SI Peter King at St. Vincent's

[Atlanta Dan]

Peter King on his trip to Steelers training camp.

Monday, Aug. 14
4:40 p.m.
Latrobe, Pa.

I'm standing on the sidelines of Steelers practice at St. Vincent College, the small Benedictine school that has served as the team's summer home for 40 years. Art Rooney is telling me about last Wednesday night, when 24,000 people came to campus to watch the Steelers' evening practice. "It was incredible," Rooney said, motioning to the hillsides surrounding the practice fields. "Everywhere you can see right now was filled with people, the most we've had here, ever." So many, in fact, that the campus ran out of parking, and people, in Field of Dreams style, parked way out on state route 30, more than a mile away, and walked.

There are Terrible Towel cookies for sale here ... $2 apiece. There are people in lawnchairs and blankets 400 yards from practice, soaking it in.

There is no place like this school to see training camp. And there is no football nation like Steeler Nation. It's not even a contest.

"I was so happy we were able to win a Super Bowl for this new generation of fans," Rooney said. "Now they all know what it's like."

[WWIIOwheelz]

That's awesome.

I'll bet Peter King was one of the happiest sportwriters in the world after Superbowl XL. He & Jerome got to be close, over the years.

I'm loving what I'm seeing/hearing out of TC this year, moreso than any other I can remember. Gotta be the high of the Superbowl win, still.

[MattsMe]

So what's a guy like this doing working for a rag like SI?