Stillers Postseason 01

Available under the t-shirt tab.

'Stillers' is Pittsburgh vernacular for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's iconic football franchise.  Stillers is also representative of the culture and fanatics who relentlessly support the Black n' Yellow.

My first ever Stillers game was September 24th, 1995 at Three Rivers Stadium; I was two months old.  I can't speak to it from memory, but it was a losing effort in which hall-of-famer Warren Moon threw two touchdown passes to fellow hall-of-famer Cris Carter, as the Minnesota Vikings routed the Steelers 44-24 on an autumn afternoon.  At least my first year of life featured the Stillers' return to the Super Bowl for the first time in sixteen years when Bill Cowher led Pittsburgh against Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX.

My house is a short walk away from Heinz Field.  When I open my bedroom windows, I can hear public address announcer, Larry Richert, call-out, "It's a Pittsburgh Steelers first down!" as I watch Antonio Brown and Le'veon Bell extend their arms outward indicating the same thing. Living on the North Side, you learn that the game of football and Stillers Nation is omnipresent.  This neighborhood that hosted the nation's first tax-supported library, is also the birthplace of professional football.  In 1892, the Allegheny Athletic Association, a sports club on the North Side of the 'Burgh, paid William "Pudge" Heffelfinger (three-time All-American two-way player at Yale) $500 to play in a game versus the Pittsburgh Athletic Club.  What's more is that this community has been home to the Pittsburgh Steelers since 1969.  Playing in Forbes Field with the Pittsburgh Pirates and splitting home games at Pitt Stadium from 1933 to 1969, the Stillers struggled to find their own identity--the City of Champions had yet to be established.  When the Black n' Yellow moved to Three Rivers Stadium, positioned on the edge of the Allegheny River, fortunes started to change.  Franchise owner Dan Rooney and legendary head coach Chuck Noll turned the Steelers into a powerhouse.  In the last 46 years players like "Mean" Joe Greene, "Iron" Mike Webster and Jerome "The Bus" Bettis have entertained the Stillers faithful to the tune of 22 divisional titles, 35 playoff wins and 6 Super Bowl championships--all the highest in NFL history.  Three Rivers and Heinz Field have been instrumental in ushering in new eras of winning football.

The on-field product of Stillers football--the Steel Curtain defense featuring vicious linemen and an offense that can be both finesse and bruising, epitomizes the blue-collar attitude of the people in the Steel Belt.  During the dynasty of the 1970s, when Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, L.C. Greenwood, Mel Blount and company won four Super Bowls in a span of six years, the National Football league was just emerging into popularity.  As the Steelers continued to win in dominating fashion, like the five shutout wins the Steel Curtain produced in 1976, they became a frequently televised team.  Recording the fourth most played Monday Night Football games, football fans across the country could see how elite the Steelers actually were.  Couple the bandwagon fans who couldn't help but root for the Stillers with the mass exodus of people from Pittsburgh who headed down south or further midwest due to the collapse of the steel industry in 1983, and you can understand why Stillers Nation has become so expansive.  Those fans of older Stiller squads have started families and now their children are Stillers fans, engendering a hoard of Stillers faithful across the globe.  You can be in Italy in December and still catch a Sunday game at La Botticella, the Steelers bar in Rome.

As a Nation, Stillers fans don't just watch their team.  The devotion of the Stillers Gang is noted in our attire and memorialization of the beloved franchise.  Black and yellow is our uniform and it does not have to be game day to wear it.  Joe Manganiello, one of the strippers in the Magic Mike movies, is a native of Pittsburgh who makes sure his Columbian wife, Sofia Vergara, is also decked out in Steelers garb from head to toe.  Whether dawning a Pirates hat or sporting those ugly throwback uniforms on a quick trip to the Giant Iggle or cruising the streets of Beverly Hills, Stillers Nation rocks the black and yellow as a symbol of pride for the city they call home. Amidst the Steelers' 1975 playoff run, the late radio personality, Myron Cope, was ordered to "come up with a gimmick that would more intensely involve the Stillers fans."  His creation, 'The Terrible Towel', has been a waving fixture in every football stadium the Steelers have graced since then.  Cope's towel and many other traditions such as the singing and cheering to Styx's "Renegade" before every fourth quarter are indicative of Stillers Nation's engagement in commemorating Stillers lore as well as helping the current iteration to achieve the coveted hardware.

