Ty Law on Steelers Fans: They 'Took it to Another Level' and 'Went After My Mother'

The NFL Network is employing all kinds of former (and current) NFL stars for their playoff coverage on Sunday mornings. Ty Law is one of those guys. And since he's had plenty of experience -- mainly as a Patriot -- beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh, they hauled him out to Heinz Field to talk about Chargers - Steelers.

First he handled a question on Ben Roethlisberger ("have to play a little bit longer" because he keeps plays alives) and then Law fielded questions about Philip Rivers. After ~~insulting~~ complimenting P-Riv by calling him "Brett Favre with less mobility," he discussed the Steelers fan base and how they might treat the San Diego quarterback.

Aw, the Steelers fans, they're on another level. It's one thing when you talk about me as a player ... they call me a "traitor", "Ty Law, you suck!" It's not like I have a choice on where I got drafted. But they took it to another level when we beat those guys in the AFC Championship Game: they went after my mom.

Now mind you, my mom's from the hood, so she was ready to get down, you know what I mean? So I was more scared for the fan that threw the bottle at her than my mom. But she was walking to her car, she had on my jersey, and next thing you know a bottle came out of nowhere ...

Hey! You stay classy, Pittsburgh. The idea that anyone would get upset because a kid from around that area [Aliquippa] would, gasp, get drafted by a different professional football team and then help the team that's paying him beat his "home" team is, well, beyond ridiculous.

Of course, that probably won't stop them from really, really harassing Rivers, which means that if the Chargers can find a way to win, you can almost guarantee that there will be plenty of smack talk flowing from the quarterback to the crowd.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-11-2009 @ 2:18PM

Jim said...

There are plenty of classless Steeler fans (look no further than FanHouse!), but most of them are decent enough people in person. I have a lot of friends who are Steeler fans, so I know whereof I speak. Regarding Ty Law, if he is a "traitor," aren't Big Ben (from Lima, Ohio) and Santonio Holmes (Ohio State alumnus) equally guilty?

1-11-2009 @ 1:36PM

diddy said...

In no way does this excuse throwing a bottle or abusing a players mom or any other fan but to classify ty law as a hometown boy who got drafted by another team is wrong. He grew up a dallas cowboys fan (tony dorsett was his idol because he went to the same hs) and always hated the steelers.

1-11-2009 @ 2:24PM

karen said...

I as a New Englander who loves the patriots was a bit disappointed when Ty Law left our team. I do not however consider him a traitor. Football is a passion to these players but it is also a job. So does that mean if we get let go from one job we should not look for or go to another....

1-11-2009 @ 2:30PM

Darren said...

For Ty Law to sum up the Steeler's Fans with an isolated incident that happened to his mother is preposterous. People act out in every city at every game. He grew up in the Pittsburgh area knowing the love exists for the Steelers. He should understand that at the pro level Steeler fans don't care where you are from, they care about who you play for and what you represent. I Boo you Ty! Your words are thought out poorly!

1-12-2009 @ 8:59AM

jsharpe0047 said...

Seeing how he is "from that area", I would say he has the ideal background to comment quite accurately on what kind of fans are in Pittsburgh.

1-11-2009 @ 2:54PM

John said...

I remember the Patriots killing the Steelers who were 15-1 leading up to that game I think in the regular season. Brady and Dion Branch cut them up like a they were a Susi meal. As the game wore down, some of the Pats began waving their own ``terrible towels.'' NFL films showed a Pats player taunting a couple of Steeler fans, ``Where are your towels?'' The Steeler guys just stood there and took it, like a beaten down wimps. I guess they do better beating up on old ladies.

1-11-2009 @ 3:45PM

soulcitysigma1914 said...

western Pennsylvannians are known to be trashy and classless in general.

1-11-2009 @ 8:41PM

Wayne said...

And the Steelers' fans acted like total crybabies when the Titans "disrespected" one of their towels.

1-11-2009 @ 4:45PM

knidsrok said...

It's not a matter of one region of sports fans being more "classless" than any other -- it's that sports fans, as a whole, tend to be more classless than the rest of the population.

1-11-2009 @ 6:57PM

Gene said...

I mean this is not like the first time that this happened, the steelers are very dedicated to there home town guys. I remember this one time,
there this QB from UPitt who grew up in Pittsburgh
and the Miami dolphins Drafted him before the steelers and they were SOOOO pissed

What?!?
the steelers picked before the dolphins that year?
they CHOSE not to bring him in?
o well he couldn't be that good anyway

WAIT?
that QB was Dan Marino?
and he turned out to be the best QB ever?
and the steelers took a DT who was involved in a DUI car accident in his rookie year and was paralyzed?

hey if you were really commited to your hometown guys you might have more superbowl rings