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Welcome to Week Three of The Young and the Roethlisberger, the riveting soap opera set in a small backwoods town somewhere in Georgia.  The leading roles belong to a world famous quarterback and an anonymous 20-year-old female.  Ratings are going through the roof. It was just over three weeks ago that Pittsburgh Steelers all-world quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his large entourage descended on a small hamlet called Milledgeville and turned it ...

In Miami last weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2009 season came to a fitting conclusion in the waning moments of the final regular season gameùIke Taylor intercepted a pass. á It was his first interception since Dec. 7, 2008, and, amazingly, the first pick of 2009 from a Steelers starting cornerback.á (IÆm not counting Deshea TownsendÆs earlier pick, because he wasnÆt a regular starter.)á Sure, there were only 36 seconds left in the ...

Stop the presses. Pop open the champagne. Ring the church bells. Set off the fireworks. Call the Mayor, the Governor, the President, and the Rooneys. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won a football game. Tomorrow morning, look for the following headline, in size 24-font, bold capital letters, on the front page of daily newspapers all across the state:á PITTSBURGH BEATS GREEN BAY. News outlets from all over the country will choose this as their ...

As the ruins of the 2009 season are still smoldering with three games remaining, the Pittsburgh Steelers must take a long look in the mirror.á Depending on how the last trio of games plays out, they could be facing one of the longest and toughest offseason in recent memory. á After 2006, their last non-playoff year, there was a feel-good vibe from a strong finish (they won 6 of 8 after starting ...

When the Pitt Panthers suffered a heartbreaking, soul-crushing 45-44 loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday afternoon ináthe Big East championship, it was rightly proclaimed one of PittÆs toughest losses in years. á It was also reasonable to think it would be years until football fans in Pittsburgh would witness an equally devastating loss at Heinz Field. á Well, thanks to the Steelers, it only took about 24 hours. á The Steelers fell to the Oakland ...

"It used to be Pittsburgh's time, now it's Cincinnati's time, and it'll probably be that way for a while. They're like black and white TV, we're like color TV." -Chad Johnson, Dec. 4, 2005 Well, it only took three years, 11 months and 20 days, but Chad JohnsonÆs prediction that the Bengals would be the new emperors of the AFC North finally came true.á With a gritty victory at Heinz Field ...

Monday Night Football. ItÆs finally here. Prime time. The eyes of millions are watching.á My two modest eyes are watching as well. This is what transpired. á á Pregame á Do-do do dooooàdododo, dododoàdo-do do do doooooààdo-do do do-do do dooooàbaam, baaam, baaaam, baaam, baaaaaaaaaaaaaamàà.do-do do-do dooo! á Welcome to a prime time running diary of one of the better Monday night matchups of 2009 thus far. As always, I must thank the great Bill Simmons for ...

Other than the six-figure annual salary and the plush expense account, one of the best perks of writing for this website is the unfettered access we have to the athletes we cover so zealously.á Just this past weekend, I was able to spend significant time with many members of the Steelers organization and even some key figures in the Pittsburgh media.á This is what I sawà á Hines Ward , after getting ...

Nov. 1 will be a quiet day in Western Pennsylvania, as the Steelers will not be on glorious display as they are most other Sundays. In fact, the Steelers will be idle for a total of 15 days, practically an eternity on the NFL calendar. á Though there are some concerns about a tiring and increasingly injured defense, as well as some suspect play on special teams, there is really no ...