Being a sports fan can be a journey that is not for the faint of heart, depending how much of a fanatic you are. As a fan we have no control over the success we want our team to achieve but we live and die emotionally with every moment. I love to ride rollercoasters; the thrill of unexpected turns, flips and drops keep me on my toes while at the same time give me the sensation that my stomach was dropping to the ground. Being a fan of a sports team can have the same feeling of a rollercoaster.

During the season, the team’s results are black and white, you either win the game or lose the game. At the end of the season, there is only one fanbase that has achieved the goal set by every team at the beginning of the year. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a special fanbase that is worldwide and passionate, Steelers Nation! When the Steelers are winning, Steelers Nation is excited, joyful and confident; when the Steelers are losing, this passionate fanbase can get ugly. Whether fans are happy or upset, we tend to run to social media to either express our feelings or “seek comfort”. During the offseason things are different, there are no games being played and everything being talked about is only speculation until it actually happens.

With how prevalent social media is, it seems like everybody has a platform and can put out information however the feel. Although I love that fact that I can get the latest updates about the Steelers almost as soon as it happens, it comes a big drawback, who’s to know what is real and what is fake? There are so many media outlets pushing out information in order to bring attention to their channel or website, even if the information is wrong, especially at this time of year when there are no games being played. Us sports fanatics sometimes need something to keep us entertained during this time and we feel like we need to be up to date at all times. While I know that every report that is put out has the potential to be “click bait”, it can still be entertaining.

During times like this, we can learn from children. Kids can have wild imaginations and create scenarios that they know are not true but its fun to pretend. While I think it is wrong for “reporters” to push out false or unconfirmed information, sometimes us fans want to be just that, fanatics. The same way we enjoy creating mock drafts, is the same way fans can imagine a wide receiver room of George Pickens, Brandon Aiyuk and Justin Jefferson. We live through the excitement of “possibilities”, especially when everything is speculation or even unrealistic at the moment. We may not know who’s the most credible source, what’s true or rumor, but as long as we are aware that there is A LOT of fake news being put out, let your imagination run wild. I do want to thank the real sources like The Steel Curtain Network, Fans First Sports Network and others for accurate information, credible outlets are vital. My advice to the fanatics out there like myself, find YOUR reliable outlet(s) to get your information from but for your entertainment purposes, live in the moment and enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is the off season.

Continue to check out The Steel Curtain Network for all of you Pittsburgh Steelers news and updates.

Stay Bless and Stay Positive… “Here We Go”