In fact, I have found something in this nation that transcends all boundaries—political, religious, social class, ethnic, age, and gender.
There is a little entity known as Steeler Nation.
And although though the NBA Playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals, MLB Season, and I’ll Have Another’s pursuit of the Triple Crown in horse racing are all underway, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at 25 well-known individuals that support the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL.
When your mother’s family built the Pittsburgh Steelers and your father’s family founded the New York Giants, it’s difficult not to be a football fan.
The Mara sisters’ devotion to the team is strong enough for me to include them in my Top 25 list, even if their ties to the G-Men undoubtedly preclude them from being considered “die-hard” Steelers supporters.
Actress Rooney Mara first gained recognition for her role in The Social Network and in 2011’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, in which she played Lisbeth Salander.
She received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Picture and the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.
American Horror Story on FX and the film Brokeback Mountain both starred Kate Mara, Rooney’s sister.
Last year, Rooney Mara remarked on David Letterman’s CBS Late Show that she hated football as a child, but that she now appreciated it. It’s a really special aspect of my family.
She replied, “The Giants,” when asked by the queen of late-night television which team she would rather watch on Sundays. Although my dad plays for the Giants, I still have a soft spot for the Steelers.”
That isn’t exactly a compliment to the black and gold. However, given that your great-uncle, Dan Rooney, is the team’s chairman, and that you and your sister are the great-granddaughters of the team’s founder, Art Rooney,chairman, I feel I am forced to include these two by bloodline.
Both families have maintained at least partial ownership of both teams since they were founded
Jimmie Johnson, a four-time winner of the NASCAR Cup Series, is a fan of the Steelers even though he just recently become one.
Johnson explained to SportsIllustrated.com how, when asked to select in Super Bowl XLV, he joined the ranks of Steelers Nation: He declared, “I’m a Steelers fan all the way.” “I became a fan because I won my friends over as the Steelers when Madden Football initially came out. My buddies chose their teams, and I chose the Steelers.
When they defeated the Arizona Cardinals in the last seconds of the game with that touchdown throw, I was at the Super Bowl and I was yelling for them. When the Steelers faced the New York Jets last week, I was cheering them on with my Steelers cap on, and I’ll be doing the same on Sunday.
His enthusiasm for the subject matter may not be as intense as that of certain face-painting, Primanti Bros.-eating, Terrible Towel-waving Pittsburghers, but he still supports it.
For me, it works.
While his choice in NFL clubs may not be very sophisticated, his movies undoubtedly are.
Adam Sandler, an actor and former Saturday Night Live cast member, has a deep admiration for the black and gold, to the point where he enticed former head coach Bill Cowher to appear in his well-known football comedy, The Waterboy.
In the reimagining of The Longest Yard, he even played quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, Sandler might not consider the Steelers to be his favorite team because the majority of discussion boards, forums, and images suggest he is a larger New York Jets fan.
Perhaps that’s how the Jets acquired Plaxico Burre and Santonio Holmes.
The popular song “Black and Yellow” by American rapper Wiz Khalifa, real name Cameron Jibril Thomaz, made waves in the music industry last year. It was a type of tribute to the iconic colors of his favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the music video for “Black and Yellow,” Khalifa can be seen sporting a T-shirt with the Steelers Super Bowl ring and waving the team’s infamous Terrible Towel.
Due in large part to the popularity of that catchy song, Khalifa was voted the 2012 Billboard Music Awards Best New Artist winner. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Being a member of the armed forces, Khalifa resided in Germany, the UK, and Japan before relocating to Steel City and setting down roots.
He went to Pittsburgh’s Taylor Allderdice High School there, where he developed a deep affection for the native gridiron heroes.
The song should become the team’s de facto anthem, Khalifa expressed to MTV.
“We got two or three records that we’re tossing around; it’s just the order of which ones we’re gonna put out,” Khalifa stated. There’s one going on right now that Pittsburgh is going to really benefit from. “Black and Yellow,” which is the Steelers’ anthem, will be played.
It succeeded, though, and a local celebrity was created. It seems that the anthem was liked by those outside of Pittsburgh.
Here are some suitable lyrics taken from it:
Rush Limbaugh, the host of the most popular radio program in the country, has always had a strong passion for football. He was a member of the group that attempted to purchase the St. Louis Rams a few years ago, and he also briefly hosted NFL Countdown on ESPN.
A caller recently asked Limbaugh, a devoted Steelers fan, to give up his affection for the black and gold since the team had given President Obama a game ball.
I should probably go on to number 20 on my list. Either way, writing about President Obama or Rush Limbaugh would turn off half of the readers, and I really don’t want to combine my love of politics with my distaste forAnd god would I love to see Wiz Khalifa (No. 22), Limbaugh and the guy I have listed next at No. 20 sitting back-to-back-to-back in the stands at Heinz Field.
I’m sure Kim Kardashian will be single for a year straight before that ever happens.
Verne Troyer is a die-hard Steelers fan, best known in mainstream culture as Mini-Me from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
As shown in this YouTube video of a silly nightclub interview where a dweeb calls Ben Roethlisberger “Ratzenberger,” Troyer claims that Jack Lambert is his all-time favorite Steeler and that their most memorable Super Bowl victory (against the Cardinals) is his fondest Steeler memory.
Troyer could have been my top pick, but if you watch the video closely, it appears like he is sporting a jersey from a different NFL team—possibly the Lions.
Mini-Me, flag on the play.
January Jones, who is most known for playing Betty Draper-Francis on the AMC television series Mad Men, is unapologetically a die-hard black-and-gold Steelers supporter who is knowledgeable about the game of football.
Before the 2011 Super Bowl matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals, the stunning blonde told USA Today, “They’re [the Steelers] my favorite team,” and then she quickly said, “I’m going over to my sister’s when I’m done.” It should be enjoyable since she’s cooking and inviting other folks over.”
Furthermore, Jones is a serious football player. “I simply dislike it when people are careless and rushing around, without paying attention to thegame,” she opined.
“I like to sit and actually watch the game. I’m like, ‘Please stop talking about Lea Michele’s performance!’ When halftime’s over, let’s get back to the game.”
How does a former Phillies pitcher who became well-known in Philadelphia become into a Steelers supporter? It seems that good taste has no bounds.
Actually, Schilling has always been a lover of the black and gold and calls the metro Pittsburgh region home.
Schilling even went so far as to defend his favorite Steelers in a Boston interview while he was a Red Sox player. In a another interview, he claimed that his most memorable play in club history was Swann’s well-known catch in Super Bowl X versus the Cowboys.
Actor Paul Rudd is known for his roles in several well-known comedies, including Knocked Up, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Clueless, Anchorman, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Rudd told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that despite growing up outside of Kansas City, he has always had a special place in his heart for the six-time Super Bowl champs.
“When I was younger, I used to travel to Pittsburgh frequently. I loved the Steelers, I really did,” he remarked. “Very large. His Steelers devotion was the one thing in my life that I cared about the most, more than comedy, movies, or anything else of that kind.”
Over the years, Rudd has undoubtedly developed a growing fondness for his local Chiefs as well.
It doesn’t take much investigation to discover that country music icon Hank Williams, Jr. is an ardent Steelers supporter, despite some people casting doubt on his allegiance due to the fact that he was performing the Monday Night Football theme while sporting a Tennessee Titans jersey.
Williams participated in the Steelers’ 75th anniversary celebration and even sung the national anthem before to the Baltimore Ravens game. Williams was born in the same Louisiana hospital as renowned Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw, less than a year apart.
