Steelers’ Fans Need ‘Perspective’

Yes, this Monday sucks. Not because it’s just another Monday but because the Baltimore Ravens are the champions of the NFL. It is made worse by the fact that Joe Flacco is your Super Bowl XLVII MVP and that Ray Lewis gets to go out a winner.

The flip-side was only marginally better because a San Francisco win meant we would have to share the pedestal of six-time champions.

I offer you this Steelers fans on this horrible Monday; Think of where your favorite team was once. Think of where your favorite team has been recently and think of where your favorite team is compared to so many others. What you will find is perspective. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers originated in 1933 and made only one playoff, in 1947, before finally making another in 1972. As you bitch and moan at your computer this morning about the Ravens, imagine your favorite team making the playoffs ONE time in 39 years!!

The Steelers would then make the playoffs 25 more times between ’73 and today winning six Super Bowl titles and going to eight total.

You’re going to hate to hear this, but there really are two types of Steelers’ fans. There are those that expect this team to be in the Super Bowl every year based on recent success of the last ten years and then there are those who realize that making the playoffs, much less the Super Bowl every year is not easy.

You youngsters out there should ask people what the 1980’s were like when the glory teams of the ’70’s were fading away. There are some that fear this is happening to the current team as well. If that doesn’t give you enough perspective then talk to grandparents and great grandparents about just how miserable the franchise was prior to 1972.

Is it wrong to have such lofty expectations every year? No, it certainly is not, but one must also have a reality check now and then. Sometimes things just don’t break right whether they be turnovers, injuries or even lucky bounces. Football is like life in that there are ups and downs.

I am often told that Steelers’ fans are spoiled and I don’t disagree. We are! We’ve been spoiled with great teams. great players, great coaches and great owners but that doesn’t mean we should apologize for a damn thing.

What we as fans need is perspective. Let’s remember, the Steelers once went from 1980 to 2006 (with the exception of that SB XXX debacle) before playing in the Super Bowl so we cannot be too upset when we realize over the last eight years we’ve won two of the three we’ve been in.

There is nothing worse than seeing your arch-rival win the very title that you covet. All we as fans can do is hope that the victory by the Ravens hardens the resolve of the 2013 Steelers while at the same time giving we the fans just a little bit of perspective moving forward.

Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @steeldad and follow the website at @SCBlitz. He can be heard Mondays on Trib-Live Radio at 4pm ET talking Steelers.