CINCINNATI — From sea to shining sea, football season across this country always seems to have the same color scheme.

Amber waves of grain, purple mountains’ majesty … and a human sea of Black & Gold.

It doesn’t matter if it’s Baltimore or San Diego, New York or Dallas, Cleveland or Minnesota, only one city’s fans travel with their favorite football team in droves.

“It’s Steelers fans, definitely,” Al Schwartz said.

The Neshannock Township resident was among the thousands of Black & Gold faithful to make the trip to Cincinnati over the weekend to witness Pittsburgh’s 31-17 victory over the Bengals in a wild card contest at Paul Brown Stadium.

Schwartz and his group of friends paid $190, off eBay, for tickets that had a face value of $80.

“It's well worth it for a victory,” Schwartz said.

Few could argue with Schwartz that Pittsburgh fans travel well. They have received national attention from a variety of broadcasters for their loyalty, and any fan watching TV can see — or hear — for themselves how well they represent at most every away game.

Steelers fans are always out in full force on the road in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Baltimore. It’s hard to miss them twirling their towels en masse or staying to serenade their road warriors after a triumph.

The question is, why? Why are Pittsburgh fans so devoted to their team and willing to follow them anywhere?

“We’re alcoholics, just trying to get away from our wives,” said Tim Gray of New Wilmington, eliciting laughter from his tailgating friends a few hours before kickoff. “It’s really just a lot of fun, partying with all these people from back home.”

Schwartz had a more fanatical reason.

“It’s those four Super Bowls,” he said, “and we’re all waiting for the fifth.”

In order to get tickets, visiting fans often have to rely on fans of the home team to sell their seats in search of a buck.

That makes sense — and cents — to some Cincinnati fans.

“I don’t have a problem with Bengals fans who are trying to recoup some of what they thought they had wasted on Bengals tickets,” said Steve Braun, of Hamilton, Ohio. “It hasn’t been much fun to be a Bengals fan for some time.”

Braun noted that Cincinnati fans who sell their tickets to Pittsburgh fans over the years have inadvertently helped turn the Bengals’ organization around.

“Perhaps seeing all of those terrible towels being waved in Paul Brown Stadium was part of (team president) Mike Brown’s motivation to hire Marvin Lewis … and bring back winning football to Cincinnati.”

Schwartz and Gray are among six Lawrence County season-ticket holders who own a “Steelers bus” together and tailgate at Heinz Field for every home game. They were seen along with the bus on HBO’s “Inside the NFL” last week during a segment on the “other” Bus, Steelers tailback Jerome Bettis.

Alas, Schwartz and Gray’s bus did not make the trip to Cincinnati, as the price of gas for the vehicle would have drained them of funds necessary to pay for tickets to next week’s game at Indianapolis.

Another of their friends, Jerry Volpe, made the trip to Cincinnati from his home in Arkansas to cheer his beloved football team on. Volpe, who went to Neshannock High with Schwartz and Gray before relocating, was jumping around on his buddies during the tailgate party shouting, “Steelers win, Steelers win, 24-13!”

Volpe’s prediction wasn’t perfect, but he surely didn’t care.

Like most Steelers fans, as long as there is another game next week — home or away — he’s happy.



IN MONDAY’S NEW CASTLE NEWS: Columnist Steve Treu says Carson Palmer’s knee injury meant little to the Steelers’ big victory on Sunday.