Unusual Steelers’ game time makes for odd scene on Pittsburgh’s North Shore
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How strange was Steelers football on a Wednesday afternoon without a crowd?
Even Ben Roethlisberger’s mom, Brenda, was weirded out. She showed up at Heinz Field about an hour before game time with two of her grandchildren in tow.
“It’s very weird. It seems like a ghost town out here,” she said.
But Roethlisberger’s mom didn’t think it mattered to her son. “I think he’s just glad to play.”
Eight straight days of positive covid-19 tests for the Ravens left the Steelers and their fans wondering if this game would ever happen. Originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night, it was postponed to Sunday afternoon, and then Tuesday night — and finally to Wednesday afternoon.
Ben Roethlisberger's mom told me she's not worried about Big Ben staying safe from covid today. pic.twitter.com/jV99vT6iLn
— Paul Guggenheimer (@PGuggenheimer) December 2, 2020
Was Brenda Roethlisberger worried about her son catching covid?
“No, not at all,” she said. And according to her, neither was Big Ben.
But as the 3:40 p.m. kickoff against the archrival Baltimore Ravens approached, the coronavirus was keeping the usual crush of Steelers fans away from the North Shore.
And while it’s not unusual to have the Pirates playing on the banks of the Allegheny on a weekday afternoon in the summer, a Steelers game on a Wednesday afternoon had never happened there.
But this is 2020, the year of the pandemic, and Pittsburghers have learned to expect crazy things like this.
“This is unprecedented for a Steelers game. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a game and had no fans coming,” said Pittsburgh Police Sgt. Mike Douglas, who normally would be helping scores of fans to cross the street in front of Heinz Field.
“On a normal game day, there are thousands of people who cross this intersection. Today, there are just a handful of people coming to work in the stadium.”
One of those was game official Darrin Pilarski, 55, of O’Hara who works on the field as a member of the chain gang.
“This is just really strange. I never could have imagined it,” Pilarski said. “You have to get tested before every game and all the other stuff that’s with the protocols and whatnot. But as long as you’re able to be flexible, it’s OK. I don’t think they’d be playing without the precautions.”
Christine Cottom, 34, of Bethel Park works as an attendant in the Heinz Field suites. She arrived on an unusually empty Blue Line T train from the South Hills.
“It is very weird compared to last year when I worked,” Cottom said. “There’s hardly anybody entering the suites, and it’s very slow.”
In fact, without fans being let into the stadium, about the only place you could find people entering was at Gate B, where friends and family were entering. One of them was Vince Gratteri, 18, of Beaver Falls, who had a ticket because he knew a guy that knew a guy.
“My buddy knows some Steelers guys that gave us some tickets,” said Gratteri, who missed seeing thousands of fellow Steelers fans tailgating as he stared out at an empty parking lot.
Vince Gratteri and his Steelers fan buddies don't care this it's Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/qqus2osl0y
— Paul Guggenheimer (@PGuggenheimer) December 2, 2020
“Steelers Nation is the best place to be, man, especially when it’s a packed house. Everyone gets along and everyone has a great time. But we got to do what we got to do, and cheer on the players.”
As game time approached, Jerry Boyd, 49, of Canton, Ohio, was not having much luck snagging a ticket. Boyd, a former semi-pro football player who now works as a private contractor in Kuwait, was wearing a black Steelers jersey with the number 4 because he’s a fan of former Pittsburgh quarterback Byron Leftwich. He remained hopeful.
“Usually, I find a ticket. Who knows? Hopefully, I can get in and watch my Steelers play,” said Boyd, who acknowledged the strangeness of the day. “Usually, it’s very vibrant this time of year with people tailgating, but this is just different.”
But 3:40 Wednesday afternoon was proving to be a lucky start time for some.
“I work for (Federal Express), and they gave us tickets for the suite, so here we are,” said Kara Meehan, 24, of Hopewell. “My brother was originally supposed to come, but then he couldn’t get off work. So then the ticket got handed to me. It’s not as fun and rowdy as normal, but we’re still here and excited.”
The game was more exciting than some analysts predicted. In the end, Meehan saw a 19-14 Steelers victory.