Our new Seahawks owner, Vinod Khosla, dropped a bombshell at his introductory press conference, admitting he’s *still* a big fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yeah, you heard that right. Khosla said, “I happened to come to this country in ’76 when the Steelers were winning the Super Bowl. So actually, I was originally and still am a big Steelers fan. Also, a little-known fact, but I still watch all the Steelers games too.” Can you believe that? An owner, openly cheering for another team, especially *that* team?
The Super Bowl Wound That Just Got Poked
Those comments immediately sparked some serious criticism. I mean, how do you sit there as an NFL owner and cheer for someone else? And why would you ever admit that, especially when you’re just getting started in the Emerald City? This isn’t something you typically hear, ever, let alone during an intro presser. What makes Khosla’s admission even wilder is the deep, dark history between our Hawks and those very same Steelers. We all remember that Super Bowl loss, the one riddled with controversial penalties that absolutely shafted Seattle. The 12s are still salty about losing our first-ever Super Bowl like that, and now our new owner says he’s a fan of the team that delivered that pain? Ouch.
“Very Transparent Style” or Just Trolling?
Khosla definitely heard the blowback, because he took to X on Friday to address it head-on. He wrote, “Reporters will make every molehill into a mountain just to get column inches to write or video minutes. What’s wrong with admitting my 1976-78 period in Pittsburgh (CMU) got me excited about the NFL? I still watch their games doesn’t mean I won’t unconditionally ALWAYS as owner, want the Seahawks to win and have every edge up, EVERY TIME over every other team!!!! Zero questions!!!” He went on to say he wants every other team to lose every advantage and then sarcastically welcomed sportswriters getting more column inches, apologizing in advance for his “very transparent style.” Look, we get the loyalty thing, but the timing is just… something else.
How the Steelers Stole Hearts Back in ’76
To be fair, Khosla’s original fandom makes some historical sense. He came to the US right when pro football was really taking off as America’s most popular sport, largely thanks to the Steelers. That team in the 1970s was stacked, boasting ten future Hall of Famers, and they ripped off four Super Bowl wins in just six years. In 1976, the year Khosla mentioned, the Steelers beat the Cowboys 21-17 in what was, at the time, the most exciting and most watched Super Bowl ever. For a lot of people discovering the NFL back then, without a previous rooting interest, the Cowboys or Steelers became their team. Khosla was one of those folks.
But man, this is the Seahawks now. They play each other in 2027, and you know that game is going to have some serious fireworks. Khosla better be rocking some serious green and blue when that day comes!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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