The first half of the answer on how I became a Steelers fan is easy. I'm from Indiana, grew up before the Colts tiptoed out of Baltimore, came from a sports loving-watching family, and chose the Steelers because they were on local television every week. My father was a die hard Cowboys fan. My mother switched back and forth between the Packers and the Redskins. My brother and I decided to be Steelers fans, and we embraced our team hanging up pendants and rocking the apparel. Somewhere along the way, my brother dropped the Steelers and became a San Diego Charger fan. I'm not sure why, but I've always said he was missing a little something in the cranium department.
The second half of why I'm a Steelers fan is more complicated. I'm from Evansville, Indiana a two college city; the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Evansville. The latter had a men's basketball team that the entire city backed starting in the 1940's. In 1955, the team moved to Division II, winning five National Championships and producing NBA players Jerry Sloan and Don Buse. Our family started attending games in the 1970's, but by the latter part of the decade fans were dropping out as the team struggled.
In 1977, the University's long time coach, Arad McCutchan, retired, the team entered into Division I, and a coach named Bobby Watson was hired. He recruited a bunch of basketball talented freshman and backed the bringing back of the old mascot Ace Purple, a river boat gambler. The city of Evansville was excited once more to sit cozy up next to their neighbor on the wooden bench that filled each row in the stadium. Unfortunately, it was short lived.
On December 13, 1977 the team, coaches, and several members of the local media flew out of the city's regional airport on an icy, foggy, rainy night. The plane got airborne and then fell out of the sky into a subdivison behind the airport. Everyone on board was killed. Everyone who lived in Evansville that night remembers where they were when it happened.
I was at my grade school that night singing at a choir dinner. I remember we had made tunics to wear, and we served dinner to the parents before taking the risers to sing out songs. I remember standing, singing, looking out at the tables of parents, and then suddenly beepers (this was before phones people) started going off in the audience. One by one, fathers rose and left the cafeteria; doctors being called in for help. We didn't know then what was up, but as my carpool driver drove me home we had to pull over to the side of the road several times as fire trucks and ambulances passed us in the night, sirens blaring. I remember it was raining as I was dropped off. I remember feeling jittery, wanting to tell my mother about the emergency vehicles. I opened the front door and entered my house to find my family had already gotten the news on the television. I remember the crying, the sadness, the horror, and of being scared. From that day forward, I thought of that night as blackness.
The city mourned for months. The university began rebuilding the team with the help of the city, anonymous donations from all over the world, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Several of the 1976 Super Bowl players came to our city and played in an exhibition charity game against former UE players. The money raised went to the rebuilding program, and we like to say that if you were an Aces fan, you were also a Steelers backer. I was already a fan, but it sealed the deal for me from that moment on, and I've never looked back.
It's a hard story to tell in a few seconds, but I do tell it to some people. Because it's part of the reason why I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
In 1977, the University's long time coach, Arad McCutchan, retired, the team entered into Division I, and a coach named Bobby Watson was hired. He recruited a bunch of basketball talented freshman and backed the bringing back of the old mascot Ace Purple, a river boat gambler. The city of Evansville was excited once more to sit cozy up next to their neighbor on the wooden bench that filled each row in the stadium. Unfortunately, it was short lived.
On December 13, 1977 the team, coaches, and several members of the local media flew out of the city's regional airport on an icy, foggy, rainy night. The plane got airborne and then fell out of the sky into a subdivison behind the airport. Everyone on board was killed. Everyone who lived in Evansville that night remembers where they were when it happened.
I was at my grade school that night singing at a choir dinner. I remember we had made tunics to wear, and we served dinner to the parents before taking the risers to sing out songs. I remember standing, singing, looking out at the tables of parents, and then suddenly beepers (this was before phones people) started going off in the audience. One by one, fathers rose and left the cafeteria; doctors being called in for help. We didn't know then what was up, but as my carpool driver drove me home we had to pull over to the side of the road several times as fire trucks and ambulances passed us in the night, sirens blaring. I remember it was raining as I was dropped off. I remember feeling jittery, wanting to tell my mother about the emergency vehicles. I opened the front door and entered my house to find my family had already gotten the news on the television. I remember the crying, the sadness, the horror, and of being scared. From that day forward, I thought of that night as blackness.
The city mourned for months. The university began rebuilding the team with the help of the city, anonymous donations from all over the world, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Several of the 1976 Super Bowl players came to our city and played in an exhibition charity game against former UE players. The money raised went to the rebuilding program, and we like to say that if you were an Aces fan, you were also a Steelers backer. I was already a fan, but it sealed the deal for me from that moment on, and I've never looked back.
It's a hard story to tell in a few seconds, but I do tell it to some people. Because it's part of the reason why I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
We will never forget!
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