Steeler Loss Leaves Local Fans With Mixed Feelings

Around 6 p.m.,   was humming with excitement. 

But as the clock rolled past 9 p.m., the bar quieted. Despite a few near-comebacks, the Steelers took a 31-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV, deflating the mood amongst the bar's Steelers devotees. 

At least one disappointed fan at the bar was too angry to talk after the game. Others quickly grabbed their coats, paid their tabs, and left as the fourth quarter concluded. Still, some took the loss in stride. 

"You know what, the better team won," Lori Gregory said. "Honestly, I'm still a Steelers fan, but we did it to ourselves."

Prior to kickoff, fans at the bar the game would be a close match-up. But patron Gabe Jackson said Pittsburgh never quite gained the momentum that earned the team two Super Bowl victories in recent years. 

"Next year I'm looking for them to come back strong," Jackson said. "It was just an unfortunate situation." 

Jackson said it was apparent early in the game that the Packers might get the better of Pittsburgh. 

"Every turnover we had, they capitalized on," he said. "They controlled the game. We fought back but it wasn't enough."  

Across the bar, Lori Jackson said she and a group of friends and family drove to the Pittsburgh area from Sugar Grove, PA, to take in the Steelers' seventh Super Bowl.

Although she's not much of a Steelers fan, she said, the rest of her evening was a somber one. 

"They're all going to be disappointed," she said, motioning her table. "We drove 2 1/2 hours to come in, but the bar was great and the food was good."