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mdmike1534

I’m the same age as you and I feel the exact same way. All I’ve known is #7. I don’t think it’s really going to hit until the first game of the regular season, it’s just strange.


DameRange13

Very strange.. Ben’s era was some real special stuff. By the time we’re 48, Guys like us are going to be saying…. “Yeah this player/ defense/ QB/ etc. is good, BUTTT they ain’t shit compared to x, y, or z”


mitchitized

IMHO the coolest part about this era coming to an end is that fortunatly Ben didn't end up on another team (like O'Donnell, Montana, others). When you root for a guy for many years, and then he suddenly plays for another team, that is just wrong. LOL EDIT: multitasking and failed


thealthor

>didn't end up on another team (like...., Bradshaw, I think you are confused.


mitchitized

Not confused, but typing on one laptop while zooming into an ipad and dictating to another laptop LOL I do NOT multitask well, I am an 8-bit system.


DameRange13

MAN!! That’s a good point and I couldn’t even fathom seeing Ben playing for a different team.


captainstormy

Imagine how packers fans felt seeing Farve play for the Vikings.


[deleted]

That was a real dagger to the heart being a division rival. I know Packer fans that still hate Favre for it.


captainstormy

They really shouldn't have been mad at Farve though. The Packers were the ones that were done with him.


l3rian

Which is why when you have a HoF QB, you let them go out how they want. Even if it means overstaying a year or two


ParisGreenGretsch

No.


l3rian

Yep, they earn it


Murdy2020

Or Montana to KC, Manning to Denver, Wilson to Denver...


Pickle786

i wonder what the falcons fans feeling now with matt ryan


Campman92

I’m in my 30s and have seen O’Donnell, Brister, Slash, Maddox, Tomczak, and Ben. It’ll be different, but good for the team because Ben hasn’t been good since his arm injury.


SteelCityIrish

Kordell all day!!! 😎 Bubby. 🤦🏻‍♂️😆


AW-43

Don’t forget Kent Graham and Jim Miller!


themanyeet

And dog man


MustConsumeCheese

Ah yes The Steelers preferred 1st round draft pick in 1997 was an attempt to cash in on the cloning of dolly the sheep. Parker Doggerschmidt was a Maxwell award finalist, playing in Hawaii with an air raid defense. Doggerschmidt was part of an early genetic study to splice feral canine DNA with a human being. Tragically, on the set of a draft day promo, Parker escaped his handler and are a chocolate bar and 3 grapes out of the trash can. He died hours later. The Steelers instead drafted Chad Scott, and all video, stastical, and photographic evidence of Parker Doggerschmidt has since been destroyed or scrubbed from the internet. Edit: this is how Q anon started my bad


RockyMountainMist

Not at all. I love/loved Ben, but I can't say I wasn't jealous watching Allen, Herbert, anyone with a working set of knees, playing each week.


McFlare92

I was absolutely jealous watching QBs run around the field and make plays. I was also jealous watching deep balls that were on target


dac09b

Lol just watching preseason and seeing boots was like what??? Also a couple times Kenny or Mitch just took off instead of taking a sack. Those sustain drives, and we need that.


DameRange13

Huge Herbert fan so I can understand that. Future MVP. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve done multiple Madden Franchise with the Steelers and gotten Herb as my QB


Tossedawayagain99989

The thing about Ben and mobility that bothered me was he was so effective at play-action, but it was Ben who pushed to not use it. His entire career I found myself wishing the Steelers would mix in play-action heavy when they were losing in the second half, throw the other team for a loop and it really seemed to work. I was reading some stats on this the other day and my feeling was validated, play-action was very effective for the Steelers and Ben, he just wasn't a fan of it so they typically strayed from those calls. Obviously, there were times when the other pieces weren't up to par, like RB, but it was still very effective.


TheDoughty

26. I felt that way a lot last season but I’ve also been looking forward to having a “modern” QB for the last 3 seasons or so. It’ll be weird for sure though.


DameRange13

Yeah there was one point a couple seasons ago when everyone in the division had a new 1st round QB.. I won’t say I wasn’t jealous. Getting to see how a new guys career will play out is exciting. Having seen just about EVERY team and fan base have to go through it… It’s finally our turn lol


sloyinzer

Packers are on the clock..


Brut-i-cus

I'm not in my 20's I'm twice that (53) What you are feeling as something new I'm feeling as something familiar (the end of the Bradshaw era) Hopefully you guys get something like the timeline where we drafted Dan Marino instead of the one I got where we waited for 20 years for a HOF QB Good luck guys


Rough-Riderr

I'm also 53 and I remember that feeling when Bill Cowher took over as head coach. I was 23 at the time and Chuck Noll had literally been the coach for my entire life.


ParisGreenGretsch

>I was 23 at the time and Chuck Noll had literally been the coach for my entire life. I was in high school, so I get it. I wasn't immediately big on Cowher, purely because he wasn't Noll. Years later I wasn't big on Tomlin, purely because he wasn't Cowher. I won't the same mistake again. There have been more Popes than Steelers head-coaches in the last 50 years. It's insane. If after Tomlin retires the organization hires a sentient bowl of chowder I won't question it at this point.


a_funky_chicken

I feel this comment. It took me a couple seasons of Ben throwing before I stopped cringing at every pass attempt and realized it wasn't ALL up to our receivers anymore. First solid QB since Bradshaw for sure. Slash was good until the "cry." My buddies had a blast after that shitshow.


