Battle For National Dominance Continues - SteelerNation vs America's Team

This Sums It Up Nicely...

The Steelers vs. Cowboys.  Just those simple words put together bring up memories of those classic Superbowl games where magical calls were made and legends were born.  The Steelers and Cowboys have been the most successful teams in terms of postseason play in Superbowl history, but this rivalry has become more about the fans than it has the teams. 

Lets face it, the Steelers only play the Cowboys once every 4 years unless it is in the Superbowl, and since Superbowl 30 when Neil O'Donnell essentially threw the game away (literally) the Cowboys haven't even sniffed a Lombardi trophy while the Steelers have brought 2 more trophies to the Southside out of 3 trips to the "big dance".  No, this rivalry isn't about the players anymore...its about the fan bases of both the Cowboys and the Steelers.  These two teams probably encompass the largest fan bases out of any team in the NFL.  There are Cowboy fans in every city across the country, just like there are Steelers fans in every city across the country.  However, its the label "America's Team" that still gets under the skin of Steelers fans to this day.

Before I go into the logistics of which team is more "national" and which team is more "global" lets look at the pure success that these two teams have had in terms of winning in the NFL.  The main reason why they have so many followers?  They have a history of winning.  People want to pull for winners.  You don't see the Jacksonville Jaguars bandwagon overflowing with members do you?  Nope.  The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are currently tied for most Superbowl appearances since the Superbowl era began.  They both have 8 appearances.  The Cowboys are 5-3, while the Steelers are 6-2, and obviously have the most Superbowl rings of any organization in the NFL.  Its this success that breeds a common rivalry between the organizations and their fan bases.  The "America's Team" label was given to the 'boys in the 70s when they were competing with the Steelers as one of the best teams during that era.  However, Steelers fans have always felt slighted as they won 4 Superbowls during the that time and felt they were every bit of America's Team.  What do people from the Pittsburgh area do when they feel slighted?  They get pissed and start doing their own thing...enter "SteelerNation". 

What some call a rip off of the "Raider Nation", the "Steeler Nation" has rivaled any fan base in ANY sport, in my humble and biased opinion.  Since starting this website in mid-July of this year, I have been amazed by Pittsburgh fans, but mainly the Steelers fans.  Its the Steeler fans that send out DAILY "GM SteelerNation" tweets to certain folks, its Steeler fans that reach out to me and ask for my "expertise" (or lack there of) from all around the world...England, Australia, and across the USA, and its the Steelers fans that have boosted my confidence in my ability to put my thoughts, opinions, and feelings on the site with encouraging words on a regular basis.  Its these things that make "SteelerNation" the best fan base in all of sports....its like one big (and sometimes dysfunctional) family!

So, with that said, it comes down to America's Team vs SteelerNation.  This won't be settled on the playing field, twitter, facebook, or any other media outlet.  This will always be a debate that will rage on between the two fan bases, but as a biased Steelers fan, its no contest.  Ben Roethlisberger said it best when he said, "SteelerNation is World-wide".  Well said Ben, well said...I couldn't agree more.