Steelers Hotline Staff:

Harvey "Mr. Steeler" Aronson, Owner, Editor, Web Designer

Harvey “Mr. Steeler” Aronson was chosen as Visa's Hall of Fans Award winner for 2001. He was officially inducted into the Hall of Fans exhibit on August 4, 2002.

My original entry that earned me my Visa award read:

"Perhaps the most important reason I should represent the Pittsburgh Steelers is because I have the Steelers' helmet tatooed on my left shoulder. Or, it could be that I get up every morning at 6:30 a.m. to update my website dedicated to the Steelers. I travel every summer from New York City down to Latrobe, Pennsylvania just to watch the Steelers players in training camp. I once drove to the Hall of Fame when linebacker Levon Kirkland was there signing autographs just so I could give him an issue of my online newsletter that featured him on the cover. I try to represent my favorite team in every way I can."

"Mr. Steeler" as I am known, was born and raised in the North Hills area of Pittsburgh and lived in Brooklyn, New York for about 20 years before settling in Jacksonville, Florida, a hotbed for ex-Pittsburghers. I graduated from Slippery Rock State College with a Bachelor's Degree in Humanities and Fine Arts, majoring in communications and minoring in journalism. In 2003, I appeared in a Sports Illustrated commercial.

More recently, I was featured in the NFL Films documentary, "Steelers Nation" that aired on NFL Network and ESPN.

I am also the Vice President and Director of Operations of the official Steelers fan club of Jacksonville, Florida (JAXB.A.G.-Jacksonville Black and Gold)(http://jaxbag.steelershotline.com)

Jim Aronson, Columnist

Jim Aronson was born in Pittsburgh in May of 1964. He is a 1982 graduate of North Hills High School, and a 1986 graduate of Slippery Rock University where he majored in English, and worked at MTV for one year. Jim is the brother of Harvey "Mr Steeler" Aronson and shares a common mark of glory with his sibling: a Steeler tattoo. Jim often brags that his tattoo is better, because while Harv's sports a helmet, Jim's has a Steelers logo surrounded by all five Super Bowl trophies. Jim spent five years as a newspaper reporter and a writer for a major professional wrestling publication. While he still loves watching the WWE, his true passion is, has been, and always will be the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jim has lived in Pennsylvania, Deleware and now resides in New York City, where he is in Sales but at every opportunity, whether its calling Denmark or France, he sees if can somehow work in "Steeler Nation" into the conversation. In New York, he sometimes misses the Steeler games so that the rest of the city can enjoy the New York Jets or Giants. Hey, everyone needs a little comic relief now and then. Besides working at MTV and the wrestling mag, Jim did a brief stint working for the New York Yankees and Madison Square Garden as a Merchandise Manager, meeting such athletes as Joe Namath, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan.

Jim's first Steeler memory is watching Terry Bradshaw hold the clipboard for Joe Gilliam, wishing that the southern boy would get another chance to start, and when he did, ooh boy, the times they were-a changing. Jim has seen the Steelers three times in New York, once in Baltimore, as well as in Pittsburgh. He has met Levon Kirkland at the Hall of Fame, where he basked in the glory of the Holy Church of the Steelers inductees.

Jim is on his third marriage and he thinks he finally made the three point conversion, as his current spouse is both learning and appreciating the life of being a Steeler wife. She attended the Steelers-Jets game with him this year, and was officially inducted into the Steeler Nation.

Jim has a five-year old son, Jeremy, who was born (he thinks) with black and gold in his veins, as he already is a big fan. He knows the fight song, has the jersey, and already hates the color "Brown."

Finally, Jim has a standing appointment with his tattoo artist to get another trophy put on his arm, and like every year, he does NOT want to reschedule it. As Jim says "A Super Bowl trophy tattoo is worth a every bit of pain."

Ramona L. Dye, Columnist

I am a mother of three beautiful children. I was born in Bedford, Ohio and raised in southwest Virginia, so yes I am a country girl. My oldest daughter is away at college she will be 21 soon. My son is in high school all of 15 and soon to be driving. So yes if you can find some grey hair, I am sure I deserve them. Then there is my daughter Kate who is 11, her father says she is my twin born 20 odd years late. I am a HUGE Steelers fan in which my kids can verify without doubt. I guess they have seen enough of me throwing my flag at the screen during the past few years.