Like any form of entertainment, football is a service providing spectators of the sport elation, anxiety and sadness.  Sports is a byproduct of man's desire to compete, and the beautifully violent game on the gridiron takes center stage in modern society.  Every Sunday for seventeen weeks, watching the Stillers triumph or fall in crushing defeat is like watching your favorite drama series.  Injuries to key players and upsets league-wide are constantly changing the storylines of the season; it never plays out how you thought.  As I've grown up literally blocks away from the epicenter of Pittsburgh's heartbeat, immersed in Stillers culture, I've been able to understand more and more about the game and history of Stillers football.  Putting on that black helmet was never in the cards, as my parents knew the inherent dangers of the game. Yet, each agonizing loss to Tom Brady and each ignorant Stillers naysayer who would deny their superiority instilled a desire to discuss and take part in the construction of the Stillers legacy.

At InTheRough, it is our objective to discuss and create Life's Goods--the aspects of life that indulge our purest emotions.  Throughout the past year, ITR has been dedicated to documenting the culture of Pittsburgh as three of its five staff members call the city home. The creation of the Stillers t-shirt arose from this same effort, for there is no greater good than the Pittsburgh Steelers who are able to unite and grab the attention of the city of Pittsburgh.  The mustard-yellow, pepper-black, and white long sleeve t-shirts celebrate the uniqueness of football in the Steel City.  The shirts' embroidery was designed in-house by Justin Berk, Lanie Edwards, Alex Hersh, JR Walker, Quaishawn Whitlock, Alex Young and Maxwell Young while it was manufactured by Touch of Grey Tees in Pittsburgh.

Wrapping up their 35th playoff victory over the Miami Dolphins 30-12 today, the Steelers have advanced to next week's divisional round when they will play the Kansas City Chiefs.  Stillers t-shirts are available for purchase here, so we are prepared for the upset at Arrowhead Stadium. Stillers bend, they don't break.

Stairway to Seven

Lynn Swann and John Stallworth circa 1975.

I walked up to the fourth floor court, locked-in for a playoff wiffle ball game last spring.  You go up there to get away from the much more frequented gym and basketball courts on the lower floors, or to play collegiate intramural sports in my case.  I opened the glass doors to some early hitting practice when my teammate shouted, "You smell that? It's the playoffs baby!"  Although normally just a particularly cold part of the Health and Wellness Center, the court that day did have a different aroma.  I can't describe it exactly, maybe it was just in my head, but the air was a lot crisper, untouched by the sweat and panting breaths that were about to envelope the room. It was the brewing tension between two teams knowing it was a a win-or-go-home scenario that you could have cut with a knife.

I'm sure this is how playoff football teams feel heading into Wild Card weekend, although intensified by thousands of screaming fans, future pay days, and the desire to be world champions.  The playoff air though, is something the Pittsburgh Steelers plan to breathe in every year, and something Stillers Nation has come to expect.  After being eliminated in last year's divisional round to the eventual Super Bowl 50 champion Denver Broncos, Lombardi Trophy aspirations began to stir.  While absences from a concussed Antonio Brown and injured Le'veon Bell hindered our offensive production in that game, it was also clear our defense had some more construction to be done to it.  The Steelers' first three draft picks cornerback Artie Burns, safety Sean Davis, and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave played early and often as the coaching staff looked to accelerate their learning curves.  Burns got burned as experienced quarterbacks looked to roast the fresh meat out of the University of Miami.  Unfortunately, some of those plays, like the Ravens' Mike Wallace's 94-yard slant route touchdown catch in Week 9, really stymied the Steelers chances of victory, and for several weeks in a row they struggled to find their footing.  As the younger players were indoctrinated into Stillers football, learning the history and philosophy of our game, those splash plays have been gradually diminished, keeping the defense tenth in opponents points per game and allowing our offense to finish games off.

