Confessions of a Diehard 'STELRZ' Fan
By Mike Pearrow
Above: "Sixburgh" fever hits the streets of downtown where a sea of black-and-gold flooded the Blvd. of the Allies. Steelers fans showed their support during the Feb. 3 parade celebrating the sixth Super Bowl title. Photo: Rick Szymanski
I've done crazy things over the years when it came to my devotion to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some say I'm dedicated; others say I'm insane. The seed for my passion was planted in 1973, when I was 5 years old and living in Davenport, Iowa. My best friend, Tim Hatfield, and his dad were Steelers fans, and I always watched the games with them.
In 1980, I moved to Texas, where my love for the black-and-gold was fueled even more by all the "Cryboy" fans I had to deal with through high school and beyond. Over those years I only attended Steelers games when they played in Dallas or Houston.
In May of 1997 that all changed when I became the proud owner of ONE season ticket to Three Rivers Stadium. I had put my name on the waiting list for a pair of tickets that spring. I figured a 10-year wait wouldn't hurt me since I had never lived east of the Mississippi and I had only been to Pittsburgh once in my life! Imagine my surprise when I was offered the one seat. There was no way I could turn it down.
By the third week of the '97 season, I moved to Johnstown, where I knew no one and took a job as a television promo writer/producer for WWCP-Fox 8, making less money so I wouldn't miss any more Steelers home games.
In 2001, I met and married my lovely wife, M'Liss, and we moved to Cincinnati. My life goal remained the same: I wanted to live in Pittsburgh, and now had the added pressure of getting a pair of tickets. On game days, I left my house at 5 a.m. to drive 280 miles to Pittsburgh. Win or lose, I drove home. Night games were rough because I got home at 6 a.m. and was at work by 9.
I've done crazy things over the years when it came to my devotion to the team. I threatened to quit my job if they made me work during the Steelers pre-season game in Ireland. I had told my wife to pick a wedding date that did not interfere with the NFL draft.
And there's more. I purchased a black-and-yellow Saturn and ordered a personalized "STELRZ" license plate just to irritate "Bungles" fans. I would travel to at least one away game each year, and I went to all three playoff games and Super Bowl XL in 2006. Most of my wardrobe consists of Steelers gear, and at any given time, I am wearing five or more Steelers logos. I got a tattoo marking our fifth championship. During Super Bowl XLIII, I sat in the corner end zone where Santonio Holmes caught the game-winning pass. I'm getting a new tattoo this month to celebrate Six.
I finally moved to Pittsburgh last June. The only two things standing in the way of my dream-come-true: I must sell my home in Cincinnati so my wife can move here with me, and I STILL NEED A PAIR OF TICKETS!
Mike Pearrow is on-air promotions producer for Fox's Sports Network (FSN) Pittsburgh.