Thank you.  Pittsburgh, you continue to be the city and team of many cities and countries around thw world.

You gave us heart when we couldn’t find ours.

Major injuries occurred and you continued to trudge through the mire, when it looked like all hope was lost – you continued to push through – push others to the forefront, have others take advantage of stepping up – and step up you did.

You gave us extra weeks we by all rights should not have had.   You gavce us hope through injury, through abesences, and you showed what the black and gold means on and off the field.

Today’s game was a complete heart break yes, but Big Ben, you returning gave everyone the flame, on and off the team, of what is possible with heart.

Toussaint – you made some amazing plays all throughout the year and it is difficult to hold one fumble against you, but you realize the importance of ONE play, and the difference between third string and first string, that one play determined so much of our game today, but took nothing away from our season.

Bryant, Wheaton, Williams, and Heath, you stepped up when we thought we were at a disadvantage, and turned all into advantages.  Defense, we love you.  Brown, you always make us proud.  Offense, you hung in there.  Thank you Boswell for coming in and making a difference this year when we needed it.  Jones, thank you for putting up with having to do the best you could do.  Vic, sigh, sorry but I don’t any help that was long term.

Please please PLEASE – improve the one hit one tackle approach and don’t let crucial tackles slip by next year, please improve the punt returns and special teams ability, and please, PLEASE try to improve calling running plays when yardage is needed.  Haley, I question your decisions sometimes, Tomlin, I don’t question and appreciate your honesty at press conferences.

This year has been so nerve wracking and it has been a great season due to the close calls, luck of the draw, dumb luck (Yup Sarah, you hit that right on the head), and the fan time we had watching games this season, it is what part of being a true Black and Gold fan is all about, the good, the bad, the ugly.

I am so impressed to see Carolina, Denver, and Arizona head to the Superbowl, and I do appreciate the Patriot fans, they are die hard fans for sure, but the team?  Most people know how I feel, when a team has had so many questionable acts that have been brought to the NFL involving legality as the Patriots – I feel they are the least of all teams deserving of a chance at a 6th ring, the Patriots fans themselves deserve better.  I am doing all I can to hope, pray, plead, and insure that any team, ANYONE could have a shot at the Superbowl worth the hard work, grit, and sweat it takes to add that next ring, as long as it is not the Patriots. Patriots to me are those loyal to a nation, a group loyal to a belief, loyal to the game of football.  This is not the category I would, could, or ever will see the Patriots team in, the fans yes, the team, no.

From the 2007 illegal game taping, to illegal enhancement drugs used in 2007, to the 1986 injury reserve use, (illegal), to the 2013 false injury reports, to the 2002 illegal taping of a game, to the 2015 inflated balls incident, to the special clearing of a snow path for the New England kicker alone in 1982, and the rest to be honest,( I would say questionable or not valid accusations) but at least with the five that are rock solid, it hurts my heart to see a team be rewarded for so many trips to the NFL commissioner.  Do other teams including the Steelers have questionable actions, heck yes.  But to be fair, New England is the one team that had tried to do the most to cover those acts most blatantly, which I am sorry, is not what the game of football is truly defined by, with the Superbowl or what that Lombardi trophy was meant to represent.

Denver – you took advantage of opportunities that came your way and you earned your tickets, however, if you drop the number of passes you did today in the future, your future will be shortlived.   I see Denver (with a tighetned team) and Arizona being the choice that would make this year’s Superbowl, but my gut is New England and Carolina –  A Superbowl one to watch even without the Steelers as part of the equation.

Thank you for a great season Pittsburgh – and being the team of choice for so many!