‘It’s an honor to represent our game’
The Pittsburgh Steelers will make history as the designated home team for the first-ever NFL regular-season game in Ireland.
Ireland’s Croke Park, the largest stadium in the country with a capacity of 82,000, will host the historic matchup — Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium can hold an attendance of 68,400. Thousands of fans, many of whom have never witnessed an NFL game live, will get a chance to watch the Steelers — with or without Aaron Rodgers — battle it out, and that’s an opportunity that’s got Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin fired up for a specific reason.
“I know I’m really excited about it,” Tomlin said, per TribLIVE’s Joe Rutter. “I think about the late, great Ambassador (Dan) Rooney and how fired up he would be about it. It makes me smile when I think about it. It’s an honor to represent our game and our country over there, and I look forward to doing so.”
The Rooney family emigrated from Ireland to Pittsburgh in the 1840s. Art Rooney Sr. purchased the Steelers in 1933 for $2,500 to establish the franchise, and it’s been owned by the Rooneys ever since. For current team owner Art Rooney II, the team’s upcoming trip to Ireland will serve as a sentimental, full-circle homecoming. Dan Rooney served as the United States Ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012 and was also the co-founder of the Ireland-related fundraising organization The Ireland Funds.
Pittsburgh played its official first game in Ireland back in 1997 when the Steelers faced the Chicago Bears for a preseason game at Croke Park. For now, Pittsburgh is unaware of its opponent, date and kickoff time for this year’s history-making game. However, it shouldn’t be long until the team is made aware of all the event’s details.
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“It will be in and around the (entire) schedule release,” NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said, per Rutter. “If not in that window of the schedule release, right prior to that. It’s important to look at all the factors and get the best possible schedule out there.”
Tickets, so far, have been selling like hotcakes and Rooney II has begun to make an effort to assist everyone who wants to attend.
“We’re excited to be going to Ireland and we told the league we need more tickets,” Rooney said Tuesday, per Steelers.com’s Dale Lolley. “Demand, so far, has been great. We’re looking forward to it.”