As dominant as the Stillers have been in December and January, sports pundits and Las Vegas betting booths are first favoring the Patriots, Falcons, Cowboys and Chiefs to win Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas.  Since 2001, Tom Brady's rookie year, the Patriots have participated in ten AFC conference championships and four Super Bowl titles.  They have been a fixture in playoff football and a thorn in the side of the Pittsburgh Steelers; the clear power of the NFL for the past two decades.  After surviving the ridicule and consequences of Deflate Gate, the Patriots are 14-2 on the strength of Brady's 28 touchdowns and record-breaking 2 interceptions.  Aside from the home-field advantage, in which New England is 15-3 at Gillette Stadium in the last fifteen years, the Patriots will be difficult to stop due to their well-oiled offensive and defensive machines.  Brady is complemented by brusiing running back LeGarrette Blount who tallied a League-high 18 rushing touchdowns this season.  Their defense on the other hand, ranks top three in rush yards allowed per game and first in points allowed per game with 15.6.

The Cowboys' season started out as a surprise--Tony Romo suffered another back injury and the rookie phenoms, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot, were performing like they'd been in the NFL for years.  The only team to beat Dallas' rookie duo was the New York Football Giants who are also in the playoffs.  My only question for America's Team is at what point do Prescott and Elliot hit that "rookie wall"?  For as successful as their season has been, finishing 13-2 in the games they played, the Cowboys have yet to play the best defense in the NFC--the Seattle Seahawks.  If both teams meet in the NFC Championship game, it will be interesting to see how a rookie quarterback and a rookie running back match up against the vaunted, Super Bowl winning Legion of Boom.

Much like the Steelers, the Green Bay Packers were in dire straits near the halfway point of the season.  Starting the season 4-6, Green Bay went on to finish their regular season on a six-game winning streak, clinching their division championship over the wild card-bound Detroit Lions in the final week of the season.  Any time Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has the ball, their team is a threat to score.  Having three receivers in Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb who have hauled in a collective 30 touchdowns creates a vertical game that defenses will struggle to adjust to.  Green Bay's defense, which ranks 21st or lower in points allowed per game and yards allowed per game, will be its weak point the deeper in the playoffs they go. 

January 5th, 2003- the Steelers came back from a 17 point deficit to defeat the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round. Courtesy of Steelers.com 

On a seven-game winning streak, with an offense scoring at-will and a defense rounding into postseason form, the Pittsburgh Stillers are still being overlooked.  And that's fine.  That's how we like it; we've won the world championship before as underdogs.  Remember when Jerome Bettis fumbled on the two yard line of the Indianapolis Colts in 2005? No? That's because Ben Roethlisberger, then in his second year, tackled defensive back Nick Harper, keeping the Colts from taking a late-game lead in the Divisional round, consequently sending us to Denver where we won the AFC title.  That year, Super Bowl XL, was the first year in NFL history in which a six-seeded team won all four playoff games.  Nobody saw the Stillers coming then, but we did it for The Bus.

If I'm any other team in the AFC, I'm scared to play the Stillers.  For one, the Stillers are playing alongside a motivational figure, hungry to leave the game atop the mountain.  "Silverback" James Harrison, probably the most feared player in the league--still--has made it known that at thirty-eight years old this may be his final season.  leading the team this season in sacks and surpassing Jason Gildon as Pittsburgh's all-time sack leader, Harrison has been nstrumental in turning the tide of the Steelers defense.  Young players on the roster got a glimpse of the amount of energy and time it takes to perform in the NFL at an elite level by watching Harrison hurling weights across the room; they want to win for him.  Other veteran leaders who have won super bowls with Harrison, like Ben Roethlisberger and linebacker Lawrence Timmons, want to be in Houston this year because they are not done cementing their legacies.  In speaking to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on how he cut out fast food from his diet, Timmons spoke about hit legacy saying, "You can't be any other NFL linebacker when you're a Pittsburgh Steeler.  I feel I'm an unfinished product." 

