That’s because people of this area, more than most, crave to associate not just with a winner, but an ELITE winner. And it’s almost more a triumph of style over substance. The Steelers were never popular before the 70’s, after all. But it wasn’t the actual winning of individual titles, it was the impression the Steelers became an ‘elite’ team that moved them into the next echelon of fan obsession. The brilliance is that they’ve managed to continue that, despite a fairly pedestrian success rate over the last 28 years (usually decent teams, but a fair number of duds, and only one championship).

The Pens got that to a degree with the first two cup teams, kinda lost it with the Lemieux on-again, off-again health episodes (and especially the passing of Bob Johnston … he would have kept that team rolling in the 90s I’m convinced). Then the late 90’s and the weird Jagr saga and the bankruptcies sunk them for awhile. Now they are hot, but not merely because they are a good team again, but because of the ELITE status that Crosby and Malkin give them. I think that’s very important.

Maybe even more impressive than the Steelers is that Penn State manages to sustain their status as an “elite” program in the Pgh area, despite (1) tOSU is actually a closer drive and (2) PSU is certainly a good program, but nowhere near as ‘elite’ as their faithful BELIEVE they are.

Again, like the Steelers, being able to establish the legend AND sustain it despite not really winning anything in decades (and I mean NC’s, as nice as Alamo Bowl wins are … and sure I’d take them … but even with their #2 finish a few years ago, it was really 1 and 2 and then everyone else that year.) … it’s quite an accomplishment.

Like with all the Steeler legends and others like Lemieux, much of PSU’s success is due to the Paterno legend of course, with his “record number of wins.” Doesn’t matter that pretty much any coach would have won the same number of games eventually if he coached forever and won a consistent 7 games a year. Doesn’t matter that given their phenomenal recruiting most years and dominant D and OL and TB’s, they’ve frankly underachieved. Joe has the the record (or does Bowden right now? I forget). Either way, he’s “elite.”

Pitt had the chance to duplicate the Steelers and Nits. We experienced our apex in the late 70’s when we had 3 legends in a row (TD, Hugh Green and Dan Marino). I think if Majors or Sherrill stayed, and we cultivated and championed our very legit stars (we had tremendous players even in the late 80s) better than we did, it would have gotten to that (especially when the Steelers and Bucs experienced a dip in that decade). But we (the Pitt ADs and administration, specifically) sadly bungled it away. By the time the 90’s started, we were “good”, but certainly not elite, and that’s not good enough here. And of course the bottom dropped out after that.

This also helps explain why the hoops team isn’t really given much credit. WE appreciate them but Pittsburgh in general doesn’t. They aren’t considered “elite” yet. No less a sage than Bob Smizik actually ridiculed our success of overachieving and winning the BE title! Unbelievable, but then you realize he’s a yinzer. And since Pitt hasn’t ‘won it all,’ and (very important) usually have no players considered elite at their position, or an elite coach, we aren’t going to get our due. And really, that’s what “McDonalds All Americans” and the like will get the program, even more than W’s … after all, we already get a lot of those already.

Obviously you didn’t have to have Psychology 80 to realize why. Pittsburgh = forlorn broken down old rust belt town. Heavily insecure. So much so it’s not merely enough to be good, gotta be ELITE.

Obviously the football program has a long, long, long, long way to go to get there, but maybe guys like McCoy and Romeus and Baldwin will lead us to that point. I hope so. I’m as insecure as everyone else around here!

There will be a few MAC games that afternoon, as well as Mississippi State vs Ole Miss, but those will not be receiving national attention.