Remember this Steelers fans???

[Bleacher Creature]

By the way, thanks to your guys for the win -- my Bills needed Jacksonville to lose.

Anyway, anyone remember this story???

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04265/382768.stm

Not everyone is excited about Roethlisberger's first NFL start

Tuesday, September 21, 2004
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The excitement that rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might bring Sunday in Miami to his first NFL start is not what co-captain Alan Faneca prefers. No disrespect to his young quarterback, but excitement is not what Faneca is feeling at the moment. "Exciting?" Faneca replied to a question in an are-you-crazy kind of way. "No, it's not exciting. Do you want to go work with some little young kid who's just out of college?"

<SNIP>

Amazing how things change in a little more than two months.

[JohnKleeb]

1. ha

interesting.

[anti_shrub]

2. I didn't blame him then or now

If you were a lineman and your starting QB went down and the backup was an unproven rookie, you wouldn't be doing backflips of joy either.

Just because things worked out well doesn't mean Faneca was wrong when he said it.

[JohnKleeb]

3. Yeah I agree

nice to see things work out the way they've worked out though.

[Bleacher Creature]

5. No doubt -- but it's still pretty amusing.

I'm sure Faneca would do it over again the exact same way if he had the chance. If for no other reason than the fact that he is a co-captain of a team that expects big things, and needed to make clear exactly what was expected of a rookie QB in that situation.

But even in an age when ESPN seizes upon every story with even the possibility of irony or cheesiness -- this is still pretty damn ironic.

[Ravenseye]

4. I was nervous too

I knew he'd one day be a great quarterback, but like everyone else I thought he could use a season practicing, getting to know the team, playing in big lead situations, etc.

I don't know anyone who HONESTLY wanted him to start the season ahead of Tommy-Gun. I'm sure they existed, but not in my circle.

The Miami game was a brutal one too. It was pretty much as close to playing in a Hurricane that you could get.

It took me a couple weeks to really start to get on board. Now I'm a believer.

The main problem I think at this point is Cowher's ultra-conservative play style.

14 points? Ok lets go conservative and just sit on the ball. It's nearly lost them the game to inferior teams 3 weeks in a row.

I like the Bills though, used to live up near the border between Bills and Steeler country...I hope they get in instead of the Ravens :)

[enigmatic]

6. I prefer to rembember this heartwarming moment:

My main man Joe "Turkey" Jones spiking Terry Bradshaw on his head during a typical Steelers-Browns grudgematch in the 70's....

Heh.

[chookie]

7. Ha ha I remember

Tommy had sucked for a long time. It was pathetic. Anytime you'd see him, he was always offering some explanation for why he had just played so badly and it was never about anything else. When he was forced out, people were saying -- "oh SHIT this kid is going to be even WORSE." He surprised everyone. Now he's all everyone talks about (like the Sir Walter Raleigh episode of Black Adder).

I am so happy for Pittsburgh fans, and thank the great Steeler team for giving the city such a great year. We could use it.

I am the classic "fair weather fan" -- not taking an interest until incredible things begin to happen, and now they are. Kinda like the old days.

Tough game tonight, but glad to have the win. Woo hoo.

[Dr.Phool]

8. Lets see how old we are

What the Steelers need is a good dose of Joe "Turkey" Jones.

If that doesn't generate healthy hate mail, nothing will.

In the meantime, I'll sit here and cry over my Browns.