In the last decade of Noll's tenure, cracks began to show in the Steeler Way. Pittsburgh held on to its 1970s Super Bowl heroes, out of loyalty, for far too long. The drafting magic went away as other teams put more money into scouting and personnel. Free agency and a rapidly aging, revenue-limited stadium put a financial crimp on the team. Steroids, as they had elsewhere in the league, became a black mark, with offensive lineman Steve Courson blowing the whistle on his use and others', and Terry Long getting suspended for using them.

Still, the organization's belief in the Steeler Way never wavered. When Noll retired after the 1991 season, Art Rooney's sons hired Bill Cowher, another hard-nosed, defensive-minded coach. The Pittsburgh native preached from the same gospel as Noll. Execute the fundamentals. Finish plays. Run when you should run, pass when you should pass. Anyone could be asked to do anything at any time.

The Steeler Way also got a break with the imposition of a salary cap. Maybe spending would still be tight, but no longer would the gap between the Steeler Way and other team's ways be as great. While Noll’s version of the Steeler Way involved teaching it to a core group of players who would stay with the team their whole careers, Cowher’s version involves keeping it alive so even a team with regular turnover would never douse its flame.

The Steeler Way has proven so powerful, it has imitators. Franchises such as the New England Patriots, the Detroit Pistons, the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago White Sox have adopted their own versions of the Steelers Way, to great success.

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But other teams have trouble copying it, because while its concepts appear simple, they’re not. It's hard to get a group of pro athletes, coaches, general managers and owners to sublimate their egos. As a player, you can get rich playing for the Steelers, but more than likely not as rich as you would somewhere else. It would drive a Jon Gruden-type crazy to see people leaving the film room to go say hello to their families. The demand of loyalty is not a demand of fealty.

The Steeler Way of consistency is not everybody’s way. Cowher hasn't gotten Noll's four Super Bowl titles. Cowher has been criticized, before this year, for making the game only once out of five trips to the AFC championship. But now he has his title after beating the Seahawks 21-10.