A Letter From the Editor: Are you a glass-half-empty Steelers fan?

Time for some self-evaluation, Steelers fans.

When it comes to running a website covering the Pittsburgh Steelers, it has become quite polarizing. In 2022, the thoughts and feelings surrounding the quarterback position, mainly Kenny Pickett, had the fan base split in half. Those who supported Pickett and loved the pick, and those who hated the pick and didn’t feel as if he was worthy of said selection.

Quarterback position aside, this past season has made me realize how the fan base consists of two types of fans.

• Those who see the outlook of the team/organization as positive.
• And those who see the team trending downwards, or simply treading water in mediocrity.

While there might be some who fall in the middle of those two polarities, the vast majority of fans reside on one side of the fence.

When you look at this closer, what it comes down to are fans who see the Steelers as a team on the rise, and improving, and those who simply don’t. Fans who see the glass half full, compared to a glass half empty outlook.

I’m not here to suggest there is a right or wrong approach or view of the team. That resides solely on the individual and their own personal opinions. I’ve always felt everyone is entitled to their opinions, and that also means I don’t always have to agree with said opinions.

But I think it’s natural to do some introspection as a fan. Are you someone who is never truly satisfied with Steelers? The type who, after the exciting Week 16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Eve, bemoaned the lack of offense throughout the first 3.5 quarters.

While many will feel as if this is a one-sided argument, always on the side of the “bad” fans who are never genuinely happy with the product which has been put on the field the past 3-5 seasons. That couldn’t be further from the truth. As tiring as the never-happy fans can be, so are the rose-colored glasses fans. The fans who never find fault in anyone who resides within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. No one can do wrong. Not Mike Tomlin, not Cam Heyward and certainly not Kenny Pickett.

What I’m outlining here are the two ends of the Steelers fan spectrum.

The truth here is fans can see the team has being underachieving, hate Mike Tomlin’s non-losing season streak, and bemoan the lack of creativity on the offense, while also recognizing the massive amount of potential and youth on the offensive side of the football.

Likewise, the Steelers aren’t perfect, and the fact they haven’t won a playoff game since 2016 does more than outline this simple fact. While you can be positive on the trajectory of the team, recognizing the team has its share of weaknesses is not being a bad fan, but merely seeing the team for what it is at this current juncture.

As I look at the title of this article, most fans would fall into the camp of glass-half-empty or glass-half-full when it comes to their fanhood. But what might be necessary is being able to be more in the middle and less at the end of the spectrum. It may seem outlandish to anyone who resides at the polarities, but it is possible to change the lens you see the Steelers through.

With all that said, what kind of fan are you? As for me, I’m trying to be the fan who just sees water in a glass…not one side or the other. It worked out well for me in 2022, and I think I’ll continue down this path of least resistance.

(Note: The ‘Letter From the Editor’ article runs every Sunday during the Pittsburgh Steelers offseason.)