Sooner or later ...

It was bound to happen.

See ya, Joey, and good luck. Thanks for the years and especially for speaking the truth during the 2005-06 Super Bowl run when you called out the Indy Colts ("They're soft!") and Seahawks' tight end Jerramy Stevens ("What's he ever done?!!").

Thanks also for sustained periods of stellar play and team leadership, as well as for the occasional blips of bombastic comic relief and thought-provoking insights and interviews that make us go, "huh."

For all the goofy shit you'd say and do, Ol' 55, a lot of times you made more sense than anybody.

Good luck to you and your family, and your pit bulls, too, although ... THESE here pit bulls aren't going anywhere. We're hungry.

Oh, and one other thing: It would be overstating the case to say these things come in threes ... but R.I.P. former Steelers Elbie Nickel and Lloyd Voss.

Elbie Nickel, a highly accomplished pass-catching tight end during the '50s, was honored by being named to the Steelers' 50th anniversary team. Lloyd Voss (#65) was a run-stuffing defensive tackle who played in the 1960s on an extremely nasty, vicious and brutal front four that was the immediate predecessor of the Steel Curtain. Although the team's record in Voss's era was abysmal, nobody savored facing that violent defensive front. Voss's linemates were fellow defensive tackle Chuck Hinton (#64) and defensive ends Ben McGee (#63) and Big John Baker (#68 and size 16 shoes).

Rough hombres, all four of them, in the Steelers defensive tradition carried on by the likes of Joey Porter. May the tradition continue.

Links:

Ed Bouchette's article in Friday's Post-Gazette.

Classic quotes from Joey Porter. Check 'em out.

Blog 'n Gold coverage from the Post-Gazette.

Ron Cook: Joey Porter Was a Terrific Teammate

Post-Gazette Slideshow: "A Salute to Joey Porter"

Deadspin's take on the news: Make sure to read the comments.

Just because we can: The Mighty MJD's "Letter"

And, to cap it off, a salute to "Ol' 55"
(lyrics by Tom Waits):

Well my time went so quickly,
I went lickety-splickly out with my old '55
As I drove away slowly, feeling so holy,
God knows, I was feeling alive.

Now the sun's coming up,
I'm riding with Lady Luck,
freeway cars and trucks,
Stars beginning to fade,
and I lead the parade

Just a-wishing I'd stayed a little longer,
Oh, Lord, let me tell you
that the feeling's getting stronger.

And it's six in the morning,
gave me no warning; I had to be on my way.
Well there's trucks all a-passing me,
and the lights are all flashing,
I'm on my way home from your place.

And now the sun's coming up,
I'm riding with Lady Luck,
freeway cars and trucks,
Stars beginning to fade,
and I lead the parade ...

And, no, not THAT Joey Porter.

THIS Joey Porter, and THIS one, too!