Steelers Nation returns to Heinz Field in full force as home football season kicks off
Steelers Nation is back!
Burgers and kielbasa sizzled on the grill, beers and cocktails flowed and black-and-gold jersey-wearing football fans prepared to enjoy a Sunday morning on the North Shore like they hadn’t in nearly two years. The pandemic wiped out tailgating and large crowds at Heinz Field in 2020.
The Steelers were hosting the Las Vegas Raiders in the second game of the season, Pittsburgh’s first home matchup. They lost 26-17, but the fans were pumped to be on the North Shore for the game.
It’s game day! Steelers host the Las Vegas Raiders…at 1 p.m. at Heinz Field pic.twitter.com/gi42ezjXUs
— JoAnne Harrop (@joannescoop) September 19, 2021
Before parking lots opened at 8 a.m. some vehicles already had gotten in position to capture their favorite tailgating spots. Watt, Smith-Schuster, Heyward and Roethlisberger jerseys were aplenty along with Terrible Towels and chants of “Here we go Steelers. Here we go!”
“We haven’t seen our Steelers friends in forever,” said Bruce D. Ibe of Squirrel Hill as he mixed margaritas in a North Shore parking lot. “We’ve met so many great people tailgating. … It’s great to be back.”
Ibe, who uses a gas-powered blender to whip up the margaritas, said he has been tailgating in the same spot since 1990. He said once a year they host a “Menorah-Gate” and raise money to support the Tree of Life congregations in Squirrel Hill.
Jeff Stem of O’Hara woke at 4:30 a.m. Sunday and was second in line to enter parking lot 7C outside Heinz Field at 7:50 a.m. He was tailgating in a converted 1990 F-350 ambulance.
He drove the ambulance to last week’s game in Buffalo. This was its first trip to a home game.
“Tailgating is part of the football experience,” said Stem, sporting a Devin Bush jersey. “It’s part of the atmosphere prior to the game. Absolutely, it is.”
His menu featured pulled pork and macaroni and cheese. He and his family prepared the food Saturday evening, so they could take in the pregame tailgate without cooking. They have a big-screen television to watch the sports shows before the game. He has a goal post he puts up on top of the vehicle. His mother, LaDonna Stem of Deep Creek, Md., said her son asked for tickets to see the Steelers as soon as he could talk.
“He has a true love of the Steelers,” his mom said.
Welcome back Steelers Nation.
— Mike Tomlin (@CoachTomlin) September 19, 2021
By 8 a.m., Ken Outly Jr. of Toledo, Ohio, was tailgating with his son, Kevin, and his wife, Sarah, and friend Ray Doriot without a car.
They were dropped off by Outly’s father, Ken Outly Sr. of Oakdale. They stood in a parking spot with two coolers of beer, sandwiches and snacks. The elder Outly planned to arrive later.
“We have been doing this for years,” said Outly Jr., who is a McKees Rocks native. “Everyone knows where everyone’s spot is. This is our spot. We don’t need a car to tailgate. We have everything we need right here.”
John Dusch of Greenfield has been hosting tailgates since the Three Rivers Stadium days. Game day menu includes lobster, meatballs wrapped in bacon, cheeseburgers, hot dogs and 15-20 large Mineo’s pizzas. Dusch is friends with the owners from the Squirrel Hill and Mt. Lebanon locations of the pizza shop. For the past seven years, he and Gene Rizzuto of Greenfield — the two have known each other since childhood — arrive five hours before game time to set up tables, food and drinks.
“There are no words to describe being back, “ said Shawn Filson of Allison Park, Mineo’s manager and son-in-law of one of the owners, Dominic Mineo. “It is so good to be around other people again.”
Filson’s friend, Eric Slavin of North Huntingdon, said this was the first time they had seen each other in 18 months because of the pandemic.
“I really missed this,” Slavin said. “We took things like this for granted, but not anymore.”
Dusch stood near the box truck he turned into his Mobile Tailgating Unit and took in the sight of a parking lot full of fans.
“Just look around, “ he said. “This is just beautiful.”
Ace Rhoad was traveling from Harrisburg when his car broke down so he rented one to make sure he was at the game. The former U.S. Army National Guard member posed for a photo with members of the Army National Guard out of Cambridge Springs, Pa.
“There was no way I was missing this game,” said Rhoad, who at one time lived in the South Side and McKees Rocks.
On the menu at one Steelers tailgate… lobster… meatballs wrapped in bacon and… hotdogs… pic.twitter.com/GSeNYsnQdm
— JoAnne Harrop (@joannescoop) September 19, 2021
“We are so happy to be back,” said Aubrey Cotton of Los Angeles, wearing a pair of Steelers overalls. “We’ve been making a trip to Pittsburgh once a season for the past 20 years.”
Cotton recalled the year they accidentally parked in former Hall of Fame Steelers coach Chuck Noll’s parking spot.
“Coach said, ‘Hello, that’s my spot. You don’t have to move. I can park next to you,’ ” Cotton said.
Noll took photos with them.
“It was memorable,” said Cotton, who also knows former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis’ mom. “Steelers are the best team and the best people.”
Found a Las Vegas Raiders fan … These friends came from Rochester New York… for the Steelers game at Heinz Field pic.twitter.com/hGFcqu0F3z
— JoAnne Harrop (@joannescoop) September 19, 2021
Derek and Anna Sakala made the Heinz Field trek from Orlando for Sunday’s game. Derek Sakala said both of his grandfathers worked in Pittsburgh steel mills.
“When I looked out our hotel room this morning and saw all of the fans, I said, ‘This is our people,’ ” said Derek Sakala, dressed in a full-on Steelers suit, including shoes with the team’s logo. “Last year was an anomaly without fans in the stands and no tailgating. As soon as the schedule was released, we looked for tickets.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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