when he was getting absolutely destroyed in mid-air...

I gotta go now, But I just really wish some of you kids could watch the old clips on youtube, and understand the difference, between when our D-linemen could wrap their hands and arms in tape(and weights), and "head-slap" an O-lineman across from them...
This was a time when "REAL MEN" played the game...
And they MIGHT have made 50,000 a year...
God, I miss the good old days...
Gotta go...
GO STEELERS!

 

Nuff said!!!!

 

Sigh......Remember when Turkey Jones slammed Bradshaw's head into the turf? Or when defenders had plaster casts on their arms-no broken bones-just for game day?

 

I remember when we played football......And thats what ants is talking about.

 

Yep, I do remember when that CLOWN did that!
And how pissed off I was about it!~... But, I didn`t think he should have been suspended, ejected, fined, whatever...
That`s just the way the game was played!!!!
What I expected, was for Lambert to take Sipe`s head off... or whichever qb, they had at the time...
It IS a violent sport.. the MEN that signed up to play it, knew that...
I doubt if you`d hear Butkus or any of his type, complaining about "Chop Blocks"...
They would just find a way to retaliate!!!

 

I mentioned Jack Youngblood earlier in this post who broke his leg and then played against us in SB XIV. If Stallworth hadn't made that awesome over the head catch to the endzone he would have been a SB MVP.

Glad the Steelers won but I always respected the toughest competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzAPvICrEI8

 

Agreed... That`s old-school tuff...
And he wasn`t even a hated Raider, or Cowboy.
At least the Raiders, I could give `em their due for playin` the game, the same way we did.
Nasty, intimidating (dirty) defense... Kinda like the Cravens now... I will give `em their due..
The Cryboys?
Nah... They`re just a buncha whiners...
The Rams back then?
They were good, but not a hated rival. It just was never personal, for me.