From Pittsburgh to Paris, Steelers fans turn out for win
Paris, France, is nearly 4,000 miles away from Butler, Pa.; but much like a typical Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, the Steelers’ 16-10 victory against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Oct. 25, was played in front of crowds of Western Pennsylvanians.
The game, part of the National Football League’s efforts to grow the sport globally, marked the second year in a row the Steelers played in Europe. Last year, the Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings 24-21 in Dublin, Ireland.
Four Butler County residents — Jared Sullivan, Gail Paserba, Dave Zirnsak and Connie Rosellini — were among the Steelers fans that made the trip.
Sullivan traveled to both games along with his best friend Rick Schontz, a Butler native who currently resides in Philadelphia.
“To be able to not only see the Steelers play but also experience some of the culture of these other countries, it’s a great thing,” Sullivan said.
The trip included a more-than-eight-hour flight both ways, a layover in Toronto and five days in France exploring sites, such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and a tour of Normandy, the site of the D-Day landings and Sullivan’s favorite part of the trip.
In the run-up to the trip, there were concerns about whether ongoing protests and civil unrest in France would impact the game. The unrest stems from student protests against poor school and economic conditions. But Sullivan said his group experienced a safe and secure environment while in Paris.
“I stayed in District 2 of Paris, right by Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, and it was very safe. Everything we saw was safe. The police presence was huge,” Sullivan said. “Yes, they did have a lot of protesters. I think they had an organized protest on Saturday and I think there was a couple hundred thousand that marched. But it was very safe. What we saw and experienced, nothing out of control.”
Throughout the city, Sullivan’s group ran into a mix of Steelers and Saints fans. But once inside the 81,000-seat Stade de France, it was clear Steelers Nation turned out as usual.
“On game day, it felt to me once we were in the stadium that the Steelers maybe had more representation. Especially once you start seeing the towels go, it made me realize how many Steelers fans were there,” Sullivan said.
“From what I’ve seen, Steelers fans always travel well. That’s what I’ve been experiencing. Just like in the states.”
The stadium did run out of food early on in the game. But beer was plentiful. The environment — a mix of people who traveled from America and Parisians that had never been to an American football game before, was unique, Sullivan said. There was a mix of English and French spoken throughout their section.
Sullivan and Schontz plan to travel the next time the Steelers play abroad, whether that’s next year or several years from now.
“Our plan is that when the Steelers travel internationally we’re going, because now we’re two for two,” Sullivan said. “We’ve won in Dublin. Now we’ve won in Paris. So we’ll have to keep that tradition going.”
