Psychology of a Steeler fan (footballs fans in general)

[BlaZeQuietly]

I've noticed in general any football fan is pessimistic about their team most of the time. I notice it here during game threads and I notice it with other people in real life. It seems we tend to lower expectations so that we don't get disappointed if our team loses. We focus on every missed opportunity and act as if it is going to cost us the game. It seemed almost everyone was expecting to lose the cinci the weekend, but even the bengles fan that as here thought the bengles were going to lose. Let's just be realistic from now on, come on , we all knew we were going to bust the bengles up, we always do. just a thought....

[tony hipchest]

the bengals suck.

this much i know. i was embarrassed to read the internetz and see how many steelerfans were shaking in their boots at the prospect of facing the mighty *snicker* bungles in paul brown stadium.

pathetic! we own their asses.

[steelfury02]

well, when we went down 14-3, I think a lot of fears were confirmed - maybe, just maybe they figured out that they can't win on reputation / tradition alone and actually have to play with some energy - Dalton took them to the wire last season in Cincy, and they were a slightly better D last season. We do in fact own them in Ws and Ls, but we are far from being "back"

If I see us stack a bunch of Ws going into Bmore, and we win that one, then I'll declare it, until then - working towards it

[StainlessStill]

Well then, chalk me up as a person going into last night with lowered expectations. In fact, I had the Bungles winning by 3.

Sometimes as a fan, you not only have to support your team by all means in every phase, but you also have to ride the mental roller-coaster and the reality that's faced. Judging by how this team time and time again went on the road and made Carson Palmer and Matt Hasselbeck look like Dan Marino and Steve Young respectively, it was time to not go into a game pounding your chest like I did with Oakland and Tennessee (and by ALL means, Cincy is a better ball-club than what those two teams bring.)

That's without mentioning Ike Taylor getting manhandled by Kenny Britt so the thought of A.J Greene didn't give me such a triumphant feeling.

Instead, I sat back and focused on the small things. What made them tick? How would they answer?

We even fell into a 14-3 hole at one point. I was okay with most of our injuries because it's inevitable to be without some key guys from here on out. I said earlier in the week that Woodley would make a huge difference and he did.

I'm glad they gave the fanbase some confidence as last nights come from behind victory established a spark for a second half run.

[BlaZeQuietly]

Now its on to washington, they have a decent offence, I consider rg3 a good qb, and they have a decent run game. Washington is not a bad team, theyre somewhere in the middle, and a team that the pittsburgh steelers need to beat. Next week is a "must win" almost as much as this week was for pittsburgh

[Fire Arians]

Originally Posted by BlaZeQuietly

Now its on to washington, they have a decent offence, I consider rg3 a good qb, and they have a decent run game. Washington is not a bad team, theyre somewhere in the middle, and a team that the pittsburgh steelers need to beat. Next week is a "must win" almost as much as this week was for pittsburgh

true. well i consider any game a must win if you're not in 1st place in the division

[Rowland2110]

I think us Steeler fans are more spoiled at usually having good teams and dominating teams throughout the years thus, our bar is held a lot higher for our team than for others. That being said.. we did look plain BAD against the titans.

We looked a little better against the bungles but there are still too many mistakes, penalties and miss opportunities happening every game. The only difference against the bungles is we over came them. We are lucky to be playing in the AFCN which is just might be weakest division in the NFL this year especially after the injuries that have afflicted baltimore.

Until the penalties stop and our level of play becomes cleaner and sharper this team will remain at a wild card at best. That is my realistic view. But to us steeler fans.. a wild card team is not "good"...c cause we are spoiled. Just gotta remember no team can be great every year or all the time.

[Hawaii 5-0]

Originally Posted by BlaZeQuietly

I've noticed in general any football fan is pessimistic about their team most of the time. I notice it here during game threads and I notice it with other people in real life. It seems we tend to lower expectations so that we don't get disappointed if our team loses.

what you describe is actually a very common coping mechanism.

if we lose we are prepared for it and if the Steelers win we can act surprised and be happy.

[maddog78]

Originally Posted by BlaZeQuietly

Now its on to washington, they have a decent offence, I consider rg3 a good qb, and they have a decent run game. Washington is not a bad team, theyre somewhere in the middle, and a team that the pittsburgh steelers need to beat. Next week is a "must win" almost as much as this week was for pittsburgh

If by "decent offense", you mean the 5th ranked offense in the league, and by "decent run game", you mean the top ranked run game in the league, yes, they're incredibly decent.

[FanSince72]

Since we can either win or we can lose, to me there are only two ways to look at any game -- positively or negatively.
Since I have the choice and neither costs anything, it's just as easy to be positive as it is to be negative and I choose to be positive and believe we'll win every game we play.

Obviously it's unlikely that we'll win every game, but I look at each one from that standpoint and if we end up losing, then I'd like to see if I can figure out why. But when the game starts, I always watch from the point of view of winning and if we don't win, I then come here and bitch about why I think we lost.

But feeling positive about every game is not the same thing as agreeing with everything the team is doing (or what it appears to be doing) and if I see something that I think is wrong or could be done differently, then I say what's on my mind. But criticism (or praise) is about the team itself and the way in which it prepares for each game or each season and is not the same thing as rooting for a win on game day.

When game day arrives, I'm not thinking "loss" at all.