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Top 10 Reasons To Hate The Pittsburgh Steelers

With this weekend's playoff game fast approaching, we present to you a Top 10 list to stoke the rivalry's flames.

 

(Editor's note: The Baltimore Ravens will face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., facing their hated divisional rival for the third time this season. The winner advances to the AFC championship game and a shot at the Super Bowl. But that's not the only thing that Ravens fans are thinking about.

There's the little matter of the rivalry. Ron Cassie, the editor of our sister site Dundalk Patch, culled the Internet and came up with his favorite reasons for football fans everywhere – okay, mostly in Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland – for hating the Pittsburgh Steelers.)

1. Steely McBeam: As one blogger put it, the mascot looks like the deranged offspring of Bill Cowher and Marge Simpson. Two years ago, one of the men who hired to play the mascot was arrested on charges of D.U.I. He had a blood alcohol level of .166 after running a red light. Then McBeam, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, complained the ground wasn’t level after failing the walk-and-turn test three times. Just like a Steeler to make excuses.

Oh, and McBeam was apparently unable to verify his correct address. Heinz Field, right McBeam?

2. Ben Roethlisberger: “Big Ben,” of course, often seems to have the brains of a mascot off the field. Several summers ago, the Pittsburgh quarterback hit a car with his motorcycle, which he was operating without a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license—or helmet. Of course, that behavior just hurt Roethlisberger.

The quarterback was suspended for six games at the start of 2010 season by the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after being accused of sexual assault by a 20-year-old college student.

3. Steroids: All those Super Bowl rings in the 1970s? Remember those Steeler linemen with the tight, short sleeves and huge guns. Hmmm. Among others, Steeler center Mike Webster admitted using steroids. So did tackle Steve Furness and guard Steve Courson.

Jim Haslett, then coach of the New Orleans Saints, admitted to experimenting with steroids as a Buffalo linebacker, and has said the use of those drugs among NFL players started with the Steelers.

4. Terrible Towel: Created in 1975 prior to a playoff game against the Baltimore Colts at behest of the Steelers’ flagship radio executives looking for a gimmick to increase sales. According to the story, Steelers’ announcer Myron Cope went along with the ploy after first protesting against a “gimmick,” to create fan interest. Cope was promised a bonus—if he came up with something that took hold. The rest is misery, as they say.

5. Terry Bradshaw: Overrated quarterback bouyed by some of the best defensive squads ever and a great running attack. Career passer rating: 70.9. Career completion percentage: 51.9 percent. Threw two more career touchdown passes than interceptions. Embarrassing singing and acting career, not to mention broadcast work—wash out anything accomplished on the gridiron.

4. Six-Purgh: Soooo clever. Pittsburgh has won six championships. Got it. Baltimore has four—the 1958, 1959 and 1970 Colts, and the 2000 Ravens. Remember, the Steelers’ won one Super Bowl because Cowboys’ tight end Jackie Smith dropped a wide-open touchdown pass in the end zone. And in another, they squeaked past the Arizona Cardinals. Pittsburgh, which started playing in 1933, also has about 25 more football seasons under its belt, including the years after the NFL allowed Bob Irsay to steal the Colts.

7. Steeler bars in Maryland: If Pittsburgh’s so great, why do Steelers fans keep moving to Maryland? Pittsburgh’s population has fallen from a peak of about 675,000 to a little over 300,000. I’ve been to Pittsburgh and there aren’t any Baltimore sports bars there. Who wants to live in an abandoned town in the Midwest? Meanwhile, so many Steelers fans have moved to Baltimore, they’ve got their own sports bar at the Purple Goose (Oh, the irony in that name), and 19 in Maryland overall, according to www.steelerbars.com.

Go home!

8. Hines Ward: The Steelers’ wide receiver was voted the dirtiest player in the NFL in a 2009 poll of 296 players. Ward received 11.9 percent of the vote, nearly double that of his closest peers, Albert Haynesworth and Joey Porter (a former Steeler), who garnered 6 percent each. No Ravens made the Top 10, but Polamalu (Reason No. 9 to Hate the Pittsburgh Steelers) came in at, that's right, No. 9.

9. Troy Polamalu: The Pittsburgh strong safety is a great player and seems like a nice guy off the field. Fine. But his Head & Shoulders shampoo T.V. ads are beyond stupid— worse than even Ray Lewis’ Old Spice commercial. C’mon, a football player whose hair is insured with Lloyd’s of London?

10. Yinzers: Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh is also a battle of two of the most peculiar dialects in the U.S. We’re Bawlmer, right? We’re the ‘hon'-belt.  Original Charm City. In Pittsburgh, they don't say “you guys," they say, "yinz." Local blue collar fans are known as "yinzers." For real. They pronounce their all vowels flat, like “dahn-tahn, for “downtown,” as one Cincinnati Bengal blogger explained it perfectly. And Pittsburghers say "pop" instead of soda. Not soda pop, just "pop" –which proves they don’t know if they belong in Pennsylvania (eastern state) or Ohio (midwestern state).

