The Pittsburgh Steelers were already dealing with distractions from the Antonio Brown Facebook Live stream fallout and a flu bug traveling around the team. The last thing they were likely expecting before the AFC Championship Game was an unnecessary arousal from their sleep. But that's what they got when a zealous opposing fan pulled the fire alarm in their team hotel.
Fire alarm incident
The Steelers were staying at an airport hotel the night before the AFC Championship Game, as is customary in these situations. Unfortunately, an area man who likely thought it would be funny or cool to shape the outcome of the contest got wind of where they were staying as well, and decided he would take action against the visiting team.
That's why, in the early morning hours of Sunday, a fire alarm went off in the hotel.
Dennis Harrison was charged with three crimes, including falsely pulling a fire alarm, a big no-no in this country. The Steelers weren't evacuated from their hotel because there was no clear danger, and NFL security was on hand to deal with the fallout. Many members of the team were awakened from their rest, though, just hours before they had to arrive for the AFC Championship Game.
The game
Perhaps the Steelers were suffering from some sleep-deprived deja vu when a fire alarm went off at the New England Patriots' stadium earlier on Sunday as well. Either way, the AFC Championship Game suddenly wasn't in the cards anymore.
Pittsburgh looked sloppy and disoriented from the start, giving up ten points before they could even get on the board themselves. Their high-powered running game was shut down and their defense had no answer for receiver Chris Hogan, a marginal player before this week. The 36-17 loss wasn't just humiliating; it brought an end to a promising season short of the team's goals.
It's impossible to say if the fire alarm incident contributed to the AFC Championship Game beatdown -- NFL players are used to all sorts of distractions, after all. It certainly didn't help the Steelers at the end of the day, though.
