Embarrassing. Shameful. Disgusting.

Those are just three words that have been used to describe the scene on Sunday afternoon, as thousands upon thousands of 49ers fans invaded Acrisure Stadium for a Week 1 matchup against the hometown Steelers.

Not only did 49ers fans dominate Acrisure Stadium with their bodies on Sunday, but they also dominated with their voices, thanks to chants like “Let’s Go, 49ers!” which could be heard all day long.

If you were listening to the game on the radio, it was hard to tell if the cheers you heard were for the home team or the visitors.

It was almost always for the visitors in a 30-7 shellacking that was way more embarrassing, shameful and disgusting than what was taking place in the stands.

But this article is about those people who invaded Acrisure Stadium on Sunday.

Did you know Steelers fans are everywhere? Yes, it’s true. They reside in every nook and cranny of this great planet, and it’s not just due to the global migration of thousands of Pittsburghers when the steel industry collapsed in the 1970s. No, the Steelers are a strong NFL brand and attractive to many folks who have never even been to Pittsburgh, save for the occasional football game.

Black and Gold supporters are perhaps the most famous invaders of opposing NFL venues. If you’ve been to Steelers games in Los Angeles, Arizona, Cincinnati or even Dallas–home of the league’s most popular franchise–it is not uncommon for the stands to look and sound like Acrisure Stadium.

We take pride in that sort of thing. We revel in it. “Go on, Bungals fans. Time for you to get on that escaloser and go home!”

How often have we witnessed that scene at Paul Brown Stadium/Paycor Stadium late in the fourth quarter, complete with chants of “Here We Go, Steelers!” filling the air?

I was there in December of 2014 and witnessed and heard exactly that at the end of a 42-21 Steelers victory.

Only, Steelers fans never think of our invasions as a bad thing. No, we consider it our duty to show up on the road and show out.

This might be hard for you to accept if you’re a prideful Steelers fan, but your favorite football organization isn’t the only one with a huge international following. The 49ers, winners of five Super Bowls since 1981, are also a popular NFL brand, complete with thousands of fans who probably have never even been to San Francisco, save for the occasional football game.

I’m sure there is a 49ers Twitterverse filled with countless red-and-gold-clad fans who demand excellence. They likely plan trips for road games months in advance. They probably pore over the secondary market, looking for tickets, and are willing to pay a king’s ransom to make their dreams a reality.

What makes 49ers fans any different than the Steelers fans who do the same thing? And why should Steelers season ticket holders be shamed for selling theirs on the secondary market? Why not make a tidy profit if there is one to be made?

I’d do the same thing if I was a Steelers season ticket holder. Have you watched this team play over the past five seasons? To call it entertaining would be an insult to entertainment.

The Steelers have been selling their fans a boring and inferior product since the end of the 2018 season, and it’s the season ticket holders who have been getting the short end of the stick. They’re the ones who have to pay for the PSLs. They’re the ones who have to pay an ungodly amount to hold onto their tickets every year. They’re the ones who have to pay for parking and concessions.

If the fans own the rights to the tickets, they can do whatever they want with them.

If you don’t like it, jump on the secondary market and pay your own king’s ransom to protect the home turf.

If the Steelers don’t like it, they need to start playing like kings and not NFL jokers.