What's the big deal about Steeler football? Being a Steeler fan means so much more than football. It means being from a corner of the world unlike any other. It means being from a place where the people are so tough-minded that they have survived the Homestead strikes , the Johnstown flood and most recently the Etna Floods. People from Pittsburgh don't have the biggest shopping malls or the best nightclubs, but they'll take Friday night high school football and Steeler Sunday over anything.

Steeler football means so much more than you think. It symbolizes a diaspora of generations who had the best childhood they could imagine. As the steel mills closed and the jobs disappeared, some of these people had to leave. While the world benefits because they spread their Pittsburgh values, they long for their home where things were simpler and more pure. They teach their kids about Jack Lambert and Joe Greene in hopes of departing not just the knowledge, but the feeling that they represented. Make no mistake that Steeler football is not just about football.

Ken Strauss, Columnist

Greetings to all Pittsburgh Fans!
I was born in Pittsburgh back in 1974 and spent the first 10 years of my life in Monroeville. I would have attended Gateway, but because my family had to move to Boston, I didn't have the opportunity to become a Gator.

My first sporting event I ever attended was on October 5, 1979. It was game three of the National League Championship Series pitting the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates won 7-1, winning the N.L. pennant and advanced to the World Series. Bert Blyleven was the winning pitcher and Willie Stargell and Bill Madlock homered. Eight days later, I got to attend my second game, game four of the World Series against the Orioles. Stargell homered again, but the Pirates lost 9-6.

34 years later, I've been to about 200 Pittsburgh games at approximately 70 venues. Here are my top five sporting events of all time.

#5. (Tie)August 2, 2003 (PNC Park): Pirates 1 Rockies 0
February 22, 1984 (Mellon Arena): Oilers 9 Penguins 2.
I wouldn't call these games must wins, but at least I caught my first baseball and my first hockey puck!

#4. November 15, 1999 (Pitt Stadium): Pitt 37 Notre Dame 27
In the final game ever played at Pitt stadium, the Panthers celebrate with a big win over their rivals from South Bend. The students storm the field with less than 20 seconds to go, as I make a b-line to the Mellon Arena for the Penguins/Predators game. It's never easy getting from Oakland to Downtown in 15 minutes with so much game traffic.

#3. March 15, 2003 (Madison Square Garden): University of Pittsburgh 74 – University of Connecticut 56
The Panthers men's basketball team wins it's first ever Big East Tournament after falling short the prior two seasons. I don't get too emotional very often, but I did on that night. I was very proud of those players and coaches!

#2. December 16, 2000 (Three Rivers Stadium): Steelers 24 Redskins 3
I had the privilege of witnessing the last game in Pitt Stadium, and now I doubled the pleasure watching the final game ever at Three Rivers Stadium. The game and atmosphere could not have been scripted any better. It started with a Primanti's Cheese steak; a few Iron City Beers; and a Steelers win on a cold rainy day! The post-game ceremony was tremendous. It was great seeing a lot of former Steelers.

#1. January 15, 2006 (RCA Dome): Steelers 21 Colts 18
Most Steeler fans say it was one of the most exciting game they've ever seen on TV. I was very fortunate to be there live! It started out with a quick two touchdown lead, but bad calls late in the game gave the Colts a second chance. Then as we all remember, Jerome Bettis fumbles the ball away but Big Ben makes a shoe string season saving tackle, and Vanderjagt misses a game tying field goal. The Steelers make reservations to Denver, and then they "Ride the Bus" to Detroit to win the one for the thumb!

Other then being a Pittsburgh fan, I work for a great company doing financial work. I graduated from Nichols College (one hour south of Boston) in 1997. If you're ever in the Boston area on a Steelers gameday, stop by Roggies for a true Pittsburgh Steelers experience!

I can be reached at icbrew79@aim.com