The Project

Sixteen Sundays is a long-term documentary photography project that focuses on the experience of being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Year after year, fans of the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers support their team in stadiums, bars, and homes around the world. Photographer Kevin Francis Sweeney spent five years documenting the lives of Steelers fans through the yearly cycle of sixteen regular season games plus playoffs as they experienced victory and heartache. A traveling exhibition and companion book of black and white photographs represent the enduring expressions of love and devotion to football that are rooted in the city of Pittsburgh and spread around the world.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a family run NFL franchise since 1933, and in 2009 became the first team to win six Super Bowl championships. Decades of success have built a loyal fan base that identifies with the team’s traditions and core values of dedication, hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance. The Pittsburgh Steelers carry the banner of pride for an extended global community, and steward the hopes of every man, woman and child in the Steeler Nation. Being a part of the spectacle helps unite the community and relieves the stress of everyday life.