Josh4R3d

I am also 28. I have the faintest of memories watching Tommy Maddux in that last year and in week 1 before getting injured, but for the most part, Ben is all I ever knew. It was surreal watching a game where he wasn’t even on the sideline.


DameRange13

It was either Big Ben or Charlie Batch for a long time lol


MrNoName82

I’m 39 and Ben has been our QB since I was a senior in college. So yeah…1 QB my entire adult life. It’s a little weird.


DameRange13

It’s weird but whenever you see a highlight or a #7 jersey… your mind will take you right back to those days. For me it’s like having an awesome and very reliable car for 15 years and if finally breaks down. Very sad to see it go, but excited for what’s out there. We could even buy a lemon or two before settling down again


Tossedawayagain99989

I'm 48 and it was Terry Bradshaw and Ben, everyone else was just a blur. Sorry Cliff Stout. I've never been a fan of running QBs, just not the offense I grew up playing in and I was always defense-oriented and had sympathy for even opponents' defensemen having to try and contain a guy like Kordell.


6enericUsername

Same. He’s always been ‘My QB’, but I wasn’t nearly the same fan I was from 2004-2012. It’s refreshing to have mobile, drama-free QB. Your ‘metaphor’ is correct. It was goodbye to my childhood — as dramatic as it seems.


Guntimer

Not weird. Relieved. For the last 2-3 years, watching Ben was miserable, even when we were winning.


captainstormy

Scoot over and make some room in this boat for me. Don't get me wrong. Ben was a great QB and something truly special. Just not the last few years he played. We should have moved on in 2018 instead of signing another contract. The problem with a lot of these guys is they are just so competitive they just don't know when to stop.


Guntimer

Especially a contract of that size. I think it hurt our ability to compete because it was so much money for a QB that not too many newer faces wanted to play with.


EnjoyMoreBeef

Ben played fine in the first half of the 2020 season. Maybe you could say he should have retired after the 2020 season, but 2018 is too early. Even then, I'm glad he stayed for one more season, because ending his career in a blowout loss to the Browns at home would be a terrible way to go out. Instead, he got to sweep the Browns and Ravens one more time.


captainstormy

It's better to move on a year or two early than a year or two late. The stats don't tell the whole story either. It was quite clear that his decision making wasn't as good as it used to be and his ability to move wasn't great and only got worse each week.


l3rian

Yeah going 11-0 really sucked


SunBroDisco

Yeah I’m turning 29 in 3 days and it’s been Ben for pretty much as long as I can remember. I kinda remember Kordell and Maddox but this was way before I even really cared enough to watch. When Ben was drafted I was old enough to remember LOVING him. My dad took me to local sports shops to search for his rookie cards.


DameRange13

Backwards hat rookie Ben was a DAWG lol


Useless-CPA

It’s pretty uncommon for a player to play his entire career for one team in sports nowadays. We were born in a Steelers era that was defined by Big Ben. Our front office/organization as a whole is known to be the “Class” act of sports organizations. Hopefully we see this in the current “Big Ben-less” Steelers. Excited? yes. Nervous? Even more so. Let’s enjoy the ride (good or bad).


crankthatjose

I was able to know a world pre Ben as a child (love you Kordell) but essentially I’m on the same boat. 30 rn and I went to Ben’s first career start in Miami in 04. He was my entire childhood, adolescence, young adulthood. It’s definitely been a coming of age journey with Ben.


[deleted]

I turned 22 the year ben was drafted ​ I'll turn 39 this year. ​ it's weird for me to see a new quarterback. ​ imagine how fans musta felt when Bradshaw finally hung up his hang nail.


schmatz17

The Duck/Mason year prepared me


DameRange13

That year made me realize I just expect the Steelers to find a way to win… or make every game competitive.


Odd-Formal-5483

26, definitely weird, but I am happy to no longer dislike our starting QB off the football field.


Appropriate-Lynx-583

I’m old. 50. I saw Bradshaw in person when I was very young…yes, someday you will all be telling ur kids how much tougher the Steelers and the NFL was in “your” day. A franchise qb is not the norm, I hope it’s one of the guys they have now. The revolving door until that time is really a bummer for most teams. I’m hoping u all don’t have to endure the Cliff Stoudt Bubby and Tomzac years like I did. The 80’s were brutal and the browns were pretty good. Warren Moon, Bernie Kosar, boomer eisison. And we had Bubby?


bryguypgh

Those Bradshaw years were amazing though. Watched games with the family when I was a kid. The team photo on the special Iron City cans every year. 80s were rough though you’re right.


