The business side of football is sometimes pretty hard to take.

On the day Jerome Bettis was anointed the person who leads the Steelers into the new stadium, I can't help but be saddened by the release of Dermontti Dawson, arguably the best center to ever play the game. I can understand why he had to be released, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

I am quite happy that the Steelers found a way to make sure Bettis would remain on the team for the duration of his career. After all, Bettis has been the leader of this offense ever since he was stolen from the L.A. Rams. He has consistently been one of the most feared RBs in the league, and he personifies what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. He is a man who plays through pain, plays for his team, and never takes a play off.

He is a leader in the huddle, a leader in the locker room, and a leader in the community. He is loved by his teammates, adored by his fans, and respected by his opponents. He is a great football player, and more importantly, a great human being.

The sad part, is everything I just said about Jerome Bettis can be used to describe Dermontti Dawson. While "The Bus" has been rolling along, "Dirt" Dawson has been hampered for the past two years with a nagging hamstring problem. Compound that with the fact that he was do a $1 million roster bonus on March 9th, on top of his $1.6 million base salary, and you can see why the team had no choice but to release him.

He remained a class individual right to the end. Here is what he had to say upon learning he was released:

"I'm pretty relaxed about the whole situation. All good things have to come to an end sooner or later. We all have to face it. I thought about retirement in 1999, after the injury happened the first time. I was playing so well last season until I got hurt. It frustrates me because I know I can still play, but the hamstring is a hindrance."

"There's not too much I can do. It's pretty much out of my control. They gave me an opportunity to come back last year, but unfortunately it happened again."

"I knew with the cap being so tight right now and them needing money that it was a business decision and I can't fault them for that. I'm not going to sit and be mad at people and just hate the Steelers for a business decision. I had a great career there. They gave me all the opportunities in the world, gave me my first chance to play, and I've done well there. I accomplished a lot in Pittsburgh and can't complain."