Pittsburgh Steelers fans have reason to be disappointed after it was announced that the team will not host training camp in Latrobe in 2021.
When news broke that the Pittsburgh Steelers were denied approval to host their annual training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe due to COVID-19 protocol, I was beyond disappointed. 2020 was a bad year for everyone, and fans really needed this.
For those who don’t regularly attend games, training camp is a chance to see your team in a different setting. For Steelers fans, they have a chance to sit on the hillside at Saint Vincent College and narrow in on a player or positional group to watch during practice. It’s also a chance for fans to see their favorite players up close, snag a few autographs, or strike up a quick conversation.
Sadly, all of that looks to be off the table at this point. For the second straight year, the Steelers will not host their training camp in Latrobe. However, Joe Rutter of TribLive.com states that fans will be allowed to attend a few practices at Heinz Field:
Steelers will host fans for a few practices at Heinz Field. Details being ironed out.
— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) June 24, 2021
While Steelers fans anxiously wait and see when they will be able to make the trip to Pittsburgh, we can only sit here in disappointment. I have to say that I’m having a hard time making sense of it all.
Despite a Kansas City Chiefs being approved to practice at St. Joe, the Steelers were somehow denied approval to host their annual training camp in Latrobe. Even worse, the Dallas Cowboys are somehow still able to fly out to California for their training camp, but the Steelers can’t drive approximately 30 miles east?
The frustration of this decision isn’t something that isn’t going to go away anytime soon. If you are a Steelers fan who hasn’t yet been to St. Vincent College for training camp, I almost envy you – you don’t know what you are missing out on.
For me, training camp is one of my favorite times of the year. I love to soak up the atmosphere and deal with the blazing heat in Latrobe. For everyone’s sake, I hope they are able to attend multiple practices at Heinz Field this year and that you all can still enjoy training camp like we are used to.