Moreover, the Steelers are dangerous because they have the most potent offensive weapons at wide-receiver and running back in Antonio Brown and Le'veon Bell respectively.  Despite moments of discontinuity for the Pittsburgh offense, there was never a moment when Brown and Bell were not a threat to score.  AB84 found himself double and triple-teamed from start to finish of the season, while players such as Vontaze Burfict have maliciously hit Bell with the intent to injure.  Yet, in the last four years, Anotnio Brown has amassed 480 receptions, the most in NFL history over that time span, surpassing the great Marvin Harrison.  Le'veon Bell set his own league record this year, too, becoming the first player to average at least 100 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards in a season.  Stillers fans have such a luxury watching the tandem that it's surreal how easily Ben and the offense moves the ball.  Beyond their skill-set, these stars know the only way to cement their legacy is with a Super Bowl championship; they know it and they are hungry for it.  Antonio Brown's extension into the end-zone on Christmas Day is a perfect example of that hunger--recoiled short of the goal line with seconds left on the clock to pop back up and fight through Ravens defenders--he simply wanted it more.  That 'bend don't break' attitude has been echoed throughout the Steelers locker room all season.  The faith this football family has in one another and their expectation to be at Super Bowl LI in February are reasons why potential playoff games at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, the loudest stadium in the NFL, and Gillette Stadium do not seem so daunting.  "The standard is the standard," as Mike Tomlin would say.  It's the postseason and the Stillers are in the hunt.  Here we go.

Observing a Gang of Wolves

Gang of Wolves photographed by Alex Young

Success can happen with numbers just like success can happen individually. While readers here know success in Pittsburgh's creative community feeds off of support and togetherness, Gang of Wolves legitimizes the pack mentality as an artistic collective.

Comprised of outgoing twenty-somethings, G.O.W. operates as a multimedia production group delivering graphic, music, and video content. Jacob Finch is the creative director who manages Dillis, Pk Delay, and Patches all of who rap.

Essentially, Gang of Wolves aims to enhance the outputs of a co-working network of artists. Before Dillis, Pk, and Patches linked together they were acquaintances working in the 'Burgh's hip-hop community. Each of the youngsters carries a contemporary persona that appears in photographs, on stage, and on the internet. The G.O.W. artists "understand how to use the internet as the place to go to establish their brands," Finch says. Pk has executed multiple wearable merchandises on the net that have accompanied his music. His "Dad" hats symbolize the smart marketing habits available to Gang of Wolves. Dillis and Patches are clever too. Their latest work, "We're the WET BOYZ, and You're Watching Disney Channel," is so nostalgic with its imagery that the album cover is perfect advertising for a playful project. On the fast-paced web, marketability is valuable for getting attention to specific people or projects.

With training in photography and multidisciplinary graphic design, Finch organizes the Gang of Wolves to be funny and smart in their media on a consistent basis. Inside the building that was formerly known as Allegheny Center Mall on Pittsburgh's North Side, Finch and videographer Alden Roth made G.OW.'s efforts visually cohesive as Dillis, Pk, and Patches wandered around the sprawling facility.

As a group, Gang of Wolves makes its mark with "Grand Opening," video and animation that assists new music singles. Along with promoting music, the gang entertains their audience with thorough visual content to compliment the rappers' lyrics. Music mixes will also be available on the group's SoundCloud. Working in a pack makes Gang of Wolves more efficient in their delivery.

For 2017, those who are interested should look for editions of "Grand Opening" weekly. To learn more about G.O.W. go here or follow them socially here. Introduce yourself to the group with the trailer below shot by Finch.

Pittsburgh Year In Review with Commendations

Say what you want about Pittsburgh, the ones who know the city best are those who live here and work here to grow a socially progressive environment. National organizations invest in the area to improve the post-steel economic development, like Dick's Sporting Goods' headquarters or Uber delivering self-driving cars to the streets.

But along with the corporate industry that Pittsburgh benefits from, various native and transfer residents independently create a community that supports art, activity, entrepreneurship, and city-inclusion. As a group, these Pittsburghers are young in both spirit and age. They represent a population that is open in thought and gracious to all life from all social-backgrounds.

For a year now, InTheRough has adjusted our appreciation for popular culture to focus on genuine commentary and respect for those offering progressive outputs in our staff's native environments. A lot of our conversation regards Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania because three of five ITR staff members were born in the city and call it home.

