It All Began With the 49ers

My journey to becoming a Pittsburgher began many, many years ago thanks to American professional football…via the San Francisco 49ers. I know…it makes no sense. It will soon enough.

Up until the age of early adolescence, my favorite team was the 49ers. I admired both Joe Montana and Steve Young. Once Steve Young won the “big game” to “get the monkey off his back,” the team fizzled, and I got bored with the sport. My mom suggested her team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, as a new team to support. She graduated from Pitt for one of her master’s degrees during the team’s glory decade of the 1970s, and she’d been a diehard fan ever since. I said sure (one of the few times I ever agreed with her suggestions), and it’s been a love of ups, downs, and plateaus ever since.

Fast forward to the present. For the past four years, my brother and I have been attending a Steelers home game in October. It’s our yearly sibling-only getaway, where we indulge in all-things Steelers and Pittsburgh. I needed a nap to stay up for the Monday night game in October 2024, which is quite a different crowd from our usual 1pm games!

I always look forward to experiencing a home game with him From 2025 on, I can host like a yinzer! (In Pittsburghese, “yinzer” means a native Pittsburgher, usually of the working class.)

What's your favorite team sport and team? How do you showcase your fandom?

My brother and me at Acrisure Stadium in October 2024 (note: plenty of fans still call it Heinz Field). The Steelers hosted the Giants on Monday night. And I still don’t know how to take selfies!