The Pittsburgh Steelers have a sizable fan following and have surpassed the Pittsburgh Pirates as the city’s most favored sports team since the 1970s.
Even though the team’s success led to a sizable national fan base, many believe that the collapse of the city’s steel industry was responsible for the team’s strong following in other cities.
This is evidenced by the fact that teams whose home attendance would otherwise necessitate a local television blackout end up selling out when hosting the Steelers.
The Steelers have a sizable fan base, as evidenced by Super Bowl XL, where an ESPN.com contributor claimed that Steelers fans outnumbered Seattle Seahawks fans by a margin of more than 25 to 1. However, this may have been due to Ford Field’s proximity to Pittsburgh more than anything else.
According to a Turnkey Sports research from November 2007, the Steelers had the strongest local brand of any NHL, NBA, MLB, or NFL franchise.
Is Adam Sandler a Steelers fan?
Another famous person who is proud to show his support for the blue and gold is actor and comedian Adam Sandler. Bill Cowher, the former coach of the Steelers, agreed to act in the sports comedy The Waterboy after being persuaded by Sandler.
And to top it all off, Paul “Wrecking” Crewe, played by Sandler in The Longest Yard, was a former quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.