So, will Heinz Field be empty on Sunday for Steelers-Ravens?


The Steelers' quest for a 2016 playoff berth comes down to an essential win over the Ravens on Sunday. Since the Ravens defeated the Steelers in Baltimore earlier this year, a win in Pittsburgh would give them the AFC North title, assuming they are victorious in week 16.

However, the question is whether or not the Steelers will truly have home-field advantage in a game that is played on Christmas Day. Will the Steeler fans show up with their terrible towels a-waving, or will they put their tickets on eBay or another site and allow the dastardly Ravens' fans to gobble them up?

Or, since it is Christmas, after all, the consummate family holiday, will the game be played in front of many empty seats? Certainly, tail-gating will be down, perhaps significantly, but will those die-hard Steeler fans show up for the big battle?

One of my old friends from my youth wrote me from Chicago questioning whether or not the Steeler faithful will show up on Christmas. Harry Zendlock is still a Steeler fan despite having lived in the Chicago area for more than 40 years. Still, he is not certain about the commitment of the Steeler faithful.

In a Merry Christmas communication, Harry and I had to talk about the Steelers. "Big question is will the Steelers blow it Sunday? I'm surprised there's a game on Christmas Day. Who in their right mind would attend a game on Christmas Day, not to mention the end of December in an open- aired stadium? Have to be a real diehard fan to attend that game. I'm guessing there will be a lot of empty seats."

Now, Harry grew up in Stumptown, Pa., which is located in suburban Lilly, back when the Steelers were really bad. He still rooted for them though, especially in the 1970s when they won the four Super Bowls. In fact, he is probably the one behind the #neverthebears hashtag.

So, he is a loyal fan, but he may not realize the intensity of the Steeler fans in the 21st Century. Or does he?

The question, then, is this: Will the Steelers fill the stadium for their clash with the Ravens on Christmas Day?

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