TODAY'S HEADLINES

Jay-Z was in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night for the first time since Rock the Mic Tour with 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott on July 2, 2003. That means I'm now 0-for-2 on attending Jay-Z concerts in Pittsburgh. [PG]

Ben Roethlisberger has yet to be interviewed by Georgia police who are investigating a sexual assault allegation made against him by a 20-year-old college student. This information comes directly from Roethlisberger's attorney, Ed Garland.

This is the complete opposite of a report from NFL.com reporter Jason La Canfora, which said that Ben flew to Georgia on Saturday to "cooperate" with the investigation. [SI; NFL.com]

Larry Foote thanks God that he didn't sign a long-term deal in Detroit, where he played last season.

I'd agree that he's extremely lucky the way things worked out, especially considering the fact that he was able to re-join the Steelers, not a team traditionally known for taking back those who have left. The fact that he got a three-year deal worth more than $9 million is just icing on the cake. [DetNews.com]

Bill Clark has been suspended indefinitely by the Duquesne Dukes due to conduct detrimental to the team. The junior is second on the team in scoring (14.1 PPG) and rebounding (6.0 RPG) and leads the Dukes with 46 three-pointers.

Duquesne (16-15) travels to Princeton (20-8) for a first-round College Basketball Invitational game on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. [KDKA]

Steve Downie has been fined a whole $1,000 for his dirty hit on Sidney Crosby on Sunday. I'm sure that and the lack of a suspension will surely make him think the next time he gets the urge to potentially injure a player. [ESPN]

Franco Harris will be in Hershey, PA, at the Hershey Lodge on Friday, March 26, 2010, for the KPMG Celebration of Excellence.

Proceeds from the Celebration of Excellence support The Second Mile’s programs that touch the lives of more than 200,000 Pennsylvania children annually. [CBS 21]

Byron Leftwich is reportedly on the Steelers' radar pending his probable release from the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Leftwich played in just three games for the Bucs last season, with four touchdowns, three INTs, and a QB rating of 71. He won a ring as Ben Roethlisberger's primary backup in 2008. [Examiner.com]

Dominic Fields of Homewood is in hot water after he masterminded a plot to extort $50,000 from his father by faking his kidnapping.

And yes, faking a kidnapping is exactly the same idea Norm MacDonald and Dave Chappelle had in the underrated 2000 movie "Screwed", which was shot and took place in Pittsburgh. If you've never seen it, go rent it. Dominic Fields probably did. [WPXI; Wikipedia]

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl wants to copy the sugary drink tax that Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is proposing for their city, which is two cents an ounce. As you can see, it would add $1.35 to the cost of a two-liter bottle of pop. This should go over well. [Early Returns]

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TODAY'S HEADLINES

Ben-a-Palooza is the unfortunate name given to the QB's trip to Georgia, as these TMZ photos would confirm. The party has been a tradition for several years to celebrate Roethlisberger's birthday.

Between the Palooza 500 and Ben's black Devil shirt, it's like I can see into the Pittsburgh underground t-shirt industry's future. [TMZ]

Evgeni Malkin will miss an unknown length of time due to an injury suffered while taking a Kris Letang shot on the lower right leg/foot area yesterday in the Pens' 2-1 win at Tampa.

Thankfully, Sidney Crosby looks like he'll be OK after Steve Downie rode him to the ice less than a minute into the game. March must officially be Cheap Shot Month in the NHL.[PG]



Brady Quinn, shown below annoying Bret Michaels, was dealt to the Denver Broncos this weekend. In return, Cleveland gets fullback Peyton Hillis, a 2011 sixth-round draft pick and a conditional pick in 2012.

To recap, Cleveland traded its second-round selection in 2007 (used to select Kevin Kolb) and its first-round selection in 2008 to Dallas (used to select Felix Jones) for the right to take Quinn. That's some quality general managing. At least things are in good hands at the position now, with Jake "8 touchdowns, 18 picks" Delhomme and Seneca Wallace at the helm. [ESPN]

The Duquesne Dukes (16-15) will be dancing, just not in the dance they'd prefer. Duquesne will be in the CBI Tournament, where they will play at Princeton (20-8) on Wednesday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m. The game will be televised nationally by HDNet. [KDKA]

Brad Lincoln was among six cut by the Pirates today as their roster was trimmed to 53.

