On North Shore Drive, with Heinz Field looming nearby, Jay Williams of the Hill District was among the hundreds standing in line to get into Stage AE Saturday night.
What motivated Mr. Williams, 50, and so many others to come out and trudge through the snow and slush on a night that wouldn’t exceed 20 degrees?
“The Steelers,” he said.
Welcome to Pittsburgh.
Mr. Williams was on his way into the Steelers pep rally at the North Shore venue in anticipation of Sunday’s playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It had everything one could expect from a black and gold bonanza: Terrible Towel twirls, “Here We Go Steelers” chants, appearances by former players, including Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier.
“It’s like seeing old friends, right?” said Mikey from the Morning Freak Show on 96.1 KISS-FM, who hosted the rally.
One thing that wasn’t expected: a Jaguars fan wearing a white Maurice Jones-Drew jersey standing in line to get into the Steelers rally.
Nathan Karney, 19, of Quincy, Mich., was wearing the jersey of the former Jacksonville running back they called “Pocket Hercules,” infamous in these parts for helping the Jaguars upset the Steelers in a playoff game at Heinz Field in 2007.
Mr. Karney was in town to attend the game with his father, David, 51, a huge Steelers fan.
Nathan Karney said he was a Jacksonville fan because he went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he was a child and picked out a Jaguars pennant because he liked the colors.
“He was raised to be a free thinker,” the elder Mr. Karney said.
Waiting in line, Nathan Karney was heckled by a number of Steelers fans, including Mr. Williams, who shouted that the Jaguars were going to lose.
Nathan Karney didn’t return the trash talk from Mr. Williams, but he did respond to one person.
“My dad, yeah,” he said. “Not to people I don’t know.”
He said he believed that the Jaguars could win another playoff game at Heinz Field, but he knew it would be tough because of the cold temperatures that might be a detriment to a team that’s used to playing in sunny southern weather.
“It’s not really a benefit for us,” he said.
David Karney, however, was full of confidence.
“I think it’s going to be a long game for him,” he said, “and a long ride back to Michigan.”
Andrew Goldstein: agoldstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1352.
First Published: January 14, 2018, 5:00 a.m.
