I feel betrayed by the Steelers
The other night, I saw Michael Vick wearing black and gold in a photo on the Post-Gazette’s website.
The Steelers made an African-American man a starting quarterback in 1974 — a first in the new league after the AFL-NFL merger. The Steelers drafted a “Joe who?” and he became a team leader and the best at his position. The Steelers trusted a smaller-than-average Jewish tight end with the football when other teams would not, and he helped them earn yet another Super Bowl title.
The Steelers hired a man who went to jail for funding and participating in the torture and killing of countless dogs who had been chained, starved, forced to fight and maim each other, then hanged or electrocuted when they were no longer competitive. What’s wrong with this picture?
My life has been full of meaning because I love and respect all animals, whether domestic or wild, pretty or ugly, docile or fierce. The Steelers also have had my love and devotion since I was a child growing up in Beaver County. But now I feel betrayed. Years ago, I told my co-workers here in New York (with pride), “The Rooneys would never hire a dog killer.” I would rather eat dog food from a can than eat those words now.
Adding Michael Vick to the legendary Steelers roster is tantamount to saying the Steelers will do whatever it takes to win in the NFL, rather than maintaining the hard-working, blue-collar ethic that is the foundation of the organization from so many years ago.
The only way that I, a lifelong Steelers fan, can be mollified by Vick being on the team is by imagining him before a game, scared, hungry, anxious, hurting, tired, lonely and feeling all of that again after the game. Mammals — humans and dogs — share all these feelings. Now I ask you again, what’s wrong with this picture?
SUSAN KLINGELHOEFER
New York, N.Y.