Others moving around include Donnie Veal, who will join Lincoln at Class AAA Indianapolis; Pitcher Bryan Morris who is headed to Class A Bradenton; and Catcher Tony Sanchez, and pitchers Virgil Vasquez, Jeff Sues and Justin Thomas, who are going to minor league camp. [PBC Blog]

Larry Foote is "excited to return to Pittsburgh", which sounds to me like he's returning to Pittsburgh. All signs point to a deal being struck today with the 29-year-old ex-Steeler and Lion. [Detroit News]

****UPDATE**** Foote signed a three-year, $9.3 million deal today, per Jason La Canfora of NFL.com.

Rob Pettiti, the former Pitt Panther, has signed with the Carolina Panthers, according to agent Ralph Cindrich. Pettiti split 2009 with the UFL's Florida Tuskers and the Panthers as a replacement for another Pitt product, Jeff Otah. [Ralph Cindrich Twitter]

Lady Gaga is coming to Pittsburgh on September 5, as part of her Monster Ball Tour. She will be playing in the spanking new Consol Energy Center and hopefully will not be wearing this outfit. [Kiss Morning Freak Show]

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TODAY'S HEADLINES

Antwaan Randle-El and his hat were officially welcomed back to Pittsburgh yesterday, four years after he and the team parted ways.

El's new deal is for three years, $7 million, and a $900,000 signing bonus. Punt returning is not officially in his job description this time around, at least not for the time being. [PG]

Robert Morris has a trip to the NCAA tournament on the line tonight when they face top seed Quinnipiac for the NEC Championship.

The game will be played at the TD Banknorth Sports Center in Hamden, Connecticut, with a 7 PM tip and a national ESPN2 audience. It's RMU's second straight appearance in the NEC Tournament championship game and ninth in school history. [RMUColonials.com]

Matt Cooke had a 12:30 PM hearing today with the NHL's Colin Campbell regarding his controversial hit on Marc Savard.

TSN's Bob McKenzie said he thinks Cooke may walk on this one because in the eyes of the league, he didn't break a rule. Other guesses have Cooke getting as many as four or five games. We'll have to wait and see. [Twitter]

Jamie Dixon is allegedly interested in the Oregon job, replacing outgoing coach Ernie Kent. The Oregonian article goes on to mention that Nike, based in nearby Beaverton, Oregon, will undoubtedly play a role in the hire. But rumors of Dixon to the West Coast pop up every year, and as far as I can see, he's still on the Pitt sidelines. Until then, it's just a rumor. [OregonLive.com]

Georgia College & State University students who are in the same sorority as Ben Roethlisberger's accuser have been ordered to take down each of their Facebook and Twitter accounts and refrain from wearing any clothing with the sorority letters until further notice.

Don't expect to hear too much about Ben today from TMZ, with the sudden passing of actor Corey Haim bumping the QB's news far down the page. [TMZ]

Notre Dame and Seton Hall face off tonight in the Big East Tournament, with a 7 PM start at MSG. The winner of this game is rewarded with a contest against the Pitt Panthers tomorrow night in the quarterfinals, and would have to win two more games after that to be declared champions. The Big East Tournament is slowly becoming a slightly smaller version of March Madness. [CharlotteObserver.com]

Jim Boeheim was named Big East Coach of the Year, taking a Syracuse team unranked in the preseason to the regular season title and a #3 national ranking. Of course, he did have the Big East Player of the Year in Wesley Johnson on his team, which is much more than Jamie Dixon can say.

Dixon's Panthers jumped from ninth in the conference preseason rankings to second at the end of the season. He certainly merited consideration for the award. [BigEast.org]

Larry Foote and Joey Porter are both visiting the linebacker-needy Arizona Cardinals today. The horribly-informed ESPN scribe who wrote this article asks, "Is Arizona transforming itself into Pittsburgh west?"

No, that happened a long time ago. [ESPN]

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STEELER NEWS AND NOTES

Roethlisberger's Attorney, Ed Garland spoke exclusively to KDKA's Paul Martino outside his office in Atlanta today, predicting that the Steelers quarterback will emerge from recent sexual assault allegations with both his freedom and his future intact.

"We intend to finish this case in a way that neither his liberty nor his future is damaged," Garland said. [KDKA]

Attorneys Lee Parks and David Walbert are representing the accuser, urging the media not to identify her and to respect her privacy while the investigation runs its course.

