Beer We Go Steelers

The jersey curse continues. It looks like I will be mothballing my LaMarr Woodley jersey, a gift from KGB two years ago. The Steelers announced today that Woodley has been placed on injured reserve after he suffered an injury to his right calf in Sunday’s win over the Bengals.

So here is the story of my jersey curse. I LOVE the Steelers which should be apparent by now and during the season I wear a Steelers shirt every day. Jerseys are the outfit of choice when I go to church during the season. The bad news is that I have a “jersey curse”. Here is the proof.

My first jersey was a Terry Bradshaw Jersey my dad gave to me in the mid eighties, he gave me the jersey, Bradshaw was injured and the Cliff Stoudt/Mark Malone Era was upon us. Also Bradshaw had a pretty messy divorce from the Steelers after all that, including bad mouthing Chuck Noll for 200 pages in his book.

When I finally got some scratch in my pocket after college I wanted a new Steelers Jersey, so I went with Rod Woodson…who blew his knee out the first game I wore it and then promptly left the Steelers the next season. I saved it and I wear that jersey to this day in my Turkey Bowl.

I grabbed “the Bus” Jerome Bettis, old number 36, he was injured and only played in 11 games that season.  He never had another 1000 yard season after that year.

Kendrell Bell(Home) and Joey Porter(away) were two dynamic linebackers. I purchase Bell and Porter having Reebok customize the jerseys for me, before Porter was the “common” jersey. It worked out great as they led the Steelers to the number one seed.  Then Bell was injured in 2004 and then disappeared off the face of the earth. Porter of course had a great career here but got shot in the ass prior to the 2003 season!

My friend was in Korea and he bought me “Big” Ben Roethlisberger, in 2006 less than four months later, he had a motor cycle accident.  Hines Ward most catches in Steelers history, literally the day after I got his jersey he was injured in the AFC Championship game. Troy Polamalu (White) was injured the first game of the season the year after I bought his jersey. I also purchased the James Harrison “throwback” the black one so Captain Tailgate and I could match. Harrison hurt his knee and suffered during the season and now plays for the freakin’ Bengals.

I started buying retired players who meant something to the Steelers, what could be the damage. I bought Joe Greene and Jack Lambert, both are doing great and Greene actually came back to the Steelers not long after it became my “gamer”; the jersey I wear to all games. So why not keep going in that direction. I had a chance to buy a “throwback” it was supposed to be Rocky Bleier. But when I found out they made Mike Webster I cancelled the order and got Webster…he died less than a year later. Somewhere, Bleier is breathing a sigh of relief.

Last year before the season, I bought the “bumble bee” Jack Ham and again he seems to be doing good, so I figured why not buy the L.C. Greenwood “throwback” jersey. I have met Greenwood several times thought it would be cool, I wore it the Friday we were in London for the game, LC died the following Sunday.

On a side note, I went to the Giants v. The Cowboys and bought a Plaxico Jersey to wear. Figured I would support my local team with a player I love. He shot himself less than two months later!

So jerseys are off the Christmas list this year!!! Good luck LaMarr and sorry about that!