I was a small kid, and probably a little timid. I was 7 or 8 during their first couple of SBs, and just like any kid from SW PA the Steelers were my heros. They were gods. One of those early years at Latrobe I was scrambling all over the place trying to get autographs. I wasn't having much luck because as a small kid I was getting knocked out of the way by more aggressive bigger kids, and even some adults.
While all this was going on, someone yelled, "Mean Joe", and immediately the entire crowd took off towards him...me included. I couldn't believe how close I was to one of my idols, yet I was still so far away. I was standing near the very back of what seemed like 5 or 6 bodies deep in the crowd that was smothering him. There I was, wide-eyed, in awe, clutching my autograph pad. I just knew I would never get close enough to get an autograph. Just as I was losing hope, this HUGE hand reached through the crowd, parting it like the red sea as it extended in my direction. Mean Joe grabbed the autograph pad from my small hands and pull it towards him. He signed it, and again parted the crown to return the autograph to me. That was the day Mean Joe Green became my favorite Steeler of all time. A sentiment that stays with me to this day.
I make a point of teaching my daughter not to idolize entertainers, celebrities, or sports personalities. I, like many of you, am losing interest in the NFL and everything it's become. But I was lucky enough to have a sports figure as an idol FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. The was tough. He worked hard. He made the people around him better, and he respected his fans. Mean Joe was, and still is AWESOME!
