Dunlap: Polamalu And Steelers Need To Patch Things Up
This needs to be fixed.
Or, as we say here in Pittsburgh, simply: "This needs fixed."
Troy Polamalu is one of our conquering heroes; that long hair flopping from the back of his helmet flowing down onto shoulders seemingly built to deliver a day-wrecking blow to anyone who dared cross the middle.
And as he did his work, we followed him each step. All 12 seasons as he connected with us here in Pittsburgh more magnetically than just about any athlete in his generation. We clung to him as one of our football conquerors.
Polamalu is a legend, a star and icon all rolled into one in these parts --- for both the way he played on the field and his generosity, many times anonymous, off it.
All of that is why this needs (to be) fixed. And something needs to be done quickly.
You see, the Pittsburgh Steelers this past weekend held a celebration remembering and celebrating the Super Bowl XL winning team from 10 years ago.
The team that roared through the playoffs as a No. 6-seed and eventually captured the title with a win over the Seahawks.
The team that gave Jerome Bettis that win in his hometown of Detroit.
The team from which no fewer than, oh I'd say about 20 gazillion fans, list Troy Polamalu as their favorite player.
But when all the festivities were held this past weekend here in Pittsburgh honoring that team, Troy was nowhere to be found.
Multiple sources have confirmed Polamalu wanted no parts; he declined the invitation and has, make no mistake, distanced himself from the organization from which he was tied so deeply to and retired from in April.
I'm told the eight-time Pro Bowler and one of the most dominant safeties in the history of the National Football League still hasn't come to terms with how it all ended with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With two seasons left on a contract, Polamalu decided to retire at 34 rather than go through what looked to be the inevitability of the Steelers releasing one of their legends.
Long story short: Polamalu felt he had more football left; the Steelers disagreed --- and therein lies the crux of the standoff at this point.
At the time of Polamalu's retirement, Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said: "We've been fortunate to have great players throughout the years, but he of course would be one of the top players. He did everything with dignity and responsibility, and it was special to have Troy be a Steeler his entire career."
All that is true.
So too is this: The Steelers and Polamalu can't go down a path that Terry Bradshaw went down with the organization; one where a link to one of the all-time greats of the franchise was in a fractured relationship with it over something, seemingly, so trivial.
Certainly Polamalu is well within his rights to feel strongly about the end of his career, but he had to understand that even with this opportunity for riches, fame and football glory comes the forever-remaining fact that the NFL is a business. Polamalu got caught up in that business; a guy who was once on top of his game but one in which the organization felt it was better to move on from.
That doesn't take away, in the least, what he did on the football field for the Steelers.
Or for the city.
Or that he will be in Canton as a Hall of Famer soon.
Or that he's already in a hall of fame of sorts here in western Pennsylvania for his countless, princely charitable act.
All respect to Arnold Harrison and Chukky Okobi and Clint Kriewaldt and Lee Mays and Chidi Iwuoma --- all who played a role in their own right --- but they ain't Troy.
None of them moved the meter the way No. 43 would have this past weekend.
This past weekend was a great celebration for the that 2005 team, but it felt like it was missing something because Troy, one of its biggest personalities and main drawing cards, wasn't there.
I don't know what needs to happen, but this needs to get fixed.
This needs to be patched up. For everyone's sake.
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weekdays from 5:40 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
