How to Plan a Steelers Party in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers team, founded in 1933 as the Pirates, is one of the National Football League's most storied franchises. A rabid fan base bleeds the Steelers' black and gold colors. The Nielsen Sports Media Exposure Index ranked the Steelers as the NFL's second-most popular team for the 2009-10 regular season behind the Dallas Cowboys. The survey measured gross audience during nationally televised games, local TV ratings, monthly unique audience on the team's website and total online buzz. It's fun cheering for the Steelers with other fans, and you can plan your own Steelers party in Pittsburgh.

Instructions

    • 1

      Check the game schedule for dates. Have the party when the Steelers play an important game against one of the league's best teams or a divisional rival. The Steelers compete in the AFC North division along with the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. Most games are Sundays, with an occasional Monday or Thursday night game from early September to early January. The playoffs take place throughout January, capped by the Super Bowl, which sometimes occurs in early February.

    • 2

      Choose the venue. Sports bars such as Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 (see Resources) --- owned and named for a former Steelers' star running back --- litter Pittsburgh and pack early for games. Ask whether the establishment has a private room. If it doesn't have a private room you can rent, arrive early to secure tables. You can also choose someone's private residence to hold the party. You may lose some atmosphere, but attendees don't have to worry about getting a seat. Just make sure there's a big-screen television to watch the action.

    • 3

      Have a Steelers theme for all aspects of the party. Spice up the gathering with black-and-gold streamers and photos of players posted on walls. Make it fun. For example, if a star player has a mustache, have all people attending wear fake mustaches --- women included. Also, supply Terrible Towels for people to wave. Fans commonly bring these gold towels to games, so they would give your private party the feel of being in the stadium. You can also sing Steelers fight songs throughout the party. You can even make the food related to the Steelers with football cookies iced with black and gold frosting.

    • 4

      Organize pregame, halftime and postgame activities. Extend the party beyond just the game. You can show a Steelers highlight DVD of past Super Bowl wins during halftime, or organize a backyard football game before or after the Steelers game.