Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette Steelers coach Bill Cowher and wife Kaye acknowledge the many fans during the victory parade.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

For the greatest run in playoff history

For giving us all something to cheer for

For displaying humility, character and the spirit of team work

For making sure that the wheels on the Bus did indeed go round and round in a Super Bowl

For evoking pride in the city of Pittsburgh (even those of us who have moved away from home, but remain dedicated)

For making sure that Cowher Power has a little extra material to talk about in his Hall of Fame induction (Class of 2030)

For doing what everyone said could not be done

For allowing us to believe again

Thanks for all the memories; especially this season. Enjoy every minute of being a World Champion. You certainly deserve it.

I don't think there would be any objections if you guys wanted to win it all again next year ... in case you were wondering.

GARY GODISH
Pensacola, Fla.

Thank you, Champions.

A city, according to St. Augustine, is a group of people joined together by their love of the same object.

On Tuesday, I joined with 250,000 of my best friends to celebrate our love for the object of our affections -- the winner of Super Bowl XL, the Pittsburgh Steelers!

Our adopted sons from Korea, Atlanta, Detroit, Ohio, and many other colleges, reveled in the adoration we lavished on our victors.

I stood 10 feet from Bill Cowher and the smile never left his face. The crowd went wild when Troy Polamalu released his locks to the wind. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Bus!" And there ... was the trophy!

Oh, the joy!

Somewhere, Art is smiling.

DAVID KUTCHER
Brighton Heights

	John Beale, Post-Gazette Some of the estimated 250,000 fans who jammed Downtown for the Steelers' victory parade surround a Lombardi Trophy-bearing Jerome Bettis. Click photo for larger image.

For the most fulfilling season I have ever had the pleasure of watching. Living in St. Louis and still able to hit two games at Heinz Field, Green Bay, and Indy I am now able to justify all of this to my wife!! PLEASE enjoy this, you never know when it might happen again!

ED SCHUESSLER
Collinsville, Ill.

This Baltimore Ravens fan is sending a giant congratulations to all of you out there in Steeler land.

Of course I would not say that during the regular season (for obvious reasons), but hey, you done the AFC North proud. Who could not like the Ben Roethlisberger story or the Jerome Bettis story. Heck, I even like Heinz Ward. Loved the smile after the TD catch.

Anyway, enjoy the off season and I'll be back to cursing you all come August.

CAMERON MILLER
Reisterstown, Md.

The Steelers are now winners of Super Bowls IX, X, XIII, XIV, and XL. Add them up. They equal LXXXVI, or 86. Hines Ward MVP. How cool is that!! Go Steelers!

JIM POST
Middlebury, Conn.

My name is Michael Creegan. I am from Penn Hills and I'm currently serving in the United States Air Force. I just wanted to congratulate the Steelers on their victory this year and tell them how much it meant to me. I've been waiting my entire life to see us win the Super Bowl and I only wish I could have been home to celebrate with the rest of Pittsburgh. I also wanted to congratulate the Bus on earning what he has deserved his entire career. Good luck Bettis and thanks to all of the Black and Gold.

MICHAEL CREEGAN
Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward adopted a fan's hat for the victory parade. Click photo for larger image.

From one Championship City to another. As I have driven around Austin, Texas, the last two weeks the preponderance of burnt orange Texas Longhorn national championship shirts were accented by a generous sprinkling of black and gold jerseys ... it was a beautiful sight to behold. Congratulations Steelers!

MARK T. EVERET
Austin, Texas

The Super Bowl officiating was not good. They missed some calls like they always do. But for the head coach of the Seahawks to say officiating cost them the game is classless and simply untrue. So what if Rothlisberger didn't score on third down, they would have scored on fourth and 1 inch anyway. And it was offensive pass interference in the end zone. But make no mistake, the Seahawks did get a raw deal on a few other calls. Here are a few things on the field worse than the refs that day. Holgrem's coaching, Seattle's clock management and the Seahawks in general. They came in looking for respect and came out proving their nay-sayers correct. Winning brings respect, as does losing with dignity. Cry babies tend to spend more time whining than improving themselves. The Seahawks came in with receivers who drop more balls than any team in the league and a 16th ranked defense. The receivers dropped balls and the defense played like a 16th-ranked defense. The officiating crews have a lot of work to do this off season. The Seahawks have even more. Stop whining and get better!

GARY HUBER
Mequite, Texas

It's not just a Steelers Nation, it is at the very least a Steelers continent! I am a displaced Pittsburgher and Steelers fan who is currently working in Mexico. I watched the Super Bowl here in Mexico City and to my great surprise and delight, found myself overwhelmingly in the company of thousands of passionate Steelers fans! (Steelers translates to Acereros in Spanish) So, more than a Steelers Nation, it's a Steelers continent and, dare I say it, maybe even a Steelers world!

ALLISON SQUIRES
Mexico City

	Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette Fans celebrate after the Super Bowl at the corner of Penn and Fifth Avenue. Click photo for larger image.

As a life long Steeler fan and graduate of Duquesne my joy is unbounded at the latest triumph in Super Bowl XL. However, I must strongly protest the term "Steeler Nation" when referring to our fans throughout the country. The term "nation" was used by the Oakland Raiders fans and is not fitting for Steeler fans. I have encountered many dedicated Steeler fans in Illinois and Delaware and other parts of our great country. I suggest we Steeler fans are a "family" rather than nation.

I love our "Steeler Family"!!!

BILL McCUSKER
Milford, Del.

