It's just a name, right? To some Pittsburgh Steelers fans, it's much more than that! Steelers fans are just unhappy about the renaming of "Heinz Field" to "Acrisure Stadium," to say the least. It's been the topic of conversation surrounding Steelers news since the news broke that "Acrisure Stadium" was going to be the new name, due to the new sponsorship deal the Acrisure company struck with the franchise early last week.
Fans have a right to be upset about the name change as "Heinz Field" was the name of the stadium since it was built in 2001; it's never had another name. A lot of fans are angry that the team struck a deal with a company that isn't based in the city of Pittsburgh as well.
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It was a sad day indeed and a lot of long-time fans of the franchise are upset about it. Upset enough, to start a petition about the name change on Change.org. The petition was started by a fan named Daniel Sass and it already has close to 6,500 signatures currently and the numbers look like they are continuing to climb.
"Heinz Field is the only sponsored stadium that the team has ever played in," Sass wrote in the petition's description. "Previously playing at Three Rivers Stadium, Pitt Stadium, and before that, Forbes Field. But now the Heinz Field sponsorship is no more. Its new name was just announced and it is HORRIBLE!""ANYTHING would have been better than that."
"An out-of-state sponsor comes in and inflicts this name change on us that isn’t even easy to pronounce."
"PLEASE CHANGE THE NAME ('Three Rivers Stadium' would work)"
Some would call the fan a "typical yinzer," but some would say that he makes some great points! In fact, a very strong percentage of the fan base disagrees with the name change, so the petition may gain more traction as time goes on.
Aerial shot of Heinz Field during a mid-summer evening. CREDIT | JACOB HALE
Will the petition matter? Probably not. It's a business, guys, things like this are bound to happen! Just listen to Steelers DL Cam Heyward, it's not going to change much at all besides the name.
Steelers defensive tackle, Cam Heyward (#97) celebrates with head coach, Mike Tomlin, after their 39-38 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, December 10, 2017, at Heinz Field. | Christopher Horner / Tribune-Review
"It’s not like we’re playing somewhere different," Heyward said on his new show, Not Just Football." It’s still where you guys always go to watch a game. We’re going to still be thumping. You’re still going to hear Renegade. You’re still going to get out of your seats and get excited in December, in January. Those things aren’t changing. It’s a name, guys. I understand like, ‘oh, it’d be really cool to [still] call in Heinz Field, and we’re going to miss the big ketchup bottles dumping down on a touchdown.’ But Acrisure better come with that fire [laughs], because we’re going to make sure we do our job as well.”
It's just a name change, of course, it's absolutely going to take some getting used to, but it's not going to change who the Pittsburgh Steelers are and always have been! We'll work on creating more memories, at the same field, just with a new name across the entrance! And don't worry Steeler Nation, team President Art Rooney II claims those beloved ketchup bottles may stay!
Credit: Mike Reiss/ESPN
What are yinz thoughts on the petition on Change.org? Sound off in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
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