TMZ confirmed earlier in the day that they know the accuser's identity and will not release a photo they possess of her with Roethlisberger. [PG, TMZ]

Ben Roethlisberger has been asked to give a DNA sample as part of the investigation, and the Milledgeville PD believes he will comply. [TMZ]

Gary Myers of the NY Daily News piles on the troubled QB with an article entitled, "Ben Roethlisberger's stupid behavior justifies New York Giants' choice in 2004 draft."

That's right, Eli Manning's never exhibited stupid behavior. Nope. Never.

Ty Ballou of PLB Sports, manufacturer of Big Ben Beef Jerky, had this to say about Roethlisberger:

"You want the offseason to be quiet. You have to put yourself in good positions. And Ben unfortunately hasn't. You even go back to the motorcycle accident. Whatever happened down there (in Georgia), I hope this will truly be the last time something like this happens. Ben's a good person. He does a lot for charity. But for his career, his fans and his family, you have to make good decisions." [USA Today]

LB Larry Foote is supposedly seeking a deal in excess of the $8 million guaranteed that Scott Fujita recently scored from Cleveland. In addition to the Steelers, Pittsburgh West and Washington are also in the hunt.

The Cardinals recent lost Karlos Dansby at the position, and the Steelers have virtually no depth at the position. He might actually parlay this opportunity into a real payday. [NFL.com]

RB Willie Parker is no longer desired by the Kansas City Chiefs, as they just added veteran Thomas Jones today. Parker remains unemployed as of this minute, with zero buzz of a return to Pittsburgh. Leading contenders for his services include Houston, Washington, and Tampa Bay. [PFT]

WR Antwaan Randle-El spoke to ESPN 1250's "The Drive" this afternoon, and it certainly sounds like he plans on claiming the third receiver role. I'm curious what Mike Wallace thinks of that. [ESPN 1250]

WR Limas Sweed is allegedly suffering from depression, according to sources close to WXDX's Mark Madden. If this is true (and I have no reason to believe that it isn't), I wish him luck with this very difficult illness.

Sweed officially ended the 2009 season on injured reserve, finishing with just one catch for five yards. It appears that he has played his last game as a Steeler, with word trickling out that he and his agent are seeking a trade. According to PFT, he's definitely not going to Atlanta, which was one of his rumored destinations.

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STEELERS FREE AGENCY UPDATE

WR Arnaz Battle has officially been signed by the Steelers. Like earlier signee Will Allen, Battle is a special teams standout - an area I'm glad to see addressed - and will be reunited with his former position coach in San Francisco, Al Everest.

OT Jonathan Scott, a four-year veteran who's spent time with Detroit and Buffalo, reached agreement with the Steelers on a contract today. Again, this is a reunion of a player with a position coach, as the Steelers hired former Buffalo line coach Sean Kugler to the same position this offseason.

LB Larry Foote is meeting today with the Redskins, but apparently is wanted back in Pittsburgh to create depth at the position. The Steelers usually don't welcome back players once they've left, but this could be a rare occurrence of just that happening.

WR Antonio Bryant, the former Pitt standout, is visiting with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. The Bengals have been mentioned as possible landing spots for Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall, so it looks like they're going to sign somebody to address their need at the position.

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FREE AGENCY UPDATE

Ripped Willie Parker will be taking an official visit to Washington on Monday. Other than Clinton Portis (who played in just eight games last year due to injury), the Skins' backfield has a bunch of Quinton Ganthers and Anthony Alridges. And we know money will not be an issue. This could be a match, especially in a Mike Shanahan offense.

Ryan Clark is drawing interest from five teams, including the Steelers. The Pittsburgh West (Arizona) Cardinals and free-spending Chicago Bears are said to be the front-runners.

CB Leigh Bodden, who played college ball at Duquesne, is supposedly on the Steelers' radar. The team has little experience at the position outside of Ike Taylor, so something has to get done either in free agency or the draft.

Larry Foote and his Detroit homecoming appear to be over. The veteran LB will be visiting with Arizona and Washington next week.

Terrell Owens is reportedly drawing some interest from the Cincinnati Bengals, according to agent Drew "Next Question" Rosenhaus. And really, what's not to like about a 36-year-old receiver on the downside of his career who may or may not blow up your already chaotic locker room?

Anquan Boldin is now a Baltimore Raven via trade with the Arizona Cardinals. The cost was only a 3rd and 4th round pick...and a $28 million contract. Boldin had 84 catches for 1024 yards and four touchdowns with the Cardinals last season.

