The Power of Renegade: Data finds song actually does help Steelers' defense
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - "Oh mama, I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law..."
If you're a Steelers fan you know what that opening lyric means.
Acrisure Stadium is about to get LOUD.
Styx's 1978 classic song "Renegade" has been played as a way to get the defense and the crowd amped up since 2005.
It's become such a staple that in 2020, the team released a video of players, past and present, lip-syncing the song.
Turns out, it's more than just your average crowd-pleasing tradition, it actually helps the black and gold play better.
A research study from Point Park University checked out the data from 54 home games between 2014 and 2021 when Renegade was played in the stadium.
They found that the Steelers kept the lead in around 60-percent of those games.
Of the times Renegade was played in that time frame? The Steelers only lost seven times.
The data also showed that the opposing team was seven times more likely to fumble or lose possession on the next play following Renegade.
Steelers fans - you believed in the power of Renegade but now you have the numbers to prove it!