Heinz Field ranked 2nd toughest venue in NFL by ESPN

Pittsburgh Steelers' fans have something else to proud of. Heizn Field, the home of the Steelers was ranked the second toughest venue to play in by ESPN.com. The ranking was compiled by eight "experts". Heinz Field finished behind Lambeau Field, home to the Ice Bowl, the Frozen Tundra and even a trend-setting Leap.

Like most lists, they really didn't specify the criteria for this list. Was it just based off of repuation? Or was it based on the teams respected records at homes? Either way it's really no surprise that Heinz Field finished so high.

On the other hand, I can see arguments from non-Steeler fans. The Steelers have lost a lot of big games at home over the years. The New England Patriots basically use Heinz Field as their second home. The Steelers have lost two AFC Championship games at Heinz Field, and another wild-card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the last 10 years.

However, egardless of the losses in the AFC championship games, Heinz field is a cold weather stadium, has real grass turf, and a ravenous home crowd. That alone make it a difficult stadium to play in. Have you seen how many people fall on that ripped up turf or drop passes because of the sub zero temps?

Also, despite my many arguements with Steelers' fans over the years, there's no denying the passion they possess for the team. Especially when this happens at Heinz Feild: