It's been a tough off-season for ladies of the Steeler Nation. We were all faced with the untenable decision to stand behind Big Ben and supress our internal instincts, or decry him and the two superbowl rings he brought to the 'burgh. All of us were anxious for the headlines to head elsewhere. Aside from some speculation regarding the length of Roethlisberger's suspension, the spotlight has indeed started to stray. Thank goodness.
Perhaps it's an attempt to take a collective sigh of relief, to remind ourselves that our team is filled with only heroes, good guys. Whatever the reason, it's wonderful to see the many recent articles highlighting the positive attritubes of our beloved players. Over the coming weeks I'll be working to bring you more stories like this one.
One of my favorite feel-good stories from the off-season is Sean Conboy's Pittsburgh Magazine profile of linebacker LaMarr Woodley. The article opens up where our hopes for the offseason died - the aftermath of the late-November loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Conboy tells us that while most of his teammates went home to lick their wounds, Woodley drove straight to his hometown in Michigan to give those less fortunate than he something to smile about on that Thanksgiving day:
"People were already lining up on the windswept front lawn of the Civitan Rec Center—the free gym where Woodley spent most of his childhood. Their faces lit up when they saw their hero, who was carrying bags of household items for the approaching Thanksgiving holiday. For three hours, Woodley and other volunteers gave out napkins, plates, forks, dish detergent and other essential items to more than 500 families."
The rest of this beautifully writtens story tells us about his community service in the 'Burgh, where he is considered just one of the guys at the local Boys and Girls Club. It's definitely worth the read.
http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/July-2010/Wood-Be-Gentleman/
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