Since ITR-staff has developed different perspectives about creative communities worldwide, our fifth year of probing is rewarding because we have met youthful people in Pittsburgh who care about how life affects art and vice versa. The relationships we have formed and the contemporary life we have experienced at home from events like Creatives Drink or any forward-thinking interaction at Boom Concept's venue generates thorough promotion from talented communicators at InTheRough.

The scope of our involvement in Pittsburgh will become more thorough as years continue, but 2016 set a foundation for ITR to support one of the city's most enterprising bunches. Here I write to commend some people on the contributions they made to the steel community in 2016.

Of the 141 articles published on InTheRough this year, 90 considered music and 51 detailed Life's Goods. All together ITR documented Pittsburgh 54 times in a range of topics.

"Support each other" is a theme that describes the youth's movement in their coined town "Pixburgh," by Ryan Brown of lifestyle label farESH Brand. Tucker "Dillis" Pillsbury, a transplant from Maine who finds himself active in the burgh's hip-hop community, says it best; the city is "very collaborative. It seems like people are working to build the city as a mass, not individuals."

People work together in Pittsburgh, and the support for one person crosses over into support for the next person. Encouragement for people in the city displays on the streets, through text InTheRough, and on social media.

Local legends Cody Baker and Chancelor Humphrey of Keep Pittsburgh Dope inspired initiative in people when the duo hosted their Creatives Drink series. Creatives Drink editions have lured a mass of progressive people to each event. At CD6 at Ace Hotel gallery curators like Sean Beauford mixed in a room with automotive enthusiasts like Matthew DeSantis, other DJs listened to DJ Pete Butta's catalog while he played CD6, and local businesses, like Ace, offered sponsorship to better their reputations within the interactive youth community. People who advance Pittsburgh socially frequent Creatives Drink and other events like it because of their innovative environments.

The success of the residents' contemporary ambitions predicates itself on the Pittsburgher's supportive qualities. Familiar faces should appear event to event because most people understand progress occurs by working "together," as retailer 412 advertises. RB of farESH is quick to be at a Creatives Drink event, and then he is off collecting the city's best DJs, like EYEJAY and Paizley, for a party dedicated to new hip-hop bangers that attract major players in Pittsburgh's young music scene, like rapper Choo Jackson and producer Christo.

Going to events and being active in the community is important, but creating the forums for people to enjoy Pittsburgh's contemporary culture is necessary. RB has done well by merging lifestyle and music choices. Operating in the Lawrenceville neighborhood, RB integrates urbanity with the district, industrial community. He held a music festival at Spirit bar called The City which showcased blues, rock, and hip-hop sounds by local musicians. RB even hosts trade shows for streetwear vendors at Ace Hotel. At the next neighborhood over, in East Liberty, publisher Thomas Agnew, and painter D.S. Kinsel own a hub that serves African American art, intellect, and products. Officially named Boom Concepts, space, and its operators introduce locals to stimulating experiences. A musician named Jordan Montgomery held a pro-black album release party there for his "Driving While Black" project. Once I went to a rap show at Boom that featured The Company Only's Pk Delay, Joel Kellem, Fat Corey, Seas Supreme, Deem Trill, and Slicky Williams. The group put on a set that got people bopping like any good rappers should. Following the Pittsburgh crew, Cleveland artists named Shawn K and DJ Topgun took the stage and made a name for themselves raging in front of the youth.

There are genuine people and organizations in the city who produce creativity and entertainment for like-minded people to enjoy. From the parties that cleverly disguise as networking events, to the clothing brands who find their garments on the backs of popular city rappers, many people take up work to involve themselves in Pittsburgh.

Marketing professional Natalie Coccia is the essence of this overarching support system in Pittsburgh. She seems to be everyone's friend, and she plugs her most artistic acquaintances with local lifestyle brand Daily Bread. She pushes the clothing label amongst her crew to expose the brand and those who are wearing it. Natalie's positivity sends praise to many people she interacts with, and her numerous ad flyers alert people to upcoming things in the city. People like Nat represent a network of young and competent advocates for Pittsburgh.

