Everyone inside PPG Paints Arena on Sunday was there for one main reason, to celebrate Jaromir Jagr and his #68 being raised to the rafters and retired.
No one in the history of Penguins will ever wear #68 again, just like Mario Lemieux’s #66 and Michel Briere’s #21.
Jagr’s career in Pittsburgh ended with a trade to Washington. The Penguins were in financial trouble at the time and was purely a business move.
Still, it was hard to see Jagr is a Capitals jersey. It was even harder when Penguins fans saw him in a Philadelphia Flyers jersey.
But Sunday saw a redemption for Jagr and Pittsburgh. The 52-year-old, who is still playing for the team he owns in his home town back in the Czech Republic.
With Jagr’s jersey being the latest retired in Pittsburgh sports, who will be next?
That got Joe Starkey thinking about Terry Bradshaw and why his #12 isn’t retired yet.
“The fact that Terry Bradshaw’s jersey is not retired is a franchise embarrassment,” said Starkey. “I don’t care what his relationship was like when he left the Steelers, I don’t care about anything he’s ever said or done. There’s no other market in America, no other football city in America where a quarterback who was 4-0 in the Super Bowl, with back-to-back Super Bowl MVPs wouldn’t have his jersey retired, it’s a joke.”
Bradshaw in a Hall of Famer, three-time Pro Bowl, one-time All-Pro, went 107-51 during his career with 27,989 yards, second behind Ben Roethlisberger’s 64,088 yards.
The Steelers have many Hall of Fame players and legendary names that could have their number retired at some point, but Bradshaw is different.
No one has work #12 for the Steelers since Bradshaw, so retire his number and let the fans celebrate him.
Bradshaw’s history with Pittsburgh after he retired wasn’t always warm but it has gotten better over the years.
Let’s give him the day he deserves while he is still around.
Listen to the clip above as Starkey and Bob Pompeani discuss Barry Bonds' #24 and Dave Parker's #39 should also be retired.