Steelers Fan Page

By Brittany Sabol

When you think of the state of Maryland you think of Maryland crabs, Old Bay, Orioles baseball and Ravens and Redskins football along with other things. One thing that doesn’t come to mind is Steelers football or Steelers fans.

“It’s pretty funny. I know more Steelers fans than Ravens,” says Andrew Vigliotti, a Hood College student and Steelers fan from Pennsylvania. “Now maybe it’s because I choose to ignore Ravens fans, but we (Steelers fans) are a very large fan base throughout the country. It feels very exciting and kind of thrilling, in a way, to take over ‘Ravens Country,' if there even is such a thing.”

“Being a Steelers fan in Ravens and Redskins territory is always....interesting,” said Salisbury University student and Steelers fan Kimmy Crutchfield, agreeing to Vigliotti. “Ravens fans have to say something and it’s always bad. You don’t see Ravens apparel unless they’re winning but you’ll see Steelers apparel all year round,” continued Crutchfield.

Though the Redskins are not in the same division, AFC North, as the Steelers, the Ravens are; and the rivalry is one of the biggest in the National Football League (NFL). Saying the word ‘Steelers,’ around other AFC North team fans is like putting together oil and water, it doesn’t go well.

“I would have to say that being a Steelers fan in Ravens territory really sucks,” says Salisbury University student and Steelers fan Chris Porter. “You just constantly feel like you're being judged whenever you wear something to support your team. Let's be honest, ravens fans aren't exactly the nicest people.”

“I am definitely treated differently. Either people love it or they hate it. Whenever you wear a Steelers accessory (mainly ravens fans) but they ALWAYS have to talk trash or say ‘Steelers suck’,” continued Porter.

Steelers fans get a lot of ‘jaw’ for being in Ravens and Redskins territory and for being just Steelers fans in general, but Redskins fans are more quiet than Ravens fans.

“You know that if you're wearing Steelers stuff around here, Ravens fans will say ‘Oh Pittsburgh sucks...’ And they'll go on to tell you how much better the Ravens are and how they (Ravens) can win any game against any person. They don't recognize that our team has amazing players (ex: Troy Polamalu), they (fans) would rather tell us that we cheat and the refs win every game for us (Steelers),” Crutchfield agrees.

“The way it feels to be a Steelers fan in Ravens and Redskin country is, to tell you the truth, fascinating,” says Sarah Compton, a long time Steelers fan. “It’s not so much the Redskins fans; it’s the Ravens fans that are annoying because they aren’t true fans. You see more Steelers apparel than Ravens because there are more Steelers fans.”

Speaking of apparel, there are many places around Frederick County to buy Steelers apparel. Some good places to find Steelers apparel are Wal-Mart, Sports Authority, Shenk & Tittle (in the FSK Mall), along with almost any other apparel store in the area.

“Well, the jersey purchase popularity is in the order of Redskins, Steelers, Cowboys, and then the Ravens,” said Shenk & Tittle employee Kate Molander. “Roethlisberger jersey sales have decreased, other than that there has not been much of a change in sales of jerseys. People either are fans or they aren’t and they buy the jerseys regardless.”

In enemy territory, where can Steelers fans go to watch their favorite team play?

“If we’re at school we go to Buxy’s Salty Dog Saloon in Ocean City. It’s a huge Steelers bar that is always packed with Steelers fans,” said Crutchfield and Porter. “They go nuts on every play and you actually feel like you’re at the game.”

In Frederick County, Steelers fans can go to the Greene Turtle, Hardtimes Café, Krugs Place, and Beef O Brady’s to watch their team make their push toward playoffs.

Krugs Place, located at 906 North East Street in Frederick, is strictly a Steelers bar and shows only Steelers games, exclusively. Eat, drink, play darts, and watch football, Krugs Place is a family owned bar with a Steelers twist.

Owner Dave Krug says the bar is usually filled to capacity with standing room only on game days. With the exception of Monday and occasional Thursday night games, when some to most fans will leave around halftime, due to work the next morning, “but the diehard fans stay until the end,” Krug admits.

At first a few fans wanted to watch the Steelers games in one of the three available sections, “and it took off from there,” said Krug. “Word got out that we showed Steelers games exclusively then, the entire bar was full of Steelers fans.”

The Green Turtle is another sports restaurant/bar to watch football games at. Steelers’ games are not shown exclusively here, but with the many televisions around the dining area and at almost every table, it wouldn’t be difficult to catch a game or two here.