In the days after Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa's emergence out of the 412 rap scene, millennials find success by throwing shows for local audiences at bars, house parties, and event spaces. Rapper Choo Jackson seeks commercial success as he leads a Remember Music and Foreverkool Records roster. His "Choo, Where U Goin?" album earned respect amongst music fans for its genre-bending qualities. Producer Christo could gain consistent national attention as he continues to tour with prominent artists like J.I.D. from Atlanta. Christo's production credits stretch far in Pittsburgh also. His sound is noticeable. Other rappers like Pk Delay and Pet Zebra (Joel Kellem) created the best musician merchandise this year. Pk thrived off his "Dad" nickname and Pet Zebra, along with designer Aris Tatalovich, came through with "Hennsylvania" shirts to charge spirits and praise his home state.

The productive group of Pittsburghers extends far beyond who is written about here. On InTheRough's "Commendations" list for 2016, we selected key figures who connected young people across the city, and key figures who placed Pittsburgh on a pedestal from their ideas and executed deliverables, like photographers and other artists. Fashion designer John Geiger serves as an example because he brought the sneaker community's focus to Pittsburgh several times with custom Air Force 1s. The "Commendations" list also identifies people and organizations who offered some of the most exciting and interesting experiences in the city this year, like Post 9 To 5 Thoughts who created a sexier version of the Pirates hat or rap group Eight by Two who had the best performance at their "Bedouin" release party.

Beyond the 2016 happenings in Pittsburgh, InTheRough focused on activity in other geographic regions, like Washington, D.C. where several ITR-staffers go to university and in Los Angeles where one staffer explores further into his home city.

While we continue to detail life at home or any place on Earth, InTheRough acts as a collection facility to organize, distribute, and discuss the phenomena that humanity appreciates most. Please allow the 2016 "Commendations" to credit those in Pittsburgh and elsewhere who have added to an increasingly progressive environment. All names on the list are searchable within intheroughstyle.com.

A Christmas Story

How was Christmas?

Photograph by Maxwell Young

The thrilling loss to the now 13-2 Dallas Cowboys in Week 9 really was the catalyst for the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers' season.  As they head into 2017 with one game left to close out the regular season, the Steelers have welded together a six-game winning streak and an impressive AFC North championship in a Christmas Classic.

There's something that happens inside that Stillers locker room, when the air gets colder and guys start putting on hand warmers.  Maybe its the "cheerleader" talk Terry Bradshaw derides, but when the battle for playoff positioning becomes imminent, the Stillers get down to business.  By December and January, teams have battled roughly two-thirds of an NFL season, players are nagged by lingering injuries and divisional match-ups heighten competitive stakes.  Undoubtedly, some teams falter, like the self-destruct Cincinnati Bengals.  However, there are some teams--the Steelers and other blue blood franchises like the Packers and Patriots--that are able to fine tune their games and play like teams in the hunt for a Lombardi Trophy.  In the last fifteen years, since 2001, the Steelers have gone 57-19 in the months of December and January, winning 75% of their games.  Considering the numerous coaching and positional changes throughout this time span (e.g., head coaches Bill Cowher to Mike Tomlin and quarterbacks Kordell Stewart to Tommy Maddox to Ben Roethlisberger), this mentality of December football is not just a byproduct of key personnel, but rather a tenet of Stillers football.  

Illustration by Maxwell Young

Over the last six games, the Steelers have worked to become a cohesive team, balancing offensive weaponry and a rapidly maturing defensive unit.  There were games against the Browns, the Colts on Thanksgiving, and the Bills in which they dominated both sides of the ball.  Holding Cleveland to a meager nine points was due in-part to the Steelers' trio of rookies (Artie Burns, Sean Davis and Javon Hargrave) making impact plays, like Burns' interception and Hargraves' awareness to jump on a loose football in the endzone, forced by a streaking Ryan Shazier.  Antonio Brown was inside Lucas Oil Stadium having a feast as he caught three touchdown passes, while Le'veon Bell watched a Bills defense cautiously look for footing as he scampered for 236 yards and three scores in snow-covered Buffalo.

