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With the Super Bowl just five days away and black-and-gold fever everywhere, some Steelers fans are concerned about the team's on-field fashion statement.

Forget Bill Cowher's coaching, Big Ben's passing, Hines Ward's catching or The Bus' driving to the end zone.

It's the uniform pants that have got some fans' undies in a bunch.

Male callers to talk radio shows have suggested that the tight, shiny, yellow-supposed-to-be-gold pants worn by the Steelers look sorta sissy -- what macho man Arnold Schwarzenegger might ridicule as "girly man."

Their advice? Ditch the "gold" pants in favor of black, the other half of the Steelers' official team colors. Maybe add a tuxedo-style gold stripe down the outer legs for some pizzazz.

The armchair fashion critics have a point. Black would look more tough-guy. And it would camouflage mud, dirt and grass stains better than the yellow pants.

But there are trade-offs. While black might look more bad boy than ballet, lint would be more visible on black fabric. And paired with white away-game jerseys, it could make players look top-heavy. (Some already do.)

Perhaps the problem isn't the pants, but the way some of the Steelers walk in them. Uncomfortable waddles suggest the need for a more comfortable fabric.

But for anyone who questions the manliness of the Steelers in yellow-as-gold pants, seeing the likes of Antwaan Randle El, Troy Polamalu and James Farrior stride off the field like victorious gladiators in a Roman amphitheater should be sufficient to put any concerns to rest.