Pitt, Steelers battle for fans’ supremacy

Dana Morgan jumped up and down as she watched Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison… Dana Morgan jumped up and down as she watched Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison intercept the ball and run 100 yards for the touchdown during the second quarter of Super Bowl XLIII. Meanwhile, her Arizona Cardinal-supporting friends hung their heads in disappointment. While the Pitt freshman shared the views of a whole city, her friends represented the emotionally torn Pitt campus. ‘When professional teams play, you see a collage of different jerseys because everyone is color-coded in support of their team,’ said Morgan’s friend Jermaine Lowery. Lowery, an Eagles fan who favored the Cardinals in the Super Bowl, said that the only sporting event that brings students together is Pitt athletics. ‘It’s nice to go to a Pitt basketball game and lock arms with students from different areas in support of our men’s and women’s teams,’ said Lowery. And he isn’t alone in promoting Pitt before Pittsburgh. ‘ ‘I have more support for Pitt basketball than I do for the Steelers,’ said freshman Zach Kerr from State College. ‘I’m a Pitt student. My first priority is the school, then the city.’ Most students find it easy to support Pitt teams even if they never heard of the Panthers prior to enrolling. On the other hand, many sports fans refuse to defy loyalty to their home teams by cheering for the Steelers. Philadelphia native Ross McGraw is a devoted Eagles fan who has not been influenced by the Steel City. ‘Before coming to Pitt, I didn’t think about the Steelers, and now that I’m here they’re still just another team,’ sai d McGraw. His Pitt experience has not altered his support in any of Philadelphia’s teams, and when the Phillies won the World Series, he was at the game. In spite of his loyalty to Philadelphia and its teams, McGraw still saves room for Pitt basketball. He admitted that if the team wins the championship, he will definitely join the outside celebration. Like McGraw, other students firmly support hometown loyalty. Mike West from Buffalo said that true fans don’t switch teams. ‘I’m not a bandwagon fan. I wasn’t a Steelers fan before, and I’m still not one,’ said West. ‘I definitely have more Pitt pride than Pittsburgh pride.’ For some students, Pittsburgh pride was not an option, but living in the city does elicit a passionate response. Although Morgan is from Philly, her family is from Pittsburgh, thus the Steelers have always been her second favorite team after the Dallas Cowboys. In regard to coming to Pitt, she said, ‘Living in Pittsburgh and seeing the intensity of the fans has definitely fueled my passion to celebrate.’ Similarly, Kerr was also born into a family of avid Steelers fans and he admits that his enthusiasm for the black-and-gold team has increased since coming to Pitt. ‘The Steelers are huge in the city, it was nice being here during the Super Bowl,’ said Kerr. ‘I don’t think the riot will be as big if Pitt wins the national championship, but the campus will definitely go crazy.’ No matter which team a student supports, respect for the Steelers’ accomplishments is undeniable. ‘Growing up in Ohio, I’m a pretty strident Cleveland Browns fan,’ said senior Joel Coggins. ‘Being in Pittsburgh, it was exciting to see the team succeed.’ On a scale of one to 10, Coggins stated that his support for the Steelers is a five. When it comes to Pitt, Coggins differs depending on the sport. ‘I’m an Ohio State Buckeyes fan when it comes to college football, but rooting for Pitt’s basketball team has been easy because they’re so good and fun to watch,’ said Coggins. ‘There’s no other team I would root for over Pitt in the NCAA tourney.’ Sharing Coggins sentiments, senior Caroline Nilsen confirmed Lowery’s assertion that the one thing that brings the campus together is Pitt basketball. ‘On campus everyone is a Pitt fan,’ said Nilsen. ‘Freshman year I went to the Providence game, and the newspapers and booing created a great sense of community. I’m a bigger Pitt fan than Steelers fan, because I have some stake in the University.’ ‘