David Carr is wanted by the Cleveland Browns. If these are the moves that Mike Holmgren thinks will turn around that franchise, let's give him a Pittsburgh welcome into the division.

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BEYONCE, WHOOPI, AND LARRY FOOTE

That title sounds like the punchline to a Johnny Carson joke, but there's actually some context for the grouping. During Sunday's Lions-Saints game, announcer Chris Myers had this to say about former Steeler Larry Foote: Going from two Super Bowls in Pittsburgh to the winless Detroit team -- that's like going from dating Beyonce to Whoopi Goldberg." Ouch.

By the way, in this game Drew Brees threw six TDs in a win over a team that hasn't won since Week 16 of 2007, so be fully prepared for proclamations of his greatness throughout the week. Remember: Big Ben = bad, Drew Brees = good.

NFL Announcer Rips Whoopi Goldberg [TMZ]

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NAPOLEON HARRIS VISITS STEELERS

With some new-found cap space and a gaping hole on the linebacker depth chart, the Steelers are visiting with Celebrity car owner Napoleon "Hollywood" Harris, who spent time last year with Minnesota and Kansas City.

Harris, the valedictorian of his high school (where he teamed up with former Steeler Antwaan Randle-El), played football and a year of basketball at Northwestern University. He was a 2002 first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders, eventually being dealt to Minnesota as part of the package for Randy Moss. He signed a six-year deal with the Chiefs in 2007 that lasted one year, making that whole "six-year" language a bit of a farce.

He re-joined the Vikings last year, playing in 10 games and starting five. He had 32 tackles, one sack, and his first career touchdown in a week 12 game against Jacksonville.

Harris played under Mike Tomlin during 2006 in Minnesota, so there's a bit of history there. He would provide nice depth with the recent release of Larry Foote and he might earn enough cash to add to his Bentley collection in the process.

Napoleon Harris Visits The Steelers [PFT]

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LARRY FOOTE'S ALREADY A LION

That didn't take long.

Concluding a series of events in which the former Steeler linebacker asked out of a contract that would pay him nearly $3 million for the defending champions this season, Larry Foote reached a one year deal last night with his hometown, 0-16 Detroit Lions. Terms were not disclosed, and the contract is to be signed today.

I've actually heard criticism of both sides in the deal: the Steelers, for holding all the cards yet damaging their depth at linebacker, and Foote, for not sticking it out one more year despite an expected decrease in playing time. But this is the NFL in 2009, and this is the Steelers we're talking about, which means this is business as usual. The Steelers were still very close to the cap, and this will give them some breathing room. And Foote obviously thought about this prior to this offseason, with whispers about his wishes to play for the Lions popping up even before last season was over. Mike Tomlin undoubtedly weighed the value of having a player who doesn't want to be here in making the decision.

If history is any indication, most Steeler linebackers have limited success after leaving the franchise, with a few exceptions. Time will tell if this was the right move for all involved, but I think the Steelers will be just fine moving forward.

Foote, Lions agree to deal [PG]

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FOOTE OFFICIALLY RELEASED

Larry Foote officially joined the ranks of ex-Steeler linebackers on Monday, when he was released by the team. You can now add his name to a star-studded list that includes Kendrell Bell, Chad Brown, Jason Gildon, Kevin Greene, Levon Kirkland, Greg Lloyd, Mike Merriweather, and Joey Porter.

It is speculated that the Steelers tried to wrangle a trade, but found no willing partners for the 28-year-old longtime starter. Foote's pending $2.885 million salary for certainly played a factor in his release. As previously reported, Foote is hoping to join the 0-16 Detroit Lions, his hometown team.

Foote's replacement next season in Pittsburgh will be Lawrence Timmons, the third-year man who doubles as Mike Tomlin's first-ever draft pick. Timmons started two games last season but played in all 16, racking up 65 tackles, five sacks, and one 89-yard interception. He should be more than ready to step into a spot in the league's top defense after two years of marinating on the sidelines.