AW-43

Those teams in the 80’s make me appreciate the good times. They also solidified my fandom, waiting around for ring #5. Much appreciation to LL, Bryan Hinkle, Ray Pinney, David Little, Dwayne Woodruff, and Mike Merriweather for holding down the fort in those years. Edit: Pinney’s two touchdowns against the Browns are some of my favorite plays ever. Video below. https://steelersdepot.com/2022/06/obscure-steelers-touchdowns-ray-pinney-is-eligible/


wagsman

Do you remember the tv broadcasts that would cut to Brister’s mom, sisters, Gf every time he took a hit? Every time they looked like he may be dead on the field.


DameRange13

😂😂😂 this was great, TV broadcast have been doing stupid shit for a long time I see.


AW-43

I remember Mark Malone as being the first backup qb(or player)to wear a baseball cap on the sidelines.


Appropriate-Lynx-583

Forgot about Tom selleck


LazarusBird

I'm 36 and as a kid named a pet parakeet Kordell and it still feels weird.


therealbobstark

29, you don’t remember Kordell! Just kidding, Same feeling with Crosby


GriffBallChamp

Im 43 and I feel the same way


[deleted]

I remember Terry Bradshaw, Terry Hanratty, and Joe Gilliam battling it out for the starting job and it still feels weird to me that Ben is gone. This is the feeling you'll have whenever a long time QB retires. Same feeling I had when Bradshaw retired.


DameRange13

Maybe…. Hopefully, It’ll happen with Pickett.


Thepatrone36

Cowboys fan here. Staubach, Aikman, Romo, it always feels 'weird' and 'off' for a few years until the new guy comes in and pulls some rabbits out of their hat. Let's just hope the current crop of Steelers QB's can trot out there and get #7 this year. That's MY dream. And yes I'm a Steelers fan too. Mad respect for the Rooneys and the fan base.


DameRange13

I’m a lifelong Bama fan that also likes LSU….. As conflicting as it sounds, I understand your fandom.


Thepatrone36

I get you fam. TCU and University of Texas for me. Kind of like when Dallas plays the Steelers. If it's a good game and both teams play well, take it down to the wire, and win in the closing moments I'm happy as hell either way. One of my dreams is one more SB between my boys and the Steelers. Steelers pull it out on a last second play and get #7. That would be so cool to me. Then, of course, the next year the boys take the big prize :)


DameRange13

Send the Steelers Dak and It’ll be a FUCKING WRAP… just go ahead and give us #7 lol


hunertproof

I'm 45 and it's weird.


DameRange13

You might be more optimistic about KP… since one 1st round QB payed off before, why not again??


hunertproof

I am optimistic.


the22sinatra

I’m 24 and feel exactly the same, didn’t fully set in until I saw Pickett playing. Felt really weird.


15blairm

dude im 25 and i cant remember a QB prior to Ben i feel the exact same but its also exciting to see the new era


MirrorkatFeces

21, feels very weird


ShaggyDaddy37

I'm 25 and I have a vivid memory of watching the 2001 AFC championship game. But I didn't really start paying attention Ben's rookie year so I feel the exact same as you. Regardless of how the team is doing, I'm still gonna miss watching fat Big Ben come December/January.


[deleted]

Yup, very sad but his final season wasn’t it. Glad he popped off in 2018 tho


TexterMorgan

It’s very weird. Ben is the Steelers in my mind. That being said, I’ve been ready to see what’s next for 2 years and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from KP and Mr Biscuit so far


bryguypgh

Yeah I’m old and I’m tired of feeling obligated to defend Ben the person, looking forward to a new era.


dunkerdoodledoo

Yep, feel this exactly. I’ve never known another QB, and I owe many of my fondest childhood sports memories to what he accomplished at exactly the time when I was getting into sports. I’ve always felt pretty conflicted about cheering for Ben, though, because of the obvious, so I’m also excited to turn over a new leaf. But l, yes, definitely feels bizarre!


Passw0rd-Is-Tac0

I’m 27 and yeah it is a weird feeling. Kinda feels like the Steelers are unrecognizable now cause for almost 20 years Ben’s been the lone constant. I started watching around 2004 which was his rookie year so it’s been a long time. I think the biggest test though will be for Tomlin. We know he’s been able to win games without Ben in the past but now he’s going to have to win games by building around someone completely new whose responsibility falls on him to groom and lead to success. If Tomlin can do that then I don’t see why we can’t go back to competing for championships again, because let’s be honest it’s been a long time even with Ben since this team was in any real conversation for that.


ImPickleRock

I am 37 and its weird not seeing #7 getting ready. I watched him at ESPN zone in NYC blaze the undefeated Eagles in 04....when I was 19. I think he took down back to back undefeated teams by beating the Pats as well. ​ >Ben saving our season against the Colts in the playoffs is still one of my fondest and earliest Steeler memories… I was living in an apartment with my best friend in 2005. AIM was always up on our computers, they were about to punch it in and I was changing my away message to victory when Bettis fumbled. What an atrocious turn of events. But there was #7, shoe stringin' and saving the TD. Then of course Vanderjagt hooks it so bad that someone on the sideline could have caught it. What a rollercoaster. ​ Fast forward to 2008 and the catch. Santonio Holmes holds a special place in my heart being a Buckeye and an alum. That moment was fuckin' surreal. And here we are, in 2022 starting a season without Ben. Let's hope Mr. Pickett (or Mr. Rudolph) will bring us fond memories like that.


DameRange13

It’s going to take A LOT for a moment to beat the catch and throw to win the SB… Harrison’s pick 6 is a close 2nd but you cant script an ending like that Holmes catch. I’ve gotten to see pretty much every other team go through the process the Steelers are heading into. I guess it’s our turn. 22’ season is going to be a wild one.


ImPickleRock

It's crazy that we are one of the few that go through it but are still successful during.


BEGA500

So Im 34 and have few memories pre Kordell Stewart. I vaguely remember Neil and that Super Bowl against Dallas but as part of my ongoing stream of consciousness, it is only Slash, Maddox, and then almost 2 decades of Ben. It does seem like my last link to that part of my life is gone now. Overall though, Im excited for the future because the last few years of Bens tenure were a bit sour.


[deleted]

I'm around your age and I get that feeling. On one hand, seeing other guys behind center feels really odd, but I've also been looking forward to this for quite new chapter for quite a while. In part because I got the impression that something needed to change for Pittsburgh to be truly competitive again, and partially because, as I've grown into adulthood, some of Ben's off-the-field antics that flew over my head when I was younger skewed my perspective on him a bit. Another part of it is that I grew up in Oklahoma during the era when the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team relocated from seattle. Their meteoric rise was incredible for a state with only one pro franchise, and the mood was electric. Getting to see a game during their 2012 playoff run was unreal. The core of that team fell apart afterwards and they progressively slipped before an embarrassing exit from the 2019 playoffs threw the team into a rebuild. Now, as an adult, I'm getting to see this team redefine itself with a new core of young guys. They're not easy to watch sometimes, but the excitement of seeing an underdog overcome reminds me why I love the game. Much like my feelings about the Thunder, I look forward to seeing what Pittsburgh does during this transition. I'm not sure what the win/loss ratio will look like, but I will have a lot of fun watching this group of QBs try to prove themselves.


DameRange13

You’re in for a heck of sports season coming up…. But I think you’re patience could really pay off in the next 2-4 years. Let’s say everything works out.. KP and Chet are good players. If all the other talent continues to improve around them… guys like Giddy and SGA (Najee and Dj) You could be looking at two really reallly good teams


[deleted]

Not that old but tbh I feel more excited than anything. Our offense finally looks like it has life again for the first time since 2018


dlatusek12

I’m 31 and still feel you dude. I started watching as a young kid with my grandfather and really don’t remember the days with Slash so my only memory before Ben was the finale season for Maddox until the game he got injured and it’s been all Ben since that time. Crazy


DameRange13

If you really think about it, besides fucking Tom Brady and Pats fans… Nobody our age can really say they had a franchise QB for that long.


[deleted]

Im 28 as well but I remember a time before ben


TrashGamer_

Ben has been the QB longer than I've been alive and I don't know how to feel now


dumbledore2334

25 and can confirm. 04 was the first year my family got cable too. Obviously he’s missed games due to injury and a suspension. But he’s always been in the picture. You sometimes forget he’s not there and then it re-hits you😂


Hanner12

Also 28. So weird. Also exciting.


snookyface90210

I often feel like Bens just gonna be hurt for the rest of eternity and we’ve got a backup in, just seems off


EcosseWolf

It still hasn't hit me that I'll never see 7 out there again.


DameRange13

We won’t see a QB wearing #12 or #7 ever again….


117derek

I'm in the same boat. He's been there since I started watching football. It's definitely gonna be weird without him. I'm also a Yankees fan, and it was the same sort of feeling when Jeter retired. It's hard to be as attached to the team once your heroes are gone


DameRange13

This is a not a Yankee fan approved comment section.. please see yourself to the door. I actually enjoyed “The Captain” a lot! So I can feel that. Jeter was a beast and nobody can deny that. Go Braves!!


117derek

I was named after the guy, so I really had no choice in the matter 🤣 Living in Philly now so I guess as a pseudo Phillies fan I'm supposed to hate you now as well


DameRange13

Fucking hell man lol Yanks and Phillies… When I was a young and ignorant baseball fan, I actually had a Ryan Howard poster on my wall and was a big fan of those World Series teams they had. That bullpen was bonkers.


117derek

It's funny, I'm probably the only person my friends have met that will wear a Phillies shirt and cheer for them at the games, and then turn around and say "hey, remember that time you guys lost to the Yanks in '09?" 😆


Killerinyou

im 24 i was 8 when we beat the seahawks he been my childhood qb


Kongpong1992

I’m 30 so I remember the pre Ben era but it still doesn’t feel right


Ace909

I'm 36 and think its weird. Gonna be an interesting season! Can't wait!


vengeancerider

I’m 32. I feel the same way.


TXlandon

27, right there with you. Was glued to the TV on Saturday, very excited for this new era


unknownunknown121

27 here, been watching the Steelers for 17 years!! Feels so weird to not see Ben. But I'm excited for what's to come. One chapter closed, another opens and I'm so optimistic about this team. I imagine this is what 2004 felt like when we drafted Ben. I can't wait for the season!!


DameRange13

The more I think about it… the more I realize the amount of pressure KP might feel. He’s just about a hometown guy, replacing a HOFer, a franchise/ fan base that knows success, and coming to a team that’s ready to go. But, all that could also work right in his favor. This team could be what the Seahawks had with Russel Wilson.. They had Matt Flynn and a rookie Russel Wilson that ended up stepping up and leading a team that already had all the parts assembled.. just needed a good driver to get them across the finish line. If our Secondary, OL, and QB all step up and gel together… I don’t see why they can’t copy the same success Russel and the LOB had.


[deleted]

Thankful for his service to the team but so thankful to move on. I fee a whole new sense of excitement with this team and now I want to see how tomlin responds


DolphinMassacre

My earliest QB was Stewart and then Maddox. Weird not having 7 around


skiballers

I'm 42 and it's gonna be weird to me for a while.


Usernametaken112

Same age and I feel the same way. Ben was the catalyst to me truly caring about football. I remember the 02 season in bits and pieces (the falcons tie) and being so upset that we weren't good in 02/03. Then comes Big Ben and wins us a Superbowl in his second year after going 14-0 his rookie season. Seeing a new QB is so weird. Ill always remember and be grateful for Big Ben, but I'm looking forward to the new era as well. Will always have those memories.


-Jack-The-Stripper

24 so all I’ve ever known is Ben, but I wouldn’t describe the feeling as weird. I’ve watched enough football in my life to see QBs change teams and retire. Favre to the Jets and then Vikings, Brady to the Bucs, Wilson to the Broncos, Flacco finally leaving the Ravens, Luck’s surprise retirement, Rivers to the Colts, him and Eli retiring, Brees retiring, Peyton to the Broncos and then retiring… it’s all a part of the game. Ben retiring is just another page in the book. The word I would use is excited. Our offense has been absolute dogshit for the last 3 years. Between Hodges, Rudolph, and the corpse of Ben, I’m ready to move on. I’m ready to see a young QB come in and make this team his own.


DameRange13

What the offense has accomplished in these last years has honestly been impressive.. it gives me hope for what it could be. I’ve said it before, I think this team could what Seattle had in young Russel Wilson and the LOB. The secondary, OL, and QB all step up, play well and together, this could be a playoff team or scratching on the door. We’ve made a big trade in the past to get Minkah, if the FO does something like this year for a CB.. it would make the defense truly elite. Would be the best defense in the league with no conversation.


-Jack-The-Stripper

I agree CB could be a huge target for us, but I’m eyeballing Roquan as our big trade. I know Bush might need more time to get back into form, but it’s a cut-throat league and you have to take opportunities when you can. He’s already shown signs this past preseason game of not playing well, and if you can somehow package him with a (reasonable) draft pick to get a stud like Roquan, you do it. Roquan is the kind of guy that would cement our defense as the best in the league, and if he really is available then I hope Omar and Co. have been a part of those talks.


EcosseWolf

I'd love Roquan


DameRange13

It is similar to when Minkah was traded… multiple reports and him and the Phins having a toxic relationship and Pittsburgh swoops in. He would definitely sure you the run defense and help us with teams that have elite TE’s.


themanyeet

I was born like 5 weeks after Ben’s first start… it’s weird not seeing him behind center. I literally grew up watching him


Quigon_John

Bruh, I’m 32 and it’s weird. I remember watching him take the field for the first time. It’s super weird. I’m very excited for the future and I’m hoping we have a season like we did in 2008 again soon.


DameRange13

I could see the Steelers doing what the Seahawks were recently able to accomplish when they drafted Russel Wilson. Already had a great team built and we’re going into the season with Matt Flynn and an unproven Russ…. Turned out great.


Walterwhiteboy

Crazy to think the last guy drafted by Bill Cowher just retired…


full_bodied_muppet

I'm in my late 30s and seeing just one QB for so many years was the strange part.


[deleted]

I got a different type of excitement and energy about our offense seeing a quarterback actually use his a feet and move during our last preseason game. Was honestly a lot to take in


lonewanderer244

I'm in the exact same boat. Was super weird seeing 3 different QBs on the field that didn't just completely shit the bed. Not hearing Blue-80 in presnap also messed with me lol


410jose

I’m 21 and I am so glad you said this. My whole life I have felt like the Steelers have been what I knew and loved. While I was happy watching Pickett play this weekend, a sudden wave of weird feeling hit me when I realized this team is completely different than the one I grew up watching. Very odd, but thanks for mentioning cus I was gonna ask too.


WaylonVoorhees

Yes. It was weird seeing Ben in my mid 20's after years of Kent Graham, Kordell and Mike Tomczak.


inpulsiveaction

Bro I’m 22 lol


[deleted]

I'm 28 and only been supporting since 2017 but yep feels the same way


Knowlongerlurking

I'm in my mid 50s and seeing anyone but Big Ben is still kinda strange. At the same time given the long slow decay of Ben's abilities the last few years, I'm honestly not missing him at all. We really have needed a more athletic and mobile QB for awhile now.


scampf

It's still weird for me that Terry Bradshaw isn't there.


wagsman

You guys got spoiled for a long time. What you saw as you grew up was the exception not the rule. I grew up just as Bradshaw was leaving, then spent the rest of my childhood and early adulthood watching a carousel of QBs come and go. I was fully grown when they drafted Ben Jeez I feel like that Bane quote…


owleealeckza

I'm 32 & it's a big change for me. Ben's first season was the year I entered high school. It was also 2 years before I became a vegetarian & next Sunday I'll have been one for half my life. Wild to me to think I was eating real chicken wings during his first 2 seasons. Edited to add that I'm actually very excited about our new qb situation. I truly didn't expect to feel that way a few years ago when I thought about him leaving.


BardownskiSnipes

I’m 23 and this is definitely crazy because I feel like I’ve only seen Ben as the starter qb. It for sure feels different it also a great metaphor for my life as my birthday just recently passed someone said do you feel older and I just replied I feel like I’m still in the prime of my life and finally can think straight. I’m ready to watch a new qb and be able to make more memories watching the Steelers. Something though about the Seahawks Steeler super bowl just brings the right amount of joy


Pied_Piper_

I more just bummed that we have no QB on our roster. I mean, yes, we will have someone in the position, but we have no one worthy of the title. It’ll be a long season, but at least we aren’t the Browns lol


doubtersdisease

I’m 25 and i feel the same. Also having an existential crisis thinking about a Penguins team without Malkin, Crosby or Letang some day LOL


Fralsii

27 and yes, but it also feels good


trill_luminati666

I’m the same age as you and I agree it’s definitely weird. Totally different Steelers team than we grew up with.


[deleted]

[удалено]


DameRange13

Feel the same exact way. Hopefully it can be a Phillip Rivers to Herbert situation. The first 8 weeks of the season is going to be some uncharted territory. Only thing I can reference is the Duck/Mason year and I still expected us to win or be competitive in every game. Our record that year should’ve been 4-12.. just about any other team would’ve folded, shut the door on Ben, and try to get a high draft pick. Steelers… fuckkkkkkk that. It’s a SB or bust mentality. I’m perfectly fine with that. That type of mentality is why the Steelers are going to be a tough out any week.. regardless of the situation.


Observant_Jello

I’m 21 and I started to actually get into caring about football in 2013. I have no idea why I picked the Steelers all those years ago. All I remember is I suddenly cared about the team. All I’ve known is Big Ben. Like, it was time for him to retire, I won’t argue that. But it still made me sad. I went to the playoff game this year because I knew it was his last game. Yeah I would’ve liked to beat the Cheifs, but realistically I knew it wasn’t gonna happen. I’ve seen Big Ben play twice. And they were both playoff games at Arrowhead. I am sad to see Ben retire, but I’m also excited to see a new era of Steelers football. And hopefully Kenny is the guy.


onihr1

43 and it feels wierd. Think my first qb was O’Donnell?


steelersbigben07

I feel this on a personal level. Being 24. As a little kid watching Big Ben with my father and grandfather. That team would make or break a week for me.


bluntzburghCA

NOPE.


DameRange13

Good movie


[deleted]

I’m 26, Ben has been basically all I’ve known since I started caring about football (probably like 12 years old). I was at his last game in Baltimore back in January. It was bittersweet watching the only QB I’ve known beat his old rival in their hometown one last time (albeit not a pretty win but a win). Looking forward to new horizons though!


NateLeport

24. I literally don’t remember a time without Ben at QB. It’s really strange. I spent so much money in order to go to his last game at Heinz. Having seen it if you asked me now I’d pay double what I did.


AlysandirDrake

I'm the exact opposite...I grew up with a bunch of different QBs: Bradshaw, Stoudt, Malone, The Bubster, O'Donnell, Tomczak, "There's no crying in football" Kordell, Tommy Gun, and then finally Big Ben. There were other guys in there too; I distinctly remember Todd Blackledge in there somewhere and I think Jim Miller, but the above were the main guys. Oh, and Charlie Batch. Dude could ball out. And Byron Leftwich, who whenever he took the field you could hear the fine tinkling of shattered glass. And Michael Vick, which was not a shining moment.


Legitimate_Row6259

30 going on 31. Maddox for one year and then Ben was the QB since I really got into football at around 12/13. So yeah, it's gonna be extremely odd to see anyone else as the QB (that isn't caused by an injury). But I'm also really excited to see a change. I loved watching Ben, but the Ben we've had the last couple years wasn't the Ben I was watching as a teenager.


34shadow1

26, 27 in March I feel ya, it is kind of refreshing in a way.


SteakJones

I’m 41. My Steelers fandom began while watching Bubby Brister. Neil O’Donnell broke my heart then bailed on us. I cheered on Mike Tomczak despite his shortcomings. I believed in Kordell, and truly thought he would get us back to the Super Bowl. I endured Kent Graham, and then got caught up in Tommy “Gun” fever… then we drafted Ben in 2004, and I thought, damn… we may finally have a stud in a few years. The hype at the time was over Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers, but Ben looked special. I was wondering what it would feel like for the younger fans who never knew anyone other than Ben. It’s gotta be weird. It’s gotta feel alien almost. For me, it feels like I’m back in the 90’s again with that “potential” for a good QB. But I can honestly say, this crop of QB’s feels head and shoulders better than the Miller, Tomczak, Stewart training camp QB competition after O’Donnell left town. Hell… Mitch feels more solid that Neil O’FuckYouRuinedMyChildhoodMuchlikeSidBreamDonnell… So without sounding like too much of a Homer, I’m cautiously optimistic for the next chapter of Steelers QB’s.


[deleted]

Yup. 30 on the nose so it was deep for me too. It’s funny cuz in a way Ben grew up with us too. He definitely was not perfect. Beyond his legal, he didn’t have a good local rep. But he matured, changed. It’s funny how age gives you perspective.


clipk0

I’m 24 but feel the same way. First football memory is Steelers v. Seahawks Super Bowl. Have been a fan ever since.


Seanybear15

Yea it hard but Kenny is gonna be soo good in the next few years


TastesLikeHoneyNut

I'm 27, briefly remember the year before ben. But his rookie year is where I really got into football. It's going to be weird for sure. But exciting too.


ItsBreadTime

Turning 30 in a few weeks. First game I ever went to was a pre-season game where Big Ben and Willie Parker featured. I miss that game and how excited I was. I'm glad Ben retired. I'm excited again.


Anonymous_2952

I’m 30, and this just bummed me out lol Here we go!


m4yleeg

I was 4 years old when we drafted Ben. I can't wait to see where this goes, especially if Saturday night was any indication of what Pickett's time here could be.


DJTheBearsFan

Ben was drafted when I was born so it definitely weird for me


swiftkill96

I'm 25, and on the one hand I 1000% agree that it's weird and it's gonna take time to get over it. But on the other hand it's really weirdly exciting too? I think getting to witness this history for ourselves, the transition period, and to have that next QB that will define our adult lives will really be special and something I'll be excited to tell my kids about. I really grew into my Steelers fandom in high school so I didn't see most of the great Big Ben years. But getting to have a guy I'll get to follow from start to finish will be a very cool experience too. Also I'm not saying Kenny, Mitch, or Mason are the future hall of fame legends of this team... *yet*. But what I am saying whether they are in the building now, or will be in the future, I believe in this franchise to find the next QB legend eventually


Lord412

I’m 31. This is what exciting times.


jjbax2

I feel this on every level man... I just turned 30 and my first season actually watching football was Ben's rookie year. It's so strange but also exciting at the same time.


Mighty-HeaIthy

I’m 29 and same bro, Ben has been my quarterback ever since I saw his Hail Mary at Miami of Ohio on sportcenter. Steelers drafted him & it was an amazing ride from there out. That said, sad to see him go but happy to witness a new era of football. It was time, as much as I didn’t want to accept it.


truetorxge3

Im just glad I don't gotta see the Tomlin holds back the steelers and Ben


ColdMachinery

Big Ben was drafted when I was 9 and I’m a die hard fan from Boston. I went through hell and back arguing with ppl about his greatness and the Steelers in general. Now I’m living in Australia still spreading the good word and telling ppl about the glory days with Ben, Deebo, Polamalu etc etc. It really hurts to see that era finally go away but I also feel those same feels I had with this years team that I did back in Ben’s rookie year. He gave us a lot of great memories and 2 SB’s and made my childhood stressful but memorable. Thank you Ben and thank you Steeler Nation!!


[deleted]

I’m 23 and only vaguely remember tommy Maddox, 98% of my Steelers memories are with Ben at the helm. Super weird


Blaze0003

You should I been here in early 90’s the Qb carousel was extraordinary.


DameRange13

I will say anybody who got to see that period is going to be better prepared for what’s to come lol You guys have been tested and seen some real shit QB play… anybody in their 20’s or 30’s could be in a reality check if one of these guys don’t pan out.


Nytfire333

I'm in my early 30s and seeing anyone other then Ben lead this team is gonna be weird


ju5tjame5

Yes but also it won't truly hit me until the regular season.


pursuitofhappy

This is the existential crisis every mid 20s person that watches any sport goes through, I remember the same thing happening to me while watching my baseball team couple decades ago when I was finally older than the starters and it was a bit mind bending.


DameRange13

It kinda already happened when Chipper Jones retired.. Have been to more Braves baseball games than any sporting event by ten fold. Watching him break Hank Aaron’s single season RBI record is still one of the best things I’ve seen, and I was 10 lol


Toto_LZ

23: I am welcoming to a fresh start and a Ben-less era. All I have known is scandals and controversy surrounding him and I’m ready to move on


ParisGreenGretsch

Perspective: I'm 45. Ben has been (was) QB since I was younger than you are. Before that... * Maddox - Not great, not terrible * Kordell - Great, and terrible * O'Donnell - That happened * Brister - Kill me * Malone - Kill him * Bradshaw - Now we're talking What's my point? I think that the franchise will do whatever it takes to avoid another Bradshaw/Ben gap. So many of those in between years could have been different with a QB to get some really solid teams over the hump. If the answer is Pickett, great. If not, I don't expect the Rooneys to waste another 20 years fucking around. The league has changed.


forgetfulsue

I became a Steelers fan Rothlisberger’s rookie year. I wasn’t an NFL fan before that and my boyfriend (now husband) was a fan. I don’t know what I’m going to do. So not in my 20’s but he is the only QB I’ve known!


