Behind The Steel Curtain

Jim Shearer — host of VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown, native ‘Burgher and sports fanatic — lets us in on some of Pittsburgh’s top sports secrets.

Say it’s Sunday, and minutes before the the afternoon kickoffs, you realize the obvious: the only way to truly experience Pittsburgh’s sports fanaticism is to see a live Steelers game. Football games at Heinz Field are always sold out, though, so walking up to the box office isn’t an option. If you haven’t already hit StubHub, Jim Shearer has a plan: Head for the North Shore and bear the elements.

“Make a really creative sign,” he says. “I know for a fact that many Pittsburghers go to Steelers games with an extra ticket, and they would gladly sell it for face value, or even give it away, if the fan’s sign and passion were Steeler-worthy.”

Begging your Steeler Nation hosts for a ticket to the big game might be uncomfortable, but you’re not the only one out there: “The last really good sign I saw was a few days before New Year’s and simply read: ‘Dedicated fan/ Needs 1 ticket/ Make my New Year!’” says Shearer. “It also helped that the lady holding it was decked out in Steelers apparel.”

Charitable fans probably won’t be easy to locate among the sea of bodies heading into the stadium on game day, but don’t fret if you can’t snag a ticket. You can head to pretty much any local bar, Shearer says, and watch the game in good company. There won’t be a spot in town that’s not decked out in black and gold on a Sunday in October. While Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36, the North Shore restaurant named after the legendary Steelers running back, is an obvious choice, Shearer prefers to go small.

“The more unassuming, the better for me. A low-key place to watch the game with a nice hometown vibe is Hambone’s in Lawrenceville. At times you’ll feel like you’re watching a Steelers game in their 1970s heyday.”

Want to fit in with the folks next to you at the bar? “You’ll get major brownie points from the die-hards if you cheer at not only the gamechanging plays, but also at the plays that set up the game-changing plays,” says Shearer. “If you really want to fit in, learn all the lyrics to Styx’s ‘Renegade,’ the Steelers’ go-to pump-up song.”

When concussion-inducing collisions and eye-catching athletic displays aren’t enough to get your blood pumping, just add ice — and institutionalized fighting. In this case, Penguins games will fit the bill, and though they can be a bit easier to get into, if you want a more intimate

Pittsburgh hockey experience, head for Excuses Bar and Grill, a small, classic bar on the South Side. “The patrons are ever so faithful to the Pens, and sometimes you can even spot a player there on an off night.”

The players don’t just come to eat, though. “The Penguins have even been known to throw secret karaoke parties in the back room,” says Shearer. And even with notorious team party animal Max Talbot having been shipped off to play for Philadelphia this year, the scene can still get pretty dicey. Crash it at your own risk.