Some games in December though, were a battle of attrition, requiring the Stillers to really grind out each victory.  In games against the Giants and Bengals it became clear that I had mis-spoke about our veteran players lacking the consistency to make game-changing plays.  Moreover, it was evident that the younger players on the roster, who had been ordered to "grow up" by the Steelers coaching staff, had finally internalized the message.  The Steelers offense was clicking in the Week 13 match against the New York Giants.  Tight-end Ladarius Green gave Big Ben a formidable option down-field, forcing the secondary to alleviate some of its pressure on Antonio Brown.  The Steelers never surrendered the lead to Eli Manning and jittery Odell Beckham Jr. because of two major red zone interceptions by ten-year veteran, Lawrence Timmons and Steelers Rookie of the Year, Sean Davis.

With a week remaining until the showdown with the Ravens, the Stillers tried to not overlook the little brother of the North, the Cincinnati Bengals.  A game that still had boiled-over emotions from last year's AFC Wild Card game, the Bengals were looking to make our playoff path that much more arduous.  By half-time, the Steelers had been making the same mistakes that had put themselves on a four-game losing skid mid-season.  A 20-9 deficit was highlighted by undisciplined football.  The Stillers were going to start the game off on the right foot with a three-and-out forced by Stephon Tuitt's pressure on Bengal's quarterback Andy Dalton, until he was called for a face-mask penalty, allowing the drive to continue and the Bengals to score a field goal.  The next time the Bengals had the ball, Artie Burns was called for a 39-yard pass interference on receiver Brandon Lafell, setting up Dalton's one-yard QB sneak.  Just when Stillers Nation thought the Black n' Yellow to be waking up, a 13-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown was called back due to Le'veon Bell's chop block.  Without Chris Boswell's fifteen points through six kicks travelings a total of 262 yards, the Steelers would not have been able to come from behind and win.  After the half, roles had been switched and the Bengals didn't score another point.  Jeremy Hill, the player who fumbled the Wild Card win away for the Bengals, tried to rip apart a stray Terrible Towel after a touchdown in the first quarter.  He was held to 2.2 yards per carry for the day.  Ryan Shazier's sack, Lawrence Timmons second interception of the year, and Ross Cockrell and Artie Burns' pass deflections halted four consecutive Bengals drives in the second half. The Stillers offense continued to fight the length of the Bengals defensive front and rabid play by Vontaze Burfict by pounding the ball and taking the open shots.  Despite the relatively tame performances by Bell, Brown and Big Ben who only combined for one touchdown, the Stillers responded with 18 unanswered points, capping the game off with Eli Rogers' game-winning grab.

Illustration by Maxwell Young

Christmas Day. Steelers vs. Ravens. Nike Color Rush uniforms. AFC North crown.

The gravity and theatrics of the second round fight was known well in advance of the Steelers late season surge.  I think football fans were anticipating this game because it's rare to see football on television; there have only been 18 Christmas football games in the NFL's history.  I know the TV is traditionally reserved for premier NBA basketball during the holiday, but not this year.  When you add on the level of animosity some players have for each other--a la Mike Mitchell and Steve Smith Sr., plus the fact that the Ravens have beaten the Steelers in games decided by a touchdown or less, it was hard to think this game would be anything other than a classic.

After a surgical first drive by Bell, topped off by Big Ben's 20-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Grimble, the Stillers' momentum was halted by drive-killing penalties, chunk plays and an equally hungry opponent.  The game turned into a typical rivalry scrap.  Both teams were on the scoreboard within the first ten minutes of the game, yet by half-time it was 7-6.  Honestly, I don't know that a comeback victory is necessary if Big ben doesn't throw two costly interceptions within the first three drives of the second half.  Roethlisberger is a gunslinger though, and sometimes gunslingers get shot.  What was an errant throw on the first play of the third quarter and a telegraphed interception by Alabama's CJ Mosley resulted in a ten point lead for Baltimore with 14:18 left in the fourth quarter.  Having just come back from an eleven point margin the week before in hostile territory, it was time for the Stillers to make their run. 

“I don’t care about the football elements of this game. I just know that when the final buzzer sounds, the Steelers better have won this game. Let’s look at this: They have lost six of the last seven games to the Baltimore Ravens, four in a row, including two at Heinz Field. They almost cost themselves a trip to the playoffs last year when Baltimore didn’t even have anybody available, and they still went and beat the Steelers. Enough is enough. If you are the Steelers, a team that calls yourself Super Bowl championship contenders, you have better damn well go into Heinz Field, your home-turf, in the Steel City and act like you know what the Steel Curtain is all about. You better step up. You better handle your business. You better beat them down.”

