Saturday, January 22, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In this old steel town with its tough, working-class roots, there's one thing you can count on at a Steelers game: reasonably well-behaved fans.
Rest assured, the black-and-gold faithful at Heinz Field don't hoist tea cups to their lips, pinkies in the air, and say, "Hey, yinz, pass the crumpet."
But they also aren't inclined to toss bottles at players and officials (Cleveland fans), stab someone in the stands (Oakland fan) or be arrested and sent before a judge right in the stadium itself (Philadelphia fans).
If past practice is any guide, when the Steelers host the New England Patriots tomorrow for the AFC Championship in what promises to be a hard-hitting, physical matchup on the field, it's unlikely that similar behavior will be reflected in the stands.
Pittsburgh police Sgt. John Fisher views most Steelers regulars as upstanding attendees.
Fisher should know. Since Heinz Field opened in 2001, he has worked for the Steelers supervising about three dozen off-duty officers in uniform to handle security inside the stadium.
"I think most people know the limit, and they choose not to push the envelope," said Fisher. "The small percentage that we deal with who do choose to go that route, they're not the regular Steelers fan who's there week in, week out."
Just ask William Duffy of Mt. Lebanon. Duffy, 83, figures he's missed only three games since 1947. He's been through Forbes Field and Three Rivers Stadium, Super Bowl wins and losses, Noll and Cowher. One thing remains consistent.
"Steelers fans, I think, have always been well-mannered despite how raucous they can be at times," Duffy said.
Sure, there are troublemakers. Duffy calls them "insurgents." But they're the exceptions, he said.
"The real season-ticket fan is aglow with excitement, but never improper," Duffy declared.
That doesn't mean that Fisher and his contingent don't have plenty of work on game days, especially during the post-season. Last weekend during the playoff game against the New York Jets, officers were running around nonstop inside the stadium and outside as well, where off-duty police handle traffic duties.
"The playoff game and the AFC Championship, things can be fever pitched. The fans are excited, emotions run a lot higher. Because, I guess, of what's at stake, they're just caught up in the moment," Fisher said. "I run from the time I get there to probably two hours after game time. It's a hectic schedule."
One that includes dealing with bare-chested drunks, rowdy nincompoops, foul-mouthed fans, passed-out people, and that most odious offender of all, souvenir stealers. Yep, Fisher once yelled at a guy in his 40s who swiped a glove that a player tossed to a grade-school kid.
"I said, 'What's wrong with you?' " Fisher recalled. After some "persuasion," the guy handed the glove back.
And that was the worst incident that stood out in Fisher's mind.
Bench-clearing brawls? None. Field encroachers? Not so far this year ("Knock on wood," Fisher said). Arrests? Not inside the stadium.
"In the four years I've been doing this, I think on one hand I could count the number of arrests," Fisher said.
If it's quiet in Steeler country, one need only head west or east -- to Cleveland or Philadelphia -- to find trouble. But we'll get to that in a minute.
First, let's head all the way west to California for some troublemakers extraordinaire. Whether in Los Angeles, Oakland, or San Diego, bad behavior and the Golden State are intertwined.
In 1990, an L.A. Raiders fan severely beat up a Steelers fan during a game at the Coliseum in California. Ten years later, a Raiders fan stabbed a San Diego Chargers fan at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
"Any time the Oakland Raiders make their way south, San Diego gets nervous," began an October story in the San Diego Union-Tribune. "The annual Chargers-Raiders matchup in San Diego typically draws the year's most rambunctious sports crowd. At last year's game, for instance, 61 people were arrested ... "
Sometimes, a whole section of a stadium turns delinquent.
The Cleveland Browns have the infamous "Dawg Pound" at Cleveland Browns Stadium. That's where a bottle-throwing ruckus started in December 2001 during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Players and officials ran for cover, and the game was delayed for 30 minutes.
Philadelphia's old Veterans Stadium had the infamous "700" level.
"It was kind of the code word for misbehavior," said Philadelphia Councilman James Kenney.
Kenney came up with the idea in 1997 of stationing judges right inside the Vet to dispense instant justice to the stadium's notoriously rowdy denizens. Things have gotten better -- so much so that the Philadelphia Eagles' new stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, doesn't host the judiciary.
Kenney watched the Steelers' shellacking of the Eagles in November at Heinz Field. He said he found a family-friendly environment that reminded him of college football games.
What's the difference between Pittsburgh and Philly?
There are several factors. But one might surprise you. Cheerleaders. The home of the cheese steak's got 'em; the home of Primanti's doesn't.
"I'll tell you the truth. Nothing against cheerleaders, but it's more family atmosphere (without them)," Kenney said. "I felt that in the parking lot. Look, they were busting people's chops with Eagles jerseys on, there's no doubt about it, but I never felt intimidated."
Kenney isn't the only Philadelphian to say that. Check out this comment about Heinz Field from "RainMan12" posted last year on the Web site, www.rateitall.com:
"I had the opportunity to see the Titans game last September. Great fans. My seats were in the last row of the stadium. Being from Philadelphia, I assumed there would be drunk and rowdy fans. Much to my surprise, the fans were energetic without being crass, obnoxious, and above all, drunk."
Maybe a Steelers-Eagles Super Bowl wouldn't be so bad. Pass the crumpets.
(Jonathan D. Silver can be reached at jsilver@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1962.)
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