Born a Pittsburgh Steelers Fan 1980s

This post is the next in my series about my personal experiences as a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan. The last post in the series detailed my experiences as a fan in the 1970s. Now, I’ll tackle being born a Pittsburgh Steelers Fan 1980s.

End of the Dynasty

It was hard watching my childhood idols leave the game one by one. And, it eventually took it’s toll on the team. The team made the playoffs four times in the 1980s, but never advanced to the Super Bowl. They had their first losing season in 13 years in 1985. And, then followed that up by going 5-11 in 1988.

This was worse than I thought it would be. I remember the press saying the players are too old and that Chuck Noll is not adapting to the new ways in the NFL. I resented this because Chuck Noll was the greatest coach in Steelers history. He deserved a chance to rebuild the team. It would be difficult for any coach to replace a bunch of Hall of Fame players. The problem was that the Steelers set the bar too high. The press and fans expected a Super Bowl win every season.

The Strike

I hate sports strikes! A bunch of millionaire players and a bunch of millionaire team owners get together to figure out how they can get more millions. In 1982, the NFL players union went on strike for 57 days. I wasn’t happy. The 16 game schedule was trimmed to nine games, and the Steelers made the playoffs with a record of 6-3. They lost in the first round of the playoffs. I personally think the strike-shortened season gave the Steelers false hope about the state of the team. The most difficult part of their schedule got wiped out by the strike, leaving them to beat lesser opponents.

Bye Terry

Terry Bradshaw was heroically playing in pain in the early 1980s as a result of an elbow injury. Then, in 1983, against the New York Jets, his elbow popped. His career was over. And, Cliff Stoudt assumed the quarterback role.

Terry was an amazing quarterback, and I was blessed to watch him. There were so many times that I prayed he would throw a long bomb, and he did it. He threw such a pretty ball.

But, he also left Chuck Noll and the team in a bad position. He retired suddenly and caught them off guard. They didn’t have a plan in place for his successor. Because of that, they passed on Dan Marino in the 1983 draft to take defensive lineman Gabe Rivera. Dan Marino could have been Terry Bradshaw’s successor. Ugh!

Transition

Quarterback Cliff Stoudt joined the startup United States Football League (USFL) in 1984. The Steelers solution at quarterback was Mark Malone and David Woodley (acquired from the Miami Dolphins). Mark Malone was bad. David Woodley was worse.

Just like the Steelers were trying to replace quarterback Terry Bradshaw, they were also trying to replace Franco Harris. And, it wasn’t going well. They drafted running back Walter Abercrombie in 1982, and he was a marginal player.

There were some hopeful signs. Rookie wide receiver Louis Lipps, won offensive rookie of the year. Kicker Gary Anderson was a Pro Bowler. And, Mike Merriweather was a rock solid linebacker.

Trivia time. In 1981, Terry Bradshaw threw a 90 yard pass to Mark Malone for a touchdown. I guess Malone was the original “Slash.”

The Rebuild Begins

1987 marked the addition of cornerback Rod Woodson, cornerback Dwayne Woodruff, linebacker Hardy Nickerson, wide receiver Dwight Stone and running back Merrill Hoge. In 1989, the Steelers added linebacker Greg Lloyd, safety Carnell Lake and running back Tim Worley.

Woodson, Woodruff, Nickerson, Lloyd and Lake solidified a defense that needed an injection of young, skilled players. Hoge and Worley were new attempts to replace Franco Harris since Abercrombie was failing. And, Dwight Stone was a speedster that I loved. Worley was another failed running back draft pick.

Señor Sack

In 1983, the Steelers selected Gabe Rivera in the first round of the draft. He was a defensive lineman from Texas Tech who was known as “Señor Sack.” I think the team was trying to get a new “Mean” Joe Greene to build the defense around. In October of 1983, Rivera was driving drunk and collided with another vehicle. He was paralyzed and never played football again.

Losing a significant player and a number one draft pick when you’re trying to rebuild your team is a major setback. I believe this set the Steelers back several years on rebuilding. I can’t imagine what would have happened if Gabe played for us.

Bubby

The Steelers drafted “Bubby” Brister in the third round of the 1986 draft. He played at Northeast Louisiana University in college. To this day, I don’t think he was drafted to unseat Mark Malone and David Woodley at quarterback. But, the press and the fans had enough of Malone and Woodley, so calls came to play Bubby.

When he was given playing time, he played better than Malone and Woodley, prompting calls to give him the job permanently. Starting in the 1988 season, Bubby was the starting quarterback. He wasn’t amazing, but he was better than the previous starters.

One of the best things about being a Steelers fan is that you rarely hear rumors about players, coaches and ownership. But, for the first time, rumors were flying that Bubby wasn’t smart and was immature. And, because of that, his Dad bought him an apartment in Pittsburgh and moved in with him to keep him straight. By the way, this rumor is true.

“The Chief” Passes

On August 25, 1988, Steelers owner Art Rooney died. Affectionately known as “The Chief,” he was beloved by the coaches, players and fans. He was respected and admired by the other team owners as well. I was very upset by the news. He represented everything good about the Steelers. The torch was passed to his son, Dan Rooney, and Dan carried on the fine tradition his father set. We were truly blessed with great ownership.

Conclusion

The 1980s were the worst period I encountered as a Steelers fan. The 1970s players were leaving the team, and they weren’t being adequately replaced. The quarterback play was subpar. Thank goodness the 1980s had good music.

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