Steelers Celebrate CBA, Connect with Fans at Night Practice in Latrobe

Latrobe, PA; approximately 40 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The home of Rolling Rock beer, legendary golfer Arnold Palmer and TV's soft-spoken Fred Rogers from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

In the center sits Latrobe Memorial Stadium, which becomes Steeler Nation's center of attention for one night every year. Ladies and gentleman, all aboard the black-and-gold train. Destination: the Pittsburgh Steelers' annual night practice.

Last night, fans from all over the city gathered in the stadium's stands, sporting their #7 jerseys and carrying picket-signs with messages like "Troy, Over Here!" and "I Bleed Black-n-Gold." And they all had the same reason for attending: to watch some football. Finally.

It seems like it has been too long since we have seen a player take the field.

Following the 2010 season, the owners unanimously voted to not continue with the collective-bargaining-agreement (CBA) that they were under. Instead, they would work with the NFL Players Association to create a new one from scratch.

Over the span of four-and-a-half months, the two sides went back and forth while NFL fans watched analysts' Twitter feeds, waiting for a Tweet proclaiming that the madness had come to an end. No one could have guessed that there would be no official agreement until the morning of Aug. 5 when the new CBA was signed by commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith on the stairs of Canton's Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Even though the Steelers refused to ratify the new agreement, the atmosphere at Latrobe was more of a celebration than it had ever been. (No one was celebrating more than linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who put his signature on a six-year, $61.5 million contract today, making him the second highest-paid Steeler in franchise history.)

And I would know (ouch, that sounded arrogant), considering that my dad and I have made the trip every year since 2006. As soon as the date was announced, we started discussing which players we would chase after and which pizza spot we would escape to.

What makes this practice different than others held during training camp is the autograph session beforehand. For 15 minutes, the players eat "humble pie," taking their markers to different spots along the stadium fence to sign for fans.

On a personal note, I got pretty lucky this year. The last time we went, I got Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Willie Parker and Troy Polamalu to sign a mini-ball. I brought the same ball this time around and added James Harrison, Ben Roethlisberger, James Farrior, Rashard Mendenhall and Heath Miller to the surface's star-studded repertoire.

I am not saying this out of personal bias: I cannot imagine any other NFL organization doing this. (If you can find one, please bring it to my attention). Having your favorite team's players take time out of their busy schedules to sign autographs is more than a fan can ask for.

Especially when those "little things" mean so much to the average fan. When I was waiting to get James Farrior's signature, there was a little boy in front of me, grasping the fence with one hand. He was probably 6 or 7 years old, holding a football card up to the two-time Super Bowl champion's face. When it was returned with a black-ink signature across the top, the boy smiled.

That's what football is all about.