For the most part, Pittsburgh Steelers fans behaved well during the Steel City celebrations that followed the team's Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday evening. The celebrations were in the form of revelry, not riots, as some other cities have experienced in the wake of sports championships.

For that, Pittsburgh fans merit praise.

Anyone riding around the Butler area Sunday evening while the game was in progress couldn't help noting that something important was commanding people's attention. Businesses that on any "normal" Sunday evening would have had a considerable number of vehicles in their lots were virtually deserted; traffic on Butler area roadways was light.

That was fortunate. Roadway conditions in and around Butler didn't merit many plaudits for highway crews for a significant part of the evening. The state Department of Transportation's response to the wintry weather mimicked the slow start of the Steelers' offense in the big game.

Bob Skrak, PennDOT maintenance manager, said Monday morning that full crews had been in service on Sunday and all of the state's trucks were out during the snowy, windy conditions, but motorists who were traveling on roads such as Route 68 west of Butler and New Castle Road and Route 8 probably weren't convinced.

At one Butler area convenience store Monday afternoon, Sunday's less-than-super road conditions were one of the topics of conversation between the woman behind the counter and a woman who had stopped to make a purchase.

Skrak said state crews had not only been working on main arteries, but also had been addressing drifting conditions on secondary roads. Regardless, the state crews' response to the storm was less than adequate.

The city's response also could be judged as late in coming, although quick results could be observed once the anti-skid materials began to be spread on the streets.

Meanwhile, the 7 p.m. Sunday Mass at St. Paul Catholic Church on North McKean Street, which usually is attended by hundreds of parishioners, attracted only about 40 people this weekend, as the usual evening parishioners apparently changed their Mass-attendance schedule so they wouldn't miss seeing the Steelers' in championship game action.

Butler residents stayed warm Sunday night during and after the game, a large contingent of fans having attended a pro-Steelers rally Saturday in front of the city building on West North Street.

There were ample displays of loyalty to the Black and Gold all weekend in Butler County via Steelers jackets, sweatshirts, caps, vehicle flags and many other items. There also was plenty of black and gold on Monday.

The Steelers' appearance in the Super Bowl is something that will be talked about long after today's victory parade in Pittsburgh, even as Western Pennsylvania prepares to turn its focus to the Pirates' 2006 season.

For the Steelers, it must be hoped that free agency doesn't do serious harm to the team between now and the start of training camp this summer. The current team would seem to be a candidate for more Super Bowl appearances if it is able to stay together, albeit without the services of the retiring Jerome Bettis.

The fact that those celebrating the Super Bowl XL victory did, for the most part, show respect for the City of Pittsburgh and its properties, and other people around them, is testimony to the quality of Steelers fans.

It's uplifting that Butler County residents could be part of the excitement and spirit of success that the Steelers were able to muster during the just-completed season.