Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated agrees with me on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bone-headed move to release star linebacker Joey Porter, who subsequently signed with the Miami Dolphins. Silver puts it bluntly: “I do believe that by the end of 2007, the franchise that employed Porter for the first eight years of his exceptional career will be humiliated for having let him go.”

As I wrote a few weeks ago, Porter was the heart and soul of the Steelers. Wide receiver Hines Ward tells Sports Illustrated he was floored by the decision to let him go.

Ward believes Porter’s intensity will be tougher to replace than his sacks, interceptions and forced fumbles. “It’s shocking that they let him go,” Ward says, “because he was really the emotional leader, the guy who brought out the best in a lot of players. That’s why so many veterans — Alan Faneca, James Farrior and others — called me when they heard he was released. We were all shocked.

“You can always replace players, but you can’t always replace leaders. That’s what we lose more than anything. It was tough when we lost Jerome (Bettis) before last year, and then we lost Coach Cowher. Now we lose Joey Porter? It’s gonna be different.”

It will be up to Ward to fill the void left by Bettis and Porter, whose departures, along with Cowher’s retirement, will make the upcoming season especially difficult for Steelers fans.