Ben Roethlisberger is our Quarterback! He is ours for 8 years and 102 million dollars. I haven’t read up on the nuts and bolts of the contract to make a detailed assessment but at first glance, I LOVE the deal. In fact I love 7 things about the new deal…
1. I LOVE the length of the Deal…8 Years! I am so glad that the Steelers didn’t sign him to a 4 year deal that would run out when he was 30 and then put themselves in the position to re-evaluate his long term worth. That always happens with RB’s and they get screwed. I know QB’s are different but I’m thrilled that we won’t have to think about Ben’s relative worth for most of a decade. I also love that this proves, if there was any doubt, that the Steelers are committed to Ben. In an age where committment is lost, especially in the business of sports, it’s refreshing to love and follow a team that values comittment.
2. I LOVE price tag…It seems rich now but in years 5-8 Ben is a B-A-R-G-A-I-N. Plus, if the NFL Owners and players can’t agree on a new CBA and kill the salary cap we can rest, knowing that we have at least 8 years to compete before becoming the Pirates.
3. I LOVE that we are signing a proven commodity. Ben has TONS of experience. He has experienced the highest highs of winning a Super Bowl and the lowest lows of crashing (quite literally) afterwards. You can’t put a price tag on experience. All the other big QB signings (save Brett Favre) were based greatly on potential.
Reasons 4-7 and links
4. I LOVE that we signed a player with potential. This seems to contradict #3, but it doesn’t. As a college professor of mine often liked to pose questions: Is Roethlisberger proven or does he have potential? The Answer: YES. He’s got both and very rarely can you sign a player to a LONG term deal that has both. Either you are cautiously optimistic leading to a short term deal or you are cautious because it took so long to acquire the experience.
5. I LOVE that Ben is now the unquestioned leader of this team. Ben is now a veteren and while I loved (and still love) Joey Porter and Jerome Bettis…they led the teams the past few years. The 2007 team was leaderless. Now we have a leader in every way. Hines is still a leader, and has GREAT influence, but he’s not “the” leader. He’s the heart and soul!
6. I LOVE that the deal is done. I really believe that we’ve been so quiet thus far in Free Agency not simply because that’s what we do (which it is), but more so because this deal HAD to get done first. We had to know what we had left. We HAD to know how much we could spend going forward. Don’t believe me…the very article announcing Ben’s signing also said that signing Mewelde Moore appears imminent
7. I LOVE that Ben Roethlisberger will be the QB that my son grows up with and remembers from his childhood. The QB’s I remember…Bubby, Tomzcak, Kordell and probably a host of guys I actually don’t remember. My son will be 10 years old when this contract runs out. He will get to see Ben play at Heinz Field; He will get to watch him in training camp; He will go absolutely bonkers when Ben is about to get sacked but miraculously avoids it to make yet another huge play; He will enjoy a Roethlisburger with me at Peppi’s; He will lament that only 35,000 more people need to give up their season tickets before he can get his; He will fall in love with a team, an identity and make memories that will forge in him a lifetime of Steelers joy.
Links and such concerning the news of the day:
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Here is the press conference highlights, courtesy of the Post-Gazette. More trophies, more championships, yay! Ben does a little damage control at 2:28 of the video…he is happy with the players that we have (ie. Hines Ward)
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ESPN’s video highlights of the press conference.
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BnG: Big Ben gets the Cheddar.
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Big Ben worth more than the City of Cleveland…or close to it. Ha.
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Dan Rooney said: “He’s a Steeler and he’ll always be a Steeler.”
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Realizing the dream…Ben joins the $100 million club.
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Let the sacking commence…I hope not.
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Big Ben is rich, but not quite Scrooge McDuck rich…yet.
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There is some interesting conversation over at Hashmarks asking whether or not Ben is an elite QB now. He was and still is.
