PITTSBURGH — Last Monday, there was no joy on the faces of the workers or the pedestrians who gathered around as contractors removed the two oversize Heinz ketchup bottles that had framed the scoreboard at the Steelers’ football stadium since 2001.

In truth, as cranes lowered down the giant bottles, the procedure took on a slow, somber mood. Those gathered nearby were witnessing something that tugged at their heart, even if they couldn’t quite put a name to it.