On Sunday, my dad, Mitchell and I went to the Steelers vs. Browns game. 

I didn’t write this to talk about the fight between Mason Rudolph and Myles Garrett. I was at the game with my friend Peter Knab and I had a great time. All fans were well behaved. The fight has been covered enough. Everyone deserved to be suspended. Case closed. 

I wrote this to talk about my life as a Steelers fan. In my home region of the Ohio Valley (I live in Wellsville), this is common. The ratio of Steelers fans and Browns fans are split 50/50. We live an hour from Pittsburgh and an hour and a half from Cleveland, Pittsburgh is actually our local team. The rivalry between the Browns and the Steelers is really fun because for every Steelers fan, there is an equally passionate Browns fan. 

My dad, Mitchell and I are lucky because we get to go to a lot of games. Many years ago my dad became friends with a co-worker named Bill Jones. Bill and his family have had Steelers season tickets for over two decades. A couple of years ago, we got the opportunity to start buying three of his six season tickets. Today, we go to games with Bill’s son Ryan and his friend Johnny Fazio. We sit in section 530 and we’ve come to know everyone else in our small section. 

The feeling of going to a game is one unlike any other. The morning of game day is like Christmas morning. We woke up early to get to downtown Pittsburgh to tailgate and ate a famous Peppi’s sub. After a few hours of partying in the green lot, we went to gate C to get on the elevator. When we got to our seats in row H, it was time to wave our Terrible Towels for the player introductions while AC/DC’s Back in Black played in the background. 

At the beginning of the second half, loveable Steelers underdog Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges led the Steelers down the field and running back Benny Snell Jr. punched in a touchdown run. The Steelers took the lead.

After this score, the three of us came together for our mandatory post touchdown group hug. The world stopped as we didn’t say a word. Sometimes it’s important to stay completely engaged in what your doing and cherish all of the small moments. 

And sometimes it is just as important to scream as loud as you can at the game. On the next drive, the Steelers pass rush got to Browns QB Baker Mayfield and forced a fumble. I was so excited that I pulled my dad down to the floor. Steeler Nation was in full force. 

It doesn’t matter who the Steelers play, Heinz Field is a different atmosphere and the Steelers thrive there. One of the reasons why is because of their third quarter fight song- Renegade by Styx. We don’t know the words to the song, all we know is that after it plays, the Steelers defense makes plays.

The Steelers made enough plays to get the 20-13 win, thus all but ending the Browns playoff hopes. 

Now the grind is in session. Mitchell and I did homework all day and night throughout the week so we could go to this game and we finally got past the avalanche of schoolwork before finals week.

Browns fans, listen up. The truth is we want the Browns to be good so both teams can be competitive and the rivalry can be fun to watch. There’s no fanbase in sports that deserves a win more than you. We know there might be a day soon where the Browns take our spot for good. 

Sorry, but Sunday wasn’t that day. Here we go! 

Contact Michael Reiner at [email protected]