SCU Fan Club Spotlight: Stiller Gang
Here at Steel City Underground we believe that the fans who make up Steelers Nation are the greatest fans in the world. As such, we thought it would be a cool idea to get to know some of those fans and to spend some time looking at the huge number of fan groups and clubs that have formed all over the country (and in fact, the world). To help us do this, we introduced the concept of the “Fan Club Spotlight”, to highlight those groups of fans who are diehard members of Steelers Nation.
Our latest Fan Club Spotlight shines a bright light on a group simply known as the ‘Stiller Gang’. Their origins are relatively new, having started weeks before Christmas Day in 2011, however, their infectious passion for the Pittsburgh Steelers is second-to-none.
If you’ve attended Steelers home games for the last few years, you may have noticed banners which hang off of the balconies in the south end zone’s rotundas. You may have also noticed that one of those banners has grown larger and larger over time, just like the namesake of the group who hangs them.
I had the privilege (and pleasure) of hanging out with the Stiller Gang on more than one occasion and whether you’re in person, or chatting with them over the phone or on social media, each of their founders has a type of charisma which takes on its own persona.
Martin, for example, looks a lot like those “Kilroy” window and bumper sticks, where only his eyes and above are in the photo. “Bangor”, as his codename already suggests, always has his identity famously hidden by one of the group’s trademark bandanas.
And that’s just the start of it. Each Sunday the Stiller Gang converges in Gold Lot 4 down by Heinz Field for a “Terrible Tailgate”, which was started by Kevin Adams.
At first, to the unknowing “yinzer”, the Mexican flag may seem unusual in a sea of black and gold until you realize that a large contingent of the Stiller Gang has roots in our bordering friend to the South. In fact, we highlighted one of the world’s largest fan photo events on the SCU Podcast last year, where a large portion of NFL followers in Mexico is, in fact, Pittsburgh Steelers fans.
Steelers Nation is truly worldwide, and these fans traveled from Mexico and beyond for Sunday’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. In fact, you may have noticed a “German Chapter” banner in the photo above, from German fans who also made the long pilgrimage to the Steel City on Sunday.
For all of the fun and games, I can honestly say that the Stiller Gang is not some “thrown together” fan club. While relatively newer, their intentions are well thought out and all-encompassing. Their logo is playful and serious at the same time, showing the devotion of their membership who span not only coast-to-coast but worldwide.
According to their website stillergangshop.com, each element represents core values of the Pittsburgh faithful:
The hard hat represents the blue collar work ethic of our team and our city of origin. The Gold Hypocycloid represents the Black & Gold faithful who smile down on us from Above. The Skull represents the grim determination of our team to succeed and is symbolic of our loyalty to the team, which is til death and beyond.
Stiller Gang is in reference to our original SB champ team and a book that was written about them in 1976 – “The Steeler Gang…. Bradshaw, Harris and their mighty teammates”. We spell it Stiller in homage to the Pittsburghese dialect spoken in our city.
You should also know that the Stiller Gang is not a home game only operation. Members of the group routinely travel to away games each year and make it a point to “tag” the opponent’s turf.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZmVznhHkOi/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BajREzUnwx9/?taken-by=stillergang
The stunts are fun, but being with the group is an even bigger blast. Whether you’re attending a home or away game, I would highly suggest looking up the Stiller Gang via their social media pages linked below. Their mission is to make Steelers fans feel at home and I can attest to being welcomed by them with open arms, just as many others have.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BakUx0KnOhh/?taken-by=stillergang
If you have a group of Steelers fans that you like to be considered for the Fan Club Spotlight, contact us at fanmail@steelcityunderground.com and tell us about it!
