Even as the NFL continues to push itself to international heights, fandom often remains a regional phenomenon. The diaspora of fanbases have continued to push further and wider than ever before, and the Pittsburgh Steelers perhaps have the most widespread fandom in all of the National Football League, but their local ties to the city of Pittsburgh are as strong as is any team to their home town.
Established in 1933, the Steelers have certainly seen the city transform around them over the course of the past 85 years. No longer physically representative of their namesake steelworkers, Pittsburgh has in many respects transformed into region where white-collar work in medicine and technology thrive.