The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the NFL’s first regular-season game in Ireland when they take on the Minnesota Vikings tomorrow, and the team made no small effort to make sure the game happened. During an event in Dublin ahead of Sunday’s game, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the Steelers were pushing “very hard” for a game in the country.
“The Steelers were pushing us *very* hard to bring the Steelers over here,” Goodell said, with Steelers’ owner Art Rooney II, also in attendance at the event, quipping that it was a “fair statement,” per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
The Steelers took part in the first NFL game in Ireland, a preseason tilt against the Chicago Bears in 1997. The late Dan Rooney served as the United States Ambassador to Ireland, and the Rooney family’s Irish heritage is a big reason why the Steelers are overseas.
It’s a game that means a lot to the only family to own the Steelers. Art Rooney II addressed the team ahead of this week to emphasize the importance of the game, and Mike Tomlin made sure to mention Dan Rooney during his Tuesday press conference.
Sunday’s game has received much fanfare, and it may not be the last game in Ireland. Art Rooney II said yesterday that he expects more games in Ireland, and he wants the Steelers to be part of them.
Similar to how the Jacksonville Jaguars have made London games a staple, the Steelers could try to do the same thing for Ireland. The team has international marketing rights for the country, and there should be lots of Steelers fans in attendance at Croke Park on Sunday. The team could continue to honor the Rooneys’ Irish heritage and try to make their trek to the country somewhat regular.
The NFL has continued to emphasize international games, and Goodell said during the event today that he believes the NFL will be a global game, per Pryor.
He also said he has “no doubt” the league will be back in Ireland, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
A designated game every year or every few years in Ireland could help with that push. Given the Rooneys’ heritage and willingness to play in the country, coupled with the Steelers’ existing fanbase in the country, they would make sense as a team to bring over often.
A win on Sunday would certainly be the icing on a cake for a trip that’s important to the team’s ownership, and it might only encourage them to continue pushing for the Steelers to play in the country.