Steelers part ways with unhappy Foote [ESPN]

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UPDATED: STEELER MINICAMP LOOKS SERIOUS

It's been a slow news morning, which means the best I can do for this afternoon is a picture from Steeler minicamp of Brett Keisel Ben Roethlisberger in what looks to be a Mexican wrestling mask. Because the alternative storylines from the national outlets are:

A. The Kentucky Derby and that jockey with the wicked Cajun accent
B. That horrible Hawks-Heat series finally coming to an end
C. Selena Roberts' A-Rod book, which every ESPN radio host seems to hate
D. Brett Favre playing for the Vikings in 2009

No, no, no, and....no.

And locally, everyone seems to be complaining about the Penguins' top-heavy scoring and impotent power play, so that's obviously been done to death.

So we'll go with a brief Steeler recap, since I haven't mentioned the Champs in a few days...

--James Farrior is sad to see Larry Foote go. Aren't we all. [PG]

--The Lions might not be interested in trading for Mr. Foote. [MLive.com]

--A.Q. Shipley is planning on making a formal request for Mike Webster's #52. He might have a shot, considering he played alongside Webster's son Garrett at Moon HS. [Daily Collegian Online]

--Shipley and Pitt's Mark Estermeyer are off to good starts. Expect a lot of support to be thrown to this local duo throughout camp. [Beaver County Times]

--Imagine this: the Cardinals re-acquired a former Steeler, lineman Oliver Ross. [PFT]

--Hines Ward wants to retire as a Steeler. So does Limas Sweed. OK, I made that one up. Or did I? [PG]

--But seriously, Sweed and Rashard Mendenhall both want to pick it up in year two. [Trib]

--And so does LB Bruce Davis, who was invisible last year. [Trib]

UPDATE:

From the email - the photo ID is confirmed:

Just an FYI, that is actually Big Ben Roethlisberger wearing Keisel’s jersey and the Mexican wrestling mask in the photo on your website. On the last day of minicamp many of the players switched jerseys in addition to adorning their hat of choice… Below is a picture of Keisel wearing Ben’s # 7 and another picture of Roethlisberger sporting # 99.

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UPDATED: LARRY FOOTE ON THE WAY OUT

Pro Football Talk is reporting that the Steelers are going to part ways with veteran LB Larry Foote. This should clear the path for 2oo7 first-round pick Lawrence Timmons to earn a starting job.

The deal will save the Steelers $2.885 million towards their currently-strapped 2009 salary cap. The timing, as PFT's Mike Florio muses, is curious, given that the Steelers could've allowed Foote some time on the open market if this would've happened in, say, February. But having recently been through the Gary Russell situation, this certainly wouldn't be the first curiously-timed move of this particular Steeler offseason.

Foote was a colorful character and a big part of the Steeler locker room. A fourth-round pick in 2002 out of Michigan, he won two rings in the Black and Gold. He's started every single game since taking over as a starter in 2004. Last season, he had 63 tackles and 1.5 sacks, the lowest numbers he's put up over the past in his five seasons as a starter.

While it's never easy to see a high-level contributor move on, this is not a total surprise. In fact, it was widely reported last year that a friend of Foote said the linebacker would want to finish his career with the Detroit Lions, being that he's a native of the city. It looks like the opportunity to join Matthew Stafford might be a realistic option at this point. And then again, there's always Arizona...

UPDATE: He's not quite gone yet, says Ed Bouchette, but a move may be coming soon:

Sources close to Foote say he wants to continue his career as a starting linebacker where he can play more often and asked the Steelers to accommodate him. After reportedly finding no offers in a trade, sources on the club say they plan to release him sometime after this weekend's minicamp, which Foote will not attend.

Foote’s Departure Clears $2.885 Million In Cap Space [PFT]
Report: Larry Foote wants to finish career with Lions [MLive.com]
Steelers to release linebacker Larry Foote [PG]

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TODAY'S STEELER NEWS

TODAY'S TOP PICS

"Below is my daughter, Natalie, born today (1-29-09)"
--Ed H., Morgantown, PA (yes, there is a Morgantown in PA)

"My best friend lives (and works) in Rome. He just married a Roman girl. The Friday before the Sunday wedding we all went out on the town in full Steelers gear. We went to a Steelers bar at one point right by the Vatican. There are more photos from it, but I linked to my favorite one. I’m the one in the old school Rod Woodson jersey (that is autographed by Rod and Justin Strelczyk)." -- Maxwell D.

