Ready for baseball?
Pirates baseball?
It may be quiet at PNC Park right now, but the Home Opener is only a month away – on April 13th! Of course it’s never to early to yell, “GO PIRATES!!”.
Beautiful photograph compliments of Dave DiCello!
It’s a Warrior Wednesday
…and we’ve compiled a few favorite photos of our Steeler Nation Warriors:
“I want to take a minute to say thank you to all the troops both here, and all over the world for their selfless service to this country and the people. Too often we take for granted the freedoms that these troops give to us. Thoughts and prayers from me and my family go out to all the soldiers and all their families, especially the ones that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. God bless you, and we love you all. Stay safe!” — Ben
You can see all our Warriors right here.
“Brett Keisel has left an indelible mark on the Pittsburgh Steelers”
From Scott Brown, at ESPN.com:
Keisel is one of the last survivors from the defenses that led the Steelers to a pair of Super Bowls in a four-season span and served as a bridge to the dynastic teams that won four world championships from 1974-79.
The 2002 seventh-round draft pick developed into one of the better 3-4 ends in the NFL and thrived, despite playing a position that doesn’t get a lot of glory while on a defense brimming with star power.
Keisel became beloved by fans as much for his steady play as for the persona that started when he grew a beard thick enough to catch Steelers’ owner Dan Rooney’s attention. It happened in 2010, when Keisel decided to stop shaving while the Steelers made their run to a third Super Bowl in six seasons.
Rooney had been serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland when he saw Keisel’s beard on a visit to Pittsburgh. He basically asked Keisel what in the name of Grizzly Adams he was doing, and Keisel offered to shave. Rooney, however, bemusedly signed off on the beard, and it became its own entity. It now has multiple Twitter accounts and has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Few Steelers players did it better or longer than Keisel, on and off the field.
You can read more here.
Postcards from Camp
It may be snowy and cold now, but warm weather will be here before you know it….
and so will The Giant Eagle Ben Roethlisberger Football Camp!
The question is: Do you want to miss ALL THIS FUN?
Big Ben is EVERYWHERE! He coaches, he passes, he runs & he has a great time!
Look out for the Look-A-Likes!
On the left Troy Polamalu look-a-like Dylan Vasquez works on his “Game Face”. On the top right is DaBearded father, Ricky Prince enjoying himself at camp. Bottom right is a future Antonio Brown!
And an appearance from Benjamin, Jr.
“Okay Pops, but if I could just play a little football with the other kids it would keep me out of trouble out here…just sayin’.”
In fact, Ben’s camp is always a family affair:
On the left Ashley and Baylee take it all in from the sidelines. In the middle Ken stops to take a photo with young camper Garrett Candelore. On the right a “mom conference” between Ashley, Brenda and Michelle Bishop.
You never know who you might see from America’s favorite team either!
Charlie Batch, Coach Tomlin, Brett Keisel, Kelvin Beachum and David DeCastro have all come out to support #7.
At the end of the day, you can be sure your camper will have had a great time!
One they’re sure to talk about non-stop…after they wake up! Zzzzzzzzzz!
Make sure you don’t miss the fun:
Dates: June 13th & 14th, 2015
Times: 09:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Place: Seneca Valley High School, Harmony, PA
Cost: $199. Use the code BigBen7 for $20 off the registration fee.
Each camper will receive –
• An autographed photo from Ben
• A camp team photo with Ben
• A limited edition Ben Roethlisberger Football ProCamp t-shirt
• 7 Hours of expert instruction
• Opportunity to win contests and prizes
A fun and educational experience is guaranteed!
Spots are limited, so participants are encouraged to register early. Don’t forget to use the code BigBen7 for $20 off the registration fee.
You can sign your child up for the camp here.
You can see all the great photos from […]
It’s a Throwback Thursday
And we’re bringing back a fan favorite:
October 31, 2010: Up, Over & Down!! Saints DE Will Smith learns the hard way that sometimes it’s not easy to bring down Big Ben! #QBSackFail
Looking for something to watch on TV on a snowy Pittsburgh day?
Tune in to NFL Network at 3:30pm (ET) today for Super Bowl Highlights – Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals.
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at work
“Our K9s are important to us and to the citizens we serve. They help track missing people, locate subjects, narcotics and explosive devices as well as provide extra safety for officers who must confront very dangerous situations. Budgets have limitations. Thanks to organizations like the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation we will be able to advance our K9 unit and provide a greater level of service to the community we serve.” — Sheriff Farris, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Last November, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office was selected to receive a grant from Ben’s foundation to purchase a new K9 dog, and provide training and equipment for the K9 unit.
Today, they wanted to introduce their new K9 dog to Steeler Nation!
“Bolt”, is a 19-month old Belgian Malinois from Little Rock K9, a police canine training facility in Arkansas. Bolt serves as a dual-purpose K9 working as a road patrol and drug enforcement dog with veteran handler, Deputy Richard Cobble.
“We selected Bolt from a number of promising dogs at the facility in Little Rock for his confidence, excellent skills, and sociability,” said Major Greg Whittaker, a former K9 Deputy who commands the K9 Unit at the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. “He is able to work independently and has tremendous concentration when faced with multiple challenges out in the field. He is a very impressive dog.”
Putnam County, similar to Nashville’s Davidson County, is a partner in the State of Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s Middle Region. Through this collaborative partnership, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is committed to responding within the region with all special designated assets, such as K9 units, for large-scale events as well as officer and community safety.
In fact, just two days after joining the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Bolt and Deputy Cobble assisted Jackson County narcotics investigators on a traffic stop that yielded one felony and two misdemeanor drug charges. The Jackson County detectives later wrote saying, “Thank you. We could not have done it without your assistance.”
You can learn more about Ben’s foundation here.
You can support future K-9 grants and satisfy your sweet tooth by purchasing candy on Sarris Candies’ website, (www.SarrisCandiesFundraising.com), using a special purchase code (77-7777). Sarris will donate 25 percent of the purchase price to his foundation.
*Thank you to Michael Ronczkowski!