Every city likes to think that their loyalty to their hometown teams is without peer, but the bond between the city of Pittsburgh and the Steelers transcends loyalty to the point that the town without the team is simply unimaginable. That the Steelers came to dominance as their namesake industry was on the wane, dragging down civic pride and salaries alike, is one of the reasons that through good seasons and bad, it has been nearly impossible to get a ticket to the stadium or pass a TV on Sundays not tuned to the game for 30 years. From the time I was a kid, the only thing that eased the dread of returning to school on Monday was the simple pleasure of watching the game with my dad. At one point, he signed us up for the season ticket waiting list, then something like 15 years long. More often than not, we'd watch at home, or over a burger at a selection of dive bars only inhabitable by normal folk on Steeler Sundays. From time to time, he would get 50-yard-line seats through his work with Nike, or the college where he was Director of Athletics, his office just a few blocks from the field. Maybe once a year we would drive down to the stadium and he would buy scalped tickets at absurd markups. No matter where the seats were located, we would always make our way to the 600 level at the very top of Three Rivers Stadium. My dad always said that you could see more from up there, and he was right, but that wasn't the best reason to give up field-level for the nosebleed section. While the box seats were full of doctors and lawyers entertaining clients or showing off to their friends, 600 was where real Pittsburghers sat and cheered for the Steelers.

Through winning seasons and losing, talented teams and scrubs, Pittsburgh has stood by the Black and Gold. With the glory days of Super Bowls over and some of the players on those teams aging and even dying before their time, the 2004 season saw unheralded rookie Ben Roethlisberger go undefeated after taking over the starting job, leading the team to the AFC championship game. During that off-season, Roethlisberger, who won the fans' love in record time, tangled with Steelers coach Bill Cowher over the QB's penchant for riding his motorcycle sans helmet:

Soon after that, the 2005 season started, and Roethlisberger fought through potential season-ending injuries to lead the Steelers to their first Super Bowl win in 25 years. Big Ben turned into Saint Ben, and did as he pleased. >Until:

Needless to say, Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet, was riding alone not with a group of people, and wasn't being careful. Sandra Ford, a witness said:

Pennsylvania used to have a strict helmet law before the NASCAR-ification of the commonwealth reached a point in 2003 that allowed repeal of the law for riders with two years on a bike or who managed to pass a safety class. Since the law's repeal, motorcycle deaths have increased by more than 30%. Though Roethlisberger was no doubt fully insured, (sparing PA taxpayers from footing the bill) 24% of motor vehicle injury medical costs are covered by government health insurance programs, and those that aren't raise insurance rates for everyone else. Incalculable are the costs to the Steelers organization - and the City of Pittsburgh - if Roethlisberger is, as speculated, unable to play again.

Despite my lifelong allegiance to the Steelers, and my gratitude to Ben Roethlisberger for bringing home the Lombardi Trophy, I feel nothing for him today. On Monday, I received texts, calls, emails and IMs with minute-by-minute updates from friends and family both in Pittsburgh and elsewhere. My sister said she felt sick. Others were in shock as Roethlisberger's condition oscillated from lying in a pool of blood to stable to serious to surgery to whatever it is now. I didn't and don't feel sick or sorry for him. I'm angry. Angry at someone who was given the opportunity to lead a professional football team as a rookie. Angry at someone who earned $4.5 million in endorsements, more than $9 million in bonus money, $230,000 in salary and $2.3 million in incentives in his first year ignoring his coach and his predecessor Terry Bradshaw's advice not to risk his career by riding without a helmet. Angry at someone who valued his little hobby over the hard work his teammates put into protecting him on the field. Angry at someone who accepted the love of his fans and then pissed on their dreams because he wanted to be a rebel.

But I'm most angry because Roethlisberger sustained his injuries, including a broken jaw, by choice. But he will be the recipient of tens of thousands of cards, millions of prayers and a massive amount of supportive press, things another man who sustained a broken jaw just days earlier will not.



Back in the early 90s, I used to travel the east coast with my friends in search of the club/rave scene that had yet to mature in Pittsburgh. Weekend trips to New York, Baltimore, and Washington D.C were commonplace, and on more than a few occasions, the nights featured performances or were hosted by vocalist Kevin Aviance. Now diva house and drag shows aren't at the top of my entertainment list, but Aviance's star power was undeniable, and his sterling reputation in his scene is certainly well-deserved. Four New York men apparently didn't get the memo. They beat Aviance almost to death, shattering his jaw in a vicious hate crime. "Hate crime" doesn't even begin to cover it:

The reason that Aviance was attacked is one of the reasons that a Google news search for "Kevin Aviance" yields 368 results after 3 days, while one for "Ben Roethlisberger" yields more than 2,000 after just a few hours. Of course Roethlisberger has achieved a much higher level of fame than Aviance, but the fact remains that one man ignored his safety and all good advice, risked his career and his team's success, and willingly put his life in danger, while the other was attacked and nearly killed for nothing more than his sexual preference.

While the majority of Pittsburghers everywhere will be praying for Roethlisberger, this relocated Pittsburgher will be rooting for Aviance to recover in time for his scheduled performance at New York's Gay Pride Parade.