When the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched the AFC Central Division title Dec. 3, a throng of 56,000 celebrated at Three Rivers Stadium. They were joined by 100 more at a bar in Severna Park, about 250 miles away.
"Yes!" screamed Kevin Roenick, a 24-year-old resident of Davidsonville who was wearing a black Steelers sweat shirt in the crowd at Shooters Sports Bar and Grill on Ritchie Highway.
"I told you they'd do it!" yelled Rich Gracie, 22, of Pasadena, also wearing the Steelers' black and gold.
Mr. Roenick and Mr. Gracie are among 1,000 members of the Pittsburgh Steelers Fan Club of Baltimore who pack bars from Westminster to Severna Park every Sunday in the fall to cheer for their favorite team.
Most of the members are Pittsburgh-area natives who brought their loyalty with them when they moved to Maryland, said Robert Anderson, a member of the club.
When Karen Reisler, 27, moved from Pittsburgh to Severna Park last year, her first goal was "to find a place to watch the Steelers," she said.
Fans who aren't from Pittsburgh said they like the team because they identify its style with the work ethic at steel mills that once made the city the "Steel Capital of the World."
"It's blue-collar," said Tom Putnam, 24, from Edgewater. "They work hard in the dirt and the mud and play basic in-your-face football."
The Steelers have about 50 such fan clubs across the country, said Joe Gordon, public relations director for the team. Some of them date to the 1970s, when the team dominated the National Football League.
"Their allegiance and intensity is incredible," Mr. Gordon said.
In the Baltimore area, Steelers fans can cheer for the black and gold at the Purple Goose Saloon in Arbutus and Jeremy's in Westminster as well as at Shooters.
Three bars in Bethesda and Rockville also are home to Steelers fan clubs.
But the Pittsburgh club isn't the only one in Anne Arundel County. Buffalo Bills fans convene at O'Loughlin's Restaurant in Arnold, and Miami Dolphins supporters head for Rumblefish in Glen Burnie.
Outside Shooters, a large black sign announces "STEELERS FAN CLUB." Inside, a yellow banner welcomes Steelers fans and an inflated Steelers helmet hangs behind the bar.
On Sundays, four conventional-size televisions and the giant screen TV at the rear of the restaurant are tuned to the Steelers game, and everyone is watching.
