Playoffs good for business
When the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots meet today in Heinz Field to battle for the right to represent the American Football Conference in the Super Bowl, the game could affect ordinary people not affiliated with the teams, conference or the league. For some, the game might be just what the doctor ordered.
It will be a busy time for a handful of people in Fayette County, while others look at it as a few hours of quiet.
If the Steelers’ game last Saturday against the New York Jets was any indication of local fan interest, people like Rachael Pike, a manager at Arnolds Beer Distributor in Masontown, will be one of the busier folks.
“Friday, before the game and halftime, we were really busy,” Pike said.
She said a lot of customers bought kegs and beer in special Steelers collector cans for parties they held during the game.
Gathering with friends to watch the game is good for the soul of diehard Steelers fans as well as casual fans whose interest has grown during the team’s record-setting 15-1 season and its run for the championship, according to Christine Blaney, a psychotherapist at Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services.
“The ability to have fun goes a long way toward mental health,” Blaney said. “Socialization is a key to mental health.”
She said a lot of symptoms she sees in people who suffer from depression and anxiety point to a lack of socialization as a cause.
“One of my treatment plans is to increase socialization,” Blaney said.
The dynamic of a crowd of people swept up in Steelermania could be just what some people need to beat the blues, she said.
At Darby’s Pub and Restaurant in Uniontown, the employees have as much Steeler spirit as the patrons, according to manager Barb Johnston and bartender Jackie Diluzio.
Diluzio worked during the Jets game and is off today, but she said she might come in to watch the game with her regular customers.
“I like to be around a lot of people when there is something fun going on,” Diluzio said.
Johnston said the tension among customers was palpable from the beginning of the game against the Jets because Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger missed on a few passing attempts.
“I had customers that didn’t want to eat until the game was over. That’s how tense it was,” Diluzio said.
Patrons were so into the game that they chanted for a miss on what would have been two go-ahead field goals the Jets attempted late in regulation, Johnston said.
Both kicks were off target, and the Steelers won in overtime, which brought them to today’s game for the AFC crown.
Whether or not the Steelers win is not important, Blaney said. She compared watching a Steelers loss in a social setting to a funeral.
“Funerals are for people to gather for support. That’s why we do that as human beings. It’s a supportive circle. There’s a sense of connection. I’m not suffering alone. We’re wired to be social human beings. Someone has to lose,” Blaney said.
Some people might be so busy during the Steelers win they might have to watch highlights on ESPN to learn the outcome.
Brad Cottrill, a manager at KFC in Uniontown, said vehicles waiting in the drive-thru line were backed up onto Morgantown Street during the game against the Jets.
He said Sundays are typically busy, but extra employees will be working today and will be allowed to don the black and gold.
“Being that it’s the AFC Championship game, we’ll have extra staff here,” Cottrill said.
Likewise, business was brisk last Saturday at Vocelli Pizza in Dunbar, supervisor Christina Frazee said. Most orders came before the game and at halftime, she said, and although she isn’t working today, she expects business to be as brisk.
The state liquor store in the Fayette Plaza Shopping Center was busy before the Jets game and was busy last week, according to manager Paul McCann. Retail sales as well as sales to bars and restaurants have been booming, he said.
McCann said the store will begin opening on Sundays starting Feb. 6, which is Super Bowl Sunday.
If the Steelers don’t win today, they won’t be in the Super Bowl, and that can be a problem for fans that take sports too seriously, Blaney said.
She said some stress is a good thing because it pushes people to achieve, but too much leads to burnout.
“In my experience, people can invest too much in a sport. You can get too caught up in sports, relationships or work. It can get out of balance and become your whole objective,” she said.
Uniontown police officer Thomas Kolencik said the Steelers-Jets game was a stress-free time for he and the other officer that worked that shift.
“During the game, it was nice. It was quiet. We didn’t get one call,” Kolencik said. “I don’t think anyone wants to go to jail during the Steelers game.”
However, drinking during the game at house parties led to some problems afterward. He said there were some domestic incidents and drunk drivers after the game.
Kolencik said there were no problems in bars or with people leaving bars: “It’s a testament to these bar owners.”
Many city residents, even those he didn’t suspect were football fans, are behind the Steelers, a refreshing sight for Kolencik.
“It’s nice to see how festive it is around town,” Kolencik said.
He said he was supposed to work today, but managed to trade shifts with a fellow officer and plans to watch the game.