This one is for the thumb

To the Steeler Nation:

By Magoo
Congratulations on Sunday's 34-17 victory over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game. This victory, because it has taken so many years in coming, is to say the least --sweet. The Steelers, the Rooney family, and their coaching staff deserved this win. They earned it! Praise can be given to the entire group, as each in their own way, contributed to the success of this year’s team.

Yet for all, truly this is only the beginning. Sure, if we were to lose to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, we would still feel a sense of accomplishment. But for this team, the City of Pittsburgh, and the Steeler Nation winning the Super Bowl will mean more than just a football Championship. It will fulfill the hopes of all of us. It would fulfill the fans 26 year mantra of “one for the thumb”.

For those of us old enough to remember, words cannot describe how we all felt when the Steelers won that first ring. Then in the next five years three more rings followed. Since then, for twenty-six years, we have all been hoping for a fifth ring. “One for the thumb”.

 
Since it has yet to happen we have all been waiting for the single same thing with the identical zeal since 1979. In 1995 we were close and then last year we were close. Something seemed to be missing. But now, this year we seem to realize that this situation is quite different this time around. What is that difference?

Is it the Bus? Maybe. Is it that Art Rooney III believed that we could be in this game as far back as last March? Is it that Coach Cowher, his staff, and the team is putting it all together at the right time? I cannot be sure. Maybe it’s a combination of all of them.

Or could it be that something magical occurred back in November 28^th of 2005. The Steelers were playing the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was returning for the first time since having surgery done to repair a knee injury, was reported to have injured his thumb in the game. As everyone recalls the Steelers lost that game 26-7, and things looked bleak.

In the weeks to follow the media, Cowher, and Ben all had something to say about the injury. “It’s a little sore,” Ben told reporters. Cowher, on the other hand was his usual tight lipped on the situation. Then the Steelers lost the following week to the Cincinnati Bengals. But the next week they beat the Chicago Bears while using predominantly a rushing attack.

In his weekly press conference Coach Cowher was as usual, fielding questions from the media when KDKA’s John Shumway followed up on a query regarding the reason the Steelers didn’t pass more in the game. Shumway was wondering if Ben’s thumb injury had anything to do with it! Cowher interrupted Shumway in mid-sentence with the following response.

"Hey, John, you got to let that go, man," Cowher said. "You got to let it go, honestly. I'm not going to answer any more about that, really. Let it go. I mean, c'mon.

Yet another thing was happening that added to the mystique of this season. Nearly everyone has failed to realize that Ben is back to wearing his beloved glove. Reportedly, he is wearing it to hold a brace that protects his thumb.

Last year you may recall many fans clamored about Ben wearing a glove. Many believed it was the reason he had apparently lost his edge in near loss to the New York Jets in last season’s playoff game. “He’s got to get rid of that glove,” many a fan complained. In the following game a gloveless Ben played in the AFC title game. The Patriots beat the Steelers soundly on that frigid night in Pittsburgh.

The glove never reappeared until December 3^rd of this season when the Steelers faced the Bengals. The Steelers lost that game to the Bengals but Ben had passed the ball for a whopping 386 yards on the day. In the week that followed no one asked about the glove, and how it may have hindered his performance on the day.

The reason as far as I can figure is that everybody feels that Ben needs the glove this time to help protect, of all things, --- his thumb.

We all need to understand that this “one for the thumb” thing has been in our collective hopes for over two and a half decades. Never did we realize… that some day a wunderkind young quarterback, not even a glimmer in his mother’s eye in 1980, would be heading into the biggest game of his short football career --with a bum thumb. Ahh the irony of it all!

I can recall one of the most popular calls was “one for the thumb in 81”. OK Ben was born in March of 1982 but then it must have been in 81 he was conceived. Hummmm... This is a fullfillment of our noble wish!