The Pittsburgh Steelers announced yesterday that they would be wearing their throwback “block number” uniforms on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, which just so happens to have worked out in the past. They have only worn these uniforms as throwbacks thrice before and have come out victorious each time.
The fan base has long called for the team to revert to these uniforms as its jerseys on a full-time basis. Needless to say, they have been very supportive of the team when they wear them as throwbacks, even while wishing to see them every week. We hear it every time they announce a game with the throwback jerseys.
Just ask one of literally their biggest fans—J.J. Watt. The former NFL player is the older brother of current Steeler T.J. Watt. Pretty good in his own right as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, he is now all-in as a Yinzer during his retirement. And he’s fitting right now, calling not only for the reinstatement of the block numbers as the regular jersey but also for the painted end zones.
J.J. attended his first game at Acrisure Stadium purely as a fan in retirement last week when the Steelers hosted the Tennessee Titans for Thursday Night Football. He was in for a thrilling victory featuring yet another comeback win, and of course yet another sack by his kid brother, who also happens to be pretty good at this football thing.
J.J. has been T.J.’s most vocal fan and advocate this season, pretty much having something to say on a weekly basis about how good his brother is and how there is no argument against him being the best defensive player in football.
But he’s also learned to love the team as a whole—if there were ever any learning necessary—and the job that head coach Mike Tomlin has done since even before he entered the league. He never got the opportunity to play for the Steelers, but he’s surely been welcomed inside the building. Pittsburgh faithful are accepting him as an honorary Steeler at this point.
It doesn’t hurt to show an affinity for an awareness of the fans’ own points of view, and well, you’re probably going to earn yourself a lot of points by campaigning for the block numbers. Doubly so if you throw in the end zone, which the Steelers painted the old-school style for the Las Vegas Raiders game last season to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.
I’m not sure what all is involved in making these decisions, but sharing the field with multiple other football teams is probably a factor in their decision to limit the painting of the end zones, which is much less ambitious than what many other teams do on a weekly basis. The block numbers are something they could go back to. But I don’t think we’ll see that happen any time soon, even with J.J.’s pull.