Just listening to former Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher and University of Pittsburgh graduate Dan Marino every weekend should be enough to make any self-respecting Baltimore Ravens fan sick.

But good luck on Saturday. 

Nadia Nikou

2:49 am on Saturday, January 15, 2011

So much butthurt it's embarassing to read.

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Debra Carney

9:21 am on Saturday, January 15, 2011

First of all, what team are you? Baltimore or Cleveland? Do you even know? The Baltimore Colts won those Championships, NOT the Ravens. The Colts are in Indy. Yinz guys get that? Talking of Steroids, J. Ogden, R. Lewis, Suggs, they don't take them? What about Jamal Lewis being busted for taking them when he was with the Ravens, trying to break Dickerson's record while being on 'roids with the Ravens? And what about criminals? Half the team is criminal! What about the families of the players? I don't have to write about what's been done and by whom....yinz knows. Your owner Art sold out, Brian B. is the only reason yinz ever won ONE and yinz stupidly FIRED him.... Steelers have fans all over the world. EVEN IN YOUR OWN BACK YARD. Eats ya alive, huh? Heap is your WHOLE TEAM and if you didn't have him you wouldn't even be in the playoffs.

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Debra Carney

9:23 am on Saturday, January 15, 2011

And as far as the Terrible Towel goes, the proceeds form every sale go to help children. We buy them because it is an act of CHARITY, something yinz obviously know nothing about. We're going to beat you down and you're staying there, you reconfigured BrownieTeam.

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Eric

9:33 am on Saturday, January 15, 2011

Ray Lewis was indicted on murder charges but hey, murder isn't serious at all.

And if you're going to bring the city into the discussion then it's cool if you think all that growth is for Baltimore. I guess all those people are wanting to move to Baltimore even though there's this whole other city called Washington D.C. nearby that is way more important. And going to back to murders, consistently being ranked the #1 or #2 highest manslaughter per capita rate in the country doesn't make me want to move to your terrible city.

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Debra Carney

9:51 am on Saturday, January 15, 2011

Yeah, wonder why the Colts left Baltimore?

TRENT DILFER? LMAO! The worst QB rating ever, and he got cut the year after winning their ONE.

royceis

10:34 am on Saturday, January 15, 2011

I'm sorry Ron, but it's clear you went to school in Baltimore. In #7 on your list you define Pittsburgh as "an abandoned town in the Midwest". Then in #10 on your list you say Pennsylvania is in the East ("Pennsylvania (eastern state)"). So, from your article I am to understand that Pennsylvania is in the East, but the city of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania is in the Midwest. Hmmm... either PA is the largest state in the Union, as large as Texas and Alaska combined, that stretches from the East all the way to the Midwest, or you were thinking of Pittsburgh, Kansas, or, like I said at the beginning, you went to school in Baltimore where the term "higher education" is not in their vocabulary because they (the Baltimore school district) don't bother teaching things like geography. Maybe you should consider another line of work, Ron.

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David Greisman

12:31 pm on Saturday, January 15, 2011

Meanwhile, us Washington Redskins fans just sit and wait for a year when we can write this kind of article about the Dallas Cowboys...

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David Greisman

2:03 pm on Saturday, January 15, 2011

I've just deleted three comments from "don dodda" that were profane and completely inappropriate. Please be sure to follow the terms of use when commenting on the site. And for those who saw his comments, apologies from us here at Patch.

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Debra Carney

10:09 pm on Saturday, January 15, 2011

...........and the number one reason is, WE BEAT THEM EVERY TIME! Go Steelers!

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David Greisman

11:12 pm on Saturday, January 15, 2011

Congratulations, Debra. How long ago did you move to the area from the Pittsburgh area?

Debra Carney

9:06 am on Sunday, January 16, 2011

I don't live in Baltimore, but I was born and raised in Pittsburgh. Even if I did not come from Pittsburgh, I'd root for the Steelers anyway because they are the epitome of smash mouth football, the way it was meant to be played. I've traveled all over the USA and no matter where I am, I can find a Steelers Bar to watch the game. BRAVO, STEELERS! Great win! I just happened upon this Top Ten Reasons and it sort of ticked me off.....so I had to comment. Forgive me but I am rather passionate about the Steelers, as most fans of the Steelers are.

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Sack

10:07 am on Friday, June 10, 2011

As a Ravens fan, even I think these are over the top. Raven / Steeler games are by far the best to watch. I do agree with #2, #7, and #8 though. Baltimore based steeler fans are a bit much. There are guys to like and hate on both teams. Go Ravens

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Plangal

11:44 am on Sunday, October 2, 2011

Well said, Sack. Another Steelers fan here! I don't think they walk on water (no one's perfect), but I do think they're the best team in the world, whether they win or lose. I may geographically live in DC, but my heart is and always will be in Pittsburgh. I don't talk smack--other than good-natured ribbing--on other teams, because that's how many Pittsburghers roll. I had to laugh particularly at the population one...Baltimore's lost population too like many post-industrial cities. As if the burned out townhouses weren't evidence of that!

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