From Joe W., Pittsburgh

From Bob F., Florida

From Eric Poole, Lawrence, KS (formerly of Ligonier, PA)

VIDEO

KDKA Radio Talks to Steelers Fan and Space Station Commander Mike Fincke


QUESTION OF THE DAY

--"It seems that a lot of people are bringing up some dirt on the Steelers going into this week's Super Bowl (like ESPN running a two year old story about the HGH doctor in a shameless attempt to rile the new "Steeler hater" demographic). How come nobody has brought this up? I hate to do it to Larry, because I love the guy, but if it's fair to take shots at the Steelers since they're in the spotlight, shouldn't the same go for our opponent's golden boy receiver?

PS: I remember how when certain teams would start winning a lot of championships, the general public would start to turn on them and find reasons to discredit them. I remember with the Cowboys it was because they were all criminals, with the Pats it was Spygate, with the Yankees it was because they just bought the team every year (which I still subscribe to BTW).

Now, with the Steelers on the verge of possibly 2 titles in three years, I am seeing it start to happen to us. It feels kind of good to be on the other side of it for once!!" -- John M., Florida

LINKS & NEWS

--Fans pick Mike Tomlin as NFL Coach of the Year [Trib]

--Hines and his sprained MCL are practicing [ESPN]

--Santonio chose Super Bowl week to spill his guts about selling drugs as a kid [Beaver County Times]

--The Coach denies reports that Big Ben had X-rays on Wednesday [PG]

--Steelers owner Dan Rooney could serve as the U.S. ambassador to Ireland in his spare time [Shutdown Corner]

--20 rules for your Super Bowl party [Deadspin]

--Dave Dameshek ranks Pittsburgh's best and worst jerseys. Stoudt is still out. [ESPN]

--And from Dave Dameshek's Dick Banks house band, it's the latest Steeler song, (this one about Mike Tomlin), set to Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler"

--DJ Gallo, who's been blogging the bowl all week for ESPN.com, takes a look at six Steeler bars around the country. [ESPN]

--Catching up with the guy who had the heart attack after Bettis' fumble in the '06 playoffs [WTAE]

--10 Super Bowl things Peter King thinks he thinks [SI]

--Mayor Ravenstahl's got quite the costly Super Bowl trip planned...and his contributors are footing the bill [PB&G]

--Russ Grimm: Hall of Famer? [Fanhouse]

--Steelers candy is a hot item [PG]

--Larry Foote wants to play for...the Lions? [Freep.com]

--Highlights from the Springsteen Press Conference [Blog 'n' Gold]

--Nice article on Big Ben from John Clayton [ESPN]

--Troy Polamalu's interview on Wednesday was quite possibly the quietest ever. [Oregon Live]

--Pepsi's going to run a 3D ad with the Sobe lizards on Sunday, and here's a leaked preview...in 2D. [Pepsico]

--Greatest Snack Food Stadium....ever. [Holy Taco]

PRIZE UPDATE:

This week's random e-mailer prize from the Mondesi Mystery Box is Jon V. of Clairton. He'll be receiving this simply unreal and huge 16x20 photo of Hines Ward leading the charge, courtesy of The Steel City Auctions Gallery:

NEXT WEEK'S PRIZE

Reader J.B. created a Terrible ShamWow! (limited edition of 2: one for him, one for us) - that's actually silk screened. He offered it as a prize for a lucky reader next week. So keep the pics, video, links, and emails coming and you'll be automatically entered.

Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.

Your Obligatory Ticket Update - UPDATED AGAIN

I've received many an email since the story broke concerning 37,000 unpaid tickets in Pittsburgh and the pending arrest warrants of those who don't square up in the next 30 days. Many concerned citizens have taken the liberty of looking up local athletes on the county's website and alerting me to these prominent scofflaws. For all who need to know, here's the surprisingly brief up-to-the-minute list:

Antwaan Randle-El
Bob Palko (Tyler's dad)
Chris "The Unblockable" Gardocki
Chukky Okobi
Eugene Collier
Jason Gildon
Joey Porter
Larry Foote
Max Starks
Paul Coffey
Plaxico Burress
Rod Rutherford
Verron Haynes

Man, would I love to see the county's website stats from this project. Exactly how many Yinzers typed in "Bettis", "Cowher", or "Wannstedt" on their lunch hour? And what a novel fundraiser. The cash generated from this might be enough to fund the new Penguins arena.

UPDATE: A reader gives this info:

Just wanted to let you know that Paul Coffey's middle name is Douglas, and the guy on the county's website name is Paul A Coffey.