As a Steelers fan here in Seattle, all I heard the past two weeks was Seahawks this, Seahawks that. That the Steelers were over-rated. That the Seahawks 12th man would win the game for them. Now all I hear is that the officiating lost the game for the Seahawks. When will the people of Seattle learn to accept defeat and realize that their team was outplayed by a dominant Steelers team? The Bus, Hines, Joey and the rest of the Steelers crew played an awesome game and came away with the win. Go Steelers!

STEPHANIE NELSON
Seattle

Congratulations and thank you for bringing the world championship of football back to Pittsburgh where it rightfully belongs. I have been a fan since Chuck Noll's first season in 1969 when the Steelers went 1-13. The great Steeler teams of the 1970s have made me proud to still call Pittsburgh home even though I left the area with the USAF in 1978 and ended up residing in Seattle for nearly 25 years. In all that time, I have remained a loyal Steelers fan. I could never become a Seahawks fan. In fact I now have two favorite teams ... No. 1, the Steelers, and No. 2, whoever is playing the Seahawks. The victory over the Seattle makes me incredibly proud of my Steelers and I love the fact that I am able to share the experience of finally enjoying a Steelers Super Bowl victory with my sons who have also grown up Steeler fans. You could not have beaten a better team to bring the Lombardi Trophy back home. Let's plan on winning a couple more in the coming years.

MICHAEL PUGH
Bullhead City, Ariz.

I am writing to congratulate the Steelers for their Super Bowl victory! I am a native of Pittsburgh now living in Washington. These last two weeks have been rather rough due to my wearing my Steeler gear every day to my job at Harborview Medical Center. I can only say how I longed to be there at that super celebration instead of waking up to tape it! My main reason for this comment is because I wanted to say how very proud Pittsburgh should be to have a coach like [Bill] Cowher. My husband recalled that Mike Holmgren was considered at the same time as Bill Cowher for the job. Let me just say that the comments here by Holmgren about having to play against the men in the black and white really lacked class. No coach should try to belittle a team because they were unable to come up with the plays to win a game, especially the team that won the Super Bowl. Good choice Mr. Rooney! Congratulations!

DEBBIE KASENIC
Camano Island, Wash.

My husband and I are from the Pittsburgh area (Oakmont and New Castle) living up in Newfoundland, Canada, and you made us so proud and happy! We are old enough to remember well the four other victories, but somehow this is the sweetest one of all. Congratulations! You guys are the best, always have been, and now you've proven it.

ELAINE AND SANFORD CHILCOTE
Corner Brook, Newfoundland

Great Job! We never stopped believing. In our excitement of your winning Super Bowl XL, when we set the fireworks off, we accidentally set our lawn on fire! It was just small one, but a fire nonetheless. We will miss Jerome Bettis and wish him all the luck! To quote our granddaughter, who is only 3 1/2 "Bus, Go Bus Go!"

CHERYL, CORY & RYAN SICKLES
Glassboro, N.J.

What a great day for Steelers football and Pennsylvanians at large around the country! It wasn't easy being the only black and gold fan at a party filled with nothing but blue and green -- but it was great to offer my condolences to all of them in the end. Thank you to the fans around the country for keeping the Steelers' dream alive ... and, of course, deep gratitude to an amazing team for bringing home a fifth ring to a great city!

CHRISTINA RUPP-VALTEE
Seattle, Washington

Winning the Super Bowl seems like the best thing that happened on "Super Sunday" but the way this organization showed the love for each other was a much better lesson to be learned this day. It has been a long time since we have seen "pro" athletes forget about how great "I am", and show love and respect for your fellow man.

This is truly ( as I have always known it was) a class organization!

GLENN JACKSON, JR.
Roaming Shores, Ohio

The Steelers have become America's team.

KEITH WAITE
Richmond, Va.

On behalf of those members of the Steeler Nation residing on foreign soil, I would just like to say thank you to the Steeler players, Bill and Tunch. I lived for more than a year in Germany and now reside in Estonia, and the Steelers and their announcers have allowed me to live vicariously through my team just as easily from Europe as I could from Pennsylvania. Like so many Steeler fans, I had to get up at 3 a.m. to listen to Monday night football games on the Internet, and I watched the Super Bowl in a language I don't understand (Finnish). The black and gold is going strong in the former USSR, just as I'm sure it is all over the world. GO STEELERS!!!!

MATT TALBOO
Tallinn, Estonia

My sons grew up with stories from their dad of the Glory Days of the Steelers.

Yesterday, they both found the beginning of their own identification with Pittsburgh and the Champion Steelers.

Thanks for making their dreams come true.

DEBI TUNNEY
Belle Vernon, Pa.

To the entire Steeler organization:

There can be no greater joy for a father than to watch you guys play football with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter all clad in black and gold.

My wife and I traveled five hours to Dallas just to watch the game with them. That's how important it was for us. and you all came through and delivered!

From top to bottom you've displayed the class and hard work worthy of being the best team in Steeler history. I'm most proud to say that I belong to the Steeler Nation.

ED PLOPA
Wichita, Kansas

Thank you to the men who wear the Black and Gold. I was born a Steeler fan but was too young to remember our last Super Bowl victory. Your triumph over adversity this season as well as your growth as men and as teammates, has been nothing short of inspiring. I have never been more proud to be a Pittsburgh Steeler Fan! Congratulations! You are the Champions!

MICKEY WHITE
Richmond, Va.

You guys are a class act. In this modern world that sees too many self-centered cry-baby egos masquerading as professional athletes, the Steelers truly shine as an example of humility, teamwork, courage and grit. Thank you for bringing the trophy to Pittsburgh. But even more important, as young people today look to sports for their role models, thank you for being the kind of men that are truly deserving of that role.

RAYMOND GINTNER
Pittsburgh