{"id":1494,"date":"2013-08-16T11:01:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-16T11:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=1494"},"modified":"2015-01-08T18:08:04","modified_gmt":"2015-01-08T23:08:04","slug":"steelers-and-their-fans-throughout-the-years-at-the-training-camp-in-latrobe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/08\/16\/steelers-and-their-fans-throughout-the-years-at-the-training-camp-in-latrobe\/","title":{"rendered":"Steelers and their fans throughout the years at the training camp in Latrobe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"Terry <\/a>
Terry Bradshaw swarmed by kids, 1981 (Photo by Bob Pavuchak\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Franco <\/a>
Franco Harris with his young fans <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Lynn <\/a>
Lynn Swann draws a crowd of fans, 1977 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"John <\/a>
John Stallworth, 1987 (Marlene Karas\/The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div>
\"Donnie <\/a>
Donnie Shell, 1986 (Darrell Sapp\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Jack <\/a>
Jack Lambert with a baby at Steelers training camp <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Ben <\/a>
Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu greeting the fans in Latrobe. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Tomorrow, for the 48th consecutive year, the Steelers will draw a (steel) curtain on yet another training camp at Saint Vincent College. As usual, several thousand fans will be there to see off the team. Though there is no official record being kept on fan attendance, it\u2019s plainly visible that it\u2019s down this year \u2013 that\u2019s what 8-8 and diminished star power than years past will do.<\/p>\n

Still, even on a slower weekday, there\u2019s an average of 1,000 to 2,000 fans who\u2019ve made the trip to the quaint Catholic college campus, some from nearby, some from afar. More crowded days tip the 5,000 mark. In the years following Super Bowl victories, I\u2019ve seen crowds that easily pushed past five digits.<\/p>\n

But why? Why drive out to a near rural area, to watch a bunch of big guys run around?<\/em> I\u2019ve heard this question asked by somewhat cynical media types for years, and they have a point there \u2013 nothing really happens during the practices. It\u2019s not a game. There is remarkably less contact now. It\u2019s often uncomfortably hot (although it\u2019s been mostly pleasant and cooler this year).<\/p>\n

Of course, the campus is beautiful. It can be a fun family outing or little road trip. But let\u2019s be honest \u2013 it\u2019s the chance to see the players up close. Game tickets are expensive and have been sold out for decades. This is free. And while the players are a bit less accessible than in the past, and fans can\u2019t walk wherever they like on campus anymore, there\u2019s always the chance to get an autograph, photo or interaction with \u201cthe guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the PG\u2019s Nick Veronica wrote before the 2013 edition of Camp Tomlin began, \u201c\u2026 backups get most of the work at training camp and jersey numbers repeat, but when the team takes to the field of Saint Vincent College \u2026 part of the attraction for fans is being up close and personal with the players who will battle for their Steelers 16 times this year, and hopefully more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re able to be close to them. You sweat with them,\u201d Downtown resident Mike Sidowsky said when asked what\u2019s so special about training camp. \u201cThere\u2019s more of a connection to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Training camp may as well be Steelers Nation\u2019s family reunion, and Saint Vincent\u2019s is its picnic shelter.<\/p>\n

Take a look at some pictures from pigskin \u201cpicnics\u201d spanning the decades \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As usual, several thousand fans will be there to see off the team. <\/p>\n

Look at the picturesSteelers and their fans throughout the years at the training camp in Latrobe<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[944],"tags":[1211,976,1001,1011,1016,1030,1033,1035],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/tumblr_mrle9de95j1rr5swxo3_r1_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C933&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1518,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/08\/09\/having-a-drink-with-the-steelers\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":0},"title":"Having a drink with the Steelers","date":"August 9, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Normal people would call them water breaks.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/tumblr_mr8hpg258T1rr5swxo4_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2066,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/02\/11\/steelers-fans-high-on-their-football-team\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":1},"title":"Steelers fans high on their football team","date":"February 11, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Steelers fans always have been a colorful bunch.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/tumblr_mi18pbiHaX1rr5swxo3_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C902&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2297,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2012\/11\/13\/who-was-the-toughest-steeler-ever\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":2},"title":"Who was the toughest Steeler ever?","date":"November 13, 2012","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Here\u2019s another side of Jack Lambert.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/tumblr_md6e69ccdz1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C832&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1556,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/07\/26\/steelers-training-camp-through-the-years\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":3},"title":"Steelers training camp through the years","date":"July 26, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"This photo-op is as sure of a sign of late July in Western Pennsylvania as humidity and thunderstorms.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/tumblr_mqi0tqht1d1rr5swxo3_r1_500-e1418794350262.jpg?fit=454%2C265&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":427,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2014\/07\/25\/franco-harris-autograph-remains-intact\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":4},"title":"Franco Harris\u2019 autograph remains intact","date":"July 25, 2014","format":"gallery","excerpt":"The picture was taken 40 years ago. Plenty has changed since Harris propped his brief case up on his knee.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/tumblr_n96nclMkGj1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9549,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2019\/08\/07\/when-the-steelers-almost-lost-joe-greene\/","url_meta":{"origin":1494,"position":5},"title":"When the Steelers almost lost Joe Greene","date":"August 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Second in an ongoing series looking back at Chuck Noll's first season with the Steelers Before the 1969 season, the Steelers welcomed two newbies to Pittsburgh who would go on to shape the franchise's bright future. 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