Steelers fans on shaky ground

Look for the 'Heinz Field rocks' t-shirts to show up any day now.

That's because Heinz Field really does rock, as thousands of surprised fans discovered over the weekend when the new Pittsburgh stadium hosted its first public event, an 'N Sync concert. As fans in the upper decks of the new facility swayed back and forth to the music, they were surprised to find that the stadium was swaying right along with them.

Because it is made of steel, the new facility has a little more 'give' than the old concrete Three Rivers Stadium. Although no one is suggesting part of Heinz Field is in danger of toppling, Steelers fans in the (relatively) cheap seats should be aware of what awaits them.

After all, if a teeny-bopper band and its adolescent fans can make the stadium shake, what's going to happen when nearly 60,000 raucous Steelers fans pack the stands for Saturday's exhibition game with the Lions, or for a more emotional contest against, say, the Cleveland Browns?

Team officials are offering little comment on the 'sway' issue, but spokespeople for Mascaro Inc., the stadium's general contractor, were assuring the public that the sway issue is nothing to be concerned about.

For now, we'll trust the architects and hope for the best. Heinz Field certainly isn't the first steel stadium ever constructed, and when problems have occurred at other facilities, they have been minor and were solved with a little reinforcement at the right places.

But before area football fans make their Sunday sojourns to Heinz Field, they should remember this warning: The Steelers' offense isn't the only thing that's shaky.