Traveling to Pittsburgh not worth trouble, some fans say
They were on the road with the Ravens for Wild Card Weekend in Miami and the Divisional Round in Nashville, Tenn., but Baltimore fans are thinking twice before heading to Pittsburgh and dropping their hard-earned money there this weekend for the AFC Championship.
The expected below-20 degree temperatures in western Pennsylvania could be one factor, but some Ravens followers are saying they’re staying home for another reason: unruly Steeler fans.
“We kind of feel like we’re letting the team down by not going,” said Bel Air resident and Ravens fan Lisa Phillips, who attend the Ravens’ last two playoff games against the Dolphins and Titans. “But it’s just not a safe place.”
Phillips recalled a previous trip to Heinz Field for a Ravens-Steelers game in which Steelers tailgaters burned a Maryland flag in front of Phillips and her friends.
“I just think that’s how those fans can be,” Phillips said.
When asked if she would have followed the Ravens to San Diego this weekend if Baltimore’s opponent had been the Chargers, Phillips said, “Probably.”
Instead of hitting the road for a third consecutive weekend, Phillips and her husband are planning a big party at their home for Sunday’s showdown. It’s their way of helping the economy out.
“We had a list of about 100 people, but we’re working on that,” Phillips said. “It’s going to be so nerve-racking, but this has been such a thrill.”
Cole Rubin, owner of Ravens Trips, said Pittsburgh fans have a tough reputation, but visiting fans should be OK if they don’t start trouble.
“A lot of people say that about Pittsburgh, but if you’re respectful of their fans, you’ll be fine,” Rubin said. “At every stadium, you have a few of those guys looking for trouble, but you’re not looking for trouble, you’ll be OK.”
Rubin is helping fans find tickets and hotel rooms for those interested in heading to Pittsburgh for the game. On Stub Hub Wednesday, the cheapest tickets available for the game were upper level seats priced at $204 each.
Mona Karsseboom, of Glen Burnie, went to the Ravens game in Tennessee, but has also decided against going to Pittsburgh. Instead, she’ll watch the game with a huge group of purple fans at Bill Bateman’s Bistro in Glen Burnie.
“I’ve never been to Pittsburgh, but I know how they are in our stadium,” Karsseboom said. “They’re pretty rough and rude, and if that’s the way they act here, you can imagine how they act at home.”
