Stillers Nation

(The Burgh - August 3, 2006) - The time is almost upon yunz die-hard Steelers' fans who aren't within local broadcasting distance (unlike yunz truly) to try and catch the Steelers' pre-season games. So, what do you do if you live in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Atlanta, or London, England and have no clue where to go?

The answer is simple: head down to the local Steelers bar (believe me, unless you live in B.F. Egypt there will be one nearby), grab a cold one, and settle in for a typical season of excitement, disappointment, and hopefully another Hollywood made-for-TV ending, including a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy for the Steelers' Great Hall.

For those of you who are either new to an area, or are visiting another city when the next Steelers game is to be played, fret no more. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an excellent listing of Steelers bars around the world.

Stillers Nation personal favorites include:

• Gabe's Bar in West Los Angeles - Start your engines around 9am on Steelers' Sundays if you want a seat at the bar here. We spent almost 11 straight seasons in this home away from home - even a few with Carnell Lake's parents who would stop by from time to time when their son wore Black n' Gold.
• Ozzie's Bar & Restaurant in St. Louis' Westport Plaza - head to the back room where it's wall to wall Black and Gold.
• Primanti Bros. in Fort Lauderdale. Sun, surf, cheesesteak (alongside a cup of the #1 seller) and da Stillers. What else could be better?
• Big Bamboo in Shanghai, China - just call ahead to see if they're airing the game. 1pm kickoff in Pittsburgh is a 2am kickoff in Shanghai (the lights could be out if you just show up). Unless it's a Sunday or Monday night game, you're mostly like S.O.L. Nevertheless, if you're in Shanghai, this is a great bar to grab a burger and a cold one.

If you've had a great (or terrible) experience at a Steelers Bar, please let us know.

# posted by MAC @ 12:09 PM