— Stephen A. Smith

We learned that the 2016 version of the Pittsburgh Steelers know how to play Stiller football.  When the stakes become the highest and the game is on the line, the Stillers put on their hard hats and we watch them forge a victory.  The Steel Curtain didn't hold in the fourth, but this game was going to be determined by the last team with the ball.  Ben threw his interceptions for the day, what remained in the final ten minutes was quick precision.  Number 7 completed eleven of twelve passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns.  The offense started to move down-field quickly just like the very first drive of the game.  38 times did Ben Roethlisberger lead the Steelers on a game winning drive, but his 39th--the most since 2004--will be replayed a thousand times over. Big Ben hit six different receivers, including three or more receptions by Bell, Brown and tight end Jesse James.  No play comes close to Antonio Brown's championship clinching extension, though.  AB is a playmaker; his four punt returns for touchdowns and 50 touchdown catches are evidence of this fact.  That play though, the awareness running towards Roethlisberger to catch the ball while surviving a hit levied by two Ravens cemented his place as the game's best wide receiver. 

It would be remiss of me to not attribute any of the success of the Steelers' season to Mike Tomlin.  Last week, Terry Bradshaw voiced his opinion about the Steelers head coach on Fox Sports.  Not only did he say Mike Tomlin is not a great coach, but he also went as far to say he didn't understand the kind of input he had on game planning as well as the x's and o's side of the game.  The Stillers' four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback saw Coach Tomlin as a "cheerleader guy", someone who was for the morale of the players.  Though he is not wrong, because what sets Mike Tomlin apart from the rest of NFL coaches is his ability to motivate and relate to players, the way in which he opined diminished Tomlin's value to the franchise.  Aside from reading and reacting to the pulse of his squad, Tomlin knows the schematics of the game.  As defensive coordinator of the 2006 Minnesota Vikings, he called a defense that only allowed 985 rushing yards all season.  The only other defense to do that was Super Bowl XXXV champion Baltimore Ravens.  Inside Pittsburgh headquarters, Coach T is quizzing all players on game scenarios every Wednesday in an entire team meeting.  Pro Bowl Center, Maurkice Pouncey, even talked about how he and the head coach were discussing quicker blocking tactics for different rushing defensive tackles.  "He coaches a lot," Jesse James said.  

Is Mike Tomlin a great coach?  I’m not sure he would even answer yes to that question, as he called himself a “working stiff” in his Tuesday press conference.  He reserved the “great” label for six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick and five-time NBA champion Greg Popovich.  The fact is though, in a league where it is so hard to find a productive and consistent head coach, let alone one that doesn’t get fired the day after the season ends, Mike Tomlin is a great coach.  Five divisional championships, one Lombardi Trophy on two trips to the Super Bowl, over one hundred wins, and zero losing seasons—something Belichick can’t even claim—is what Coach Tomlin has accomplished in ten short seasons.

Courtesy of Antonio Brown's twitter

As a Steelers fan, I was surprised when Bradshaw spoke so freely.  That’s his job to share his opinions as a sports analyst, and he has every right to opine about the Pittsburgh Steelers given all he has contributed to the franchise.  But I was surprised because I thought Stillers Nation past, present and future supported the Black n’ Yellow on the field at all times.  I don’t understand how one of our brethren could speak so discouragingly when we’re in the midst of the hunt for our seventh Lombardi trophy.  I don’t comprehend why Terry ignored the facts of his own team.

There’s no hiding Mike Tomlin is an African American football coach, and there is no hiding the bread crumbs of the NFL’s institutional discrimination from the quarterback position all the way up to the helm of the franchise (Art Shell was the NFL’s first African American head coach for the Oakland Raiders in 1989).  No matter Tomlin’s accolades, he will still be viewed through a racial lens; tinted lenses Terry must’ve put on as he read ‘STILLERS Kings of the North’ in his Monday morning paper.