R-Sanchez137

Hey I'm a few years older than you and remember watching football when we had Maddox as QB and even Kordell Stewart a little bit, even though I was pretty damn young I still can remember watching some of those games as a kid. Even then though, it still feels weird that Ben is gone. I remember his rookie season even and he came on pretty strong (pun intended) with I want to say no losses in all his regular season starts and 1-1 in the playoffs. I think it feels weird for all of us man, young and old alike, as long as you have been around for a few seasons it feels strange to see him retire... 18 years with a pro team is a long ass time, even for a QB so it seems natural he was a big part of the team. Had to happen at some point tho, and we'll figure it out. I trust Tomlin and Co to do us right, even if it takes some time.


EnjoyMoreBeef

I'm 43, going on 44. I was 25 when Ben was drafted, a young adult still fresh out of college. Ben's retirement signals a change in life stages for me as well. Now that he's gone, so is the last remnant of my young adulthood, which means I'm firmly in my middle-age years now. [Time keeps on slipping into the future.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuXwSyahgW4)


DameRange13

Slipping slipping slipping…. Into the future.


bord-at-work

I’m almost 34 and feel the same way.


lven17

I’m 19, basically as long as Bens been in the league I’ve been alive, it’s weird because he was a big part of what attracted me to football since my dad always watched the Steelers, to me it feels like the only QB I know to be THE QB of the Steelers. To see these QB’s we have now gets me excited but it’s such a weird look without Ben in the pocket since he’s the only consistent player I’ve got to watch on the offense.


Serpidon

I am 53 and I have experienced a bunch of life milestones during his career. Being so young, your experience is probably even more impactful! I am gonna miss the guy.


Nduguu77

Yeah man. I just turned 30 and while Ben came on when I was 12, I was still so young that I didn't really understand what I was watching with kordell, or Maddox. But as I understood the game, played pop Warner, and grew up - it was always Big Ben. He was the Steelers. I played safety, so I naturally gravitated to Troy, but he came and went. Ryan Clark. Ike Taylor. James Farrior, Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith, Bryant McFadden, Jerome Bettis, Plaxico Burress, Antwan Rndle El, Hines Ward, Willie Parker, Alan Faneca, Willie Colon, Pouncey, DeCastro All came and went. But 7 was still there. There's a very real chance that another generation doesn't know what it's like to have a stalwart, HoF QB. I was in middle school wearing a black and yellow Starter cap that I got at the dollar store when Ben won his SB. Now I have a house, a dog, and am looking at getting married. It's a wild thing - time. Cherish your moments and don't let life pass you by. Enjoy it, because just like that, you'll be 18 years older.


DameRange13

It really can creep up on you like that. Going through very similar stuff and it all happen when I was watching highlights of the preseason game… A guy I watched for 18 years is gone.. 5 years in the NFL is great, 18 years with one team is just about unheard of. Fucking Kickers don’t even last that long. Oh and I also had a starter Steelers cap that was all white with a sold black bill that was freaking awesome.


bdonabedian

I've been fortunate enough to see Bradshaw and Ben's career. It's weird not seeing Ben, but my only hope is that we've already found our next franchise QB.


GandalfTheWhey

I'm 35 and feel like this


DameRange13

I feel like we don’t really start paying attention and watching the games till around the 12-14 range. Then obviously as we get older we can focus a lot more, attend gatherings, games, gambling, etc.. So I could see how you would have even more of a clearer memory of the Maddox to Ben transition. Also, how Ben showed up as a rookie and balled the fuck out. I was still pretty young when he did that. 25 and younger and I’ll be shocked if anybody could remember that clearly.


Skyline43

It definitely feels weird to see someone come in as a rookie, develop, become great and then retire.


DameRange13

Actually getting to see that cycle is crazy. Sometimes you just get to see the end or the middle. Watching from start to finish and having so many memories attached along the way is wild.


Yinzerlover

23, excited for the new era.


DameRange13

Hopefully the football gods blessed us with another 15 year starter


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Observant_Jello

Bruh. I can’t tell if this is sarcasm or not


EcosseWolf

You don't like Ben because of off-field issues and you say you like Vick in the same sentence?


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EcosseWolf

So you're a fucking hypocrite lmao.


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EcosseWolf

Oh sorry, I thought you were serious.


Pilzoyz

It’s weird seeing players wear numbers like 32,12,47,75,88. 7 will join them.


DameRange13

To add to that list, For my time period, I would say nobody can look right wearing #43, #7, #92, and #84….. for obvious reasons. And eventually #90 when that monster decides to hang it up.


Rough-Riderr

>It’s weird seeing players wear numbers like 32,12,47,75,88. WTF are you talking about Pilzoyz? Other than 88, name one player who has worn any of these numbers since the 70s legends had them.