The Yinzers are taking over the country.
After the concert at the Lincoln Memorial (sorry, Donny Iris didn't play), Vaughn and I happened to follow a guy named Matt, who was wearing a Steelers jersey, straight into the displaced heart of Steelers country in D.C.
The Pour-house, a bar a few blocks east of the Capitol, calls itself the Official D.C. home of D.C. Steeler Nation.
Two hours before game time, it was standing room only. Almost every patron, save a guy wearing an Eagles shirt sitting alone, was dressed in black and gold.
The general manager of the Pourhouse, Andre, said the previous owners had been Pittsburghers, and their tradition of keeping it a Steeleers bar had stuck.
We got a warm reception when we said we were from Pitt -- most of the patrons we spoke to hailed from the South Hills or had Pitt connections as alumni or through family.
Most of them were regulars, too, coming hours before the game to get a seat every week during football season -- one guy who called a couch in a corner of the lower level said he had been going there for games for 10 years.
As weird as it was to stumble into home away from home, it was comforting to find this random pocket of Steelers fans amid the thousands swarming the Capital city.
The lack of Iron City on tap (The bartender said it was too expensive to bring in from Pittsburgh distributors, even though patrons requested it often) reminded us where we were -- in the middle of the other form of psycho fandom: Obamania.
[Check back later this week for a soundslide of the Pourhouse on game day]
-Katelyn Polantz
Kate...How cool you happened upon fellow fans from the 'Burgh to watch the game with yesterday....I'm still stuck on Iron City beer being classified as "expensive"??? The three of us are enjoying all of your blogs...wish we could be there, too. You are right in the epicenter of history as it is being made....stories you will tell you grandkids. Keep the info coming....especially throughout tomorrow. Aunt Yams, Uncle Yim, Turtle, and Lizzie
ReplyDelete