NEWS AND NOTES

--Two from WPXI: first, they had a body language expert (what?) break down the video of Ben Roethlisberger's statement, and that person thinks Ben's telling the truth. So that's good news, I suppose.

Second, reporter Rick Earle, who's in Nevada, learned that a private investigator posing as an autograph seeker served Ben with the court documents while he was in town for the American Century celebrity golf tournament this month. Which is probably bad news for future Ben autograph hounds. [WPXI]

--The Big Ben case was nothing compared to the lack of coverage by the entire media over the Rick Pitino extortion case. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

--Colin Cowherd picks Pitt to finish second in the Big East at 10-2 this year, trailing only 12-0 Rutgers, which returns five starters on the O-line. I guess I can live with that. [The Herd's Word]

--The NFL draft is moving to primetime in 2010, with a Thursday-night kickoff. Adjust your lives accordingly. [The Big Lead]

--Pete Prisco ranks Large Ben #4 among NFL QBs, right behind Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and hero of fantasy nerds everywhere and holder of a 1-2 lifetime record in the playoffs, Drew Brees. Fantastic. [CBS]

--James Walker previews the AFC North, and has this to say about the Champs: "Although the coaching staff won't admit it, few teams need training camp and the preseason less than Pittsburgh." Don't let Casey Hampton hear that. [ESPN AFC North Blog]

--Former Steeler DT flop Orien Harris is apparently worth Raiders WR Ronald Curry in a trade engineered by the St. Louis Rams. [Fanhouse]

--Former Steeler punter Mitch Berger is among a group of past and present New Orleans Saints suing a film studio to try to get their money back from investments they say were never made. Because if there's one thing you care about, it's Mitch Berger's finances. [ESPN]

--What do the Steelers eat at training camp? Turkey burgers and cheesecake...the diet of champions. [WPXI]

--Mark Madden weighs in on the Erin Andrews peephole controversy, in a way only Mark Madden can. [WXDX Mark Madden]

--Bigfoot (the fictitious creature, not the monster truck or the Howard Stern Wack Packer) was recently spotted in Fayette County, which somehow doesn't surprise me in the least. [Cryptomundo]

--And speaking of Fayette County in a more positive light, Johnny Lujack and his Heisman visited the Connellsville HS training facility that bears his name. To the best of my knowledge, Bigfoot was not in attendance. [Herald Standard]

--Dave Dameshek gives us "The Dopple Gang", a collection of lookalikes from the world of sports and entertainment. Carolla and McBeam? Well played, Mr. Dameshek. [ESPN.com]

--Some have snickered at the idea of the G-20 summit being held in Pittsburgh, but it's no laughing matter to residents and leaders of the city. As you know, we are very sensitive to such criticism. [NY Times]

--Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood is going from a daily program to a weekly program on PBS, a decision I'm not happy with one bit. Can't we have an extra telethon or something? [PG]

--Everyone apparently had a good time at the Green Day concert in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. I was busy that night compiling old quotes from Adam LaRoche, which was obviously just as enjoyable. [PG]

--From DVE.com, it's Julie Bologna's 1992 Internship Scrapbook, with special guest appearances by Jim Krenn, Phil Bourque, and Mike Lange!

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MISSED OPPORTUNITY

COLTS (5-4) 24
STEELERS (6-3) 20


ROETHLISBERGER 30-42, 284 YARDS, 3 INT
MOORE 24-57, 2 TD
WARD 9-116

It's hard to quantify the most frustrating aspect of Sunday's 24-20 home loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Was it the fact that it brings the Steelers back into a tie for the AFC North lead with Baltimore at 6-3? How about the angle that the Colts' final score (at 3:04 of the 4th) was their only lead of the day? Or maybe we're just feeling remorseful after watching such an opportunity for victory against a quality opponent slip through the hands of a team playing without Willie Parker, Lamarr Woodley, Heath Miller, and Marvel Smith?

Yep, there's second-guessing all around, and it will get uglier as the week goes on. It will undoubtedly start at the top, where the wisdom of playing a severely banged-up Ben Roethlisberger will be put under the microscope. How this loss affects Roethlisberger's psyche is another angle worth considering. He had a quarterback rating of 60, he threw some crucial interceptions, and from all accounts, is taking the loss very hard and fully on his shoulders.

I will be one of the voices wondering if it was wise to start Roethlisberger in this particular game, and I'm one of the most outspoken Roethlisberger advocates on the planet. I realize the importance of each and every contest, but he's clearly out of sync and not playing up to his own lofty standards. I'm not saying that Byron Leftwich should be the permanent starter, but if he has to play a game or two, it shouldn't be the end of the world (or the end of Ben's tenure as the starter).

I'm a big stat guy, and I'm looking at seven interceptions in the last two full games Roethlisberger's played (plus another inteception in the half he played at Washington). I know all of those aren't his fault, but the Steelers' record in those games? 0-2. Of course, his QB rating was 38 against the Giants, 15 against the Redskins, and 60 today against the Colts. So he's not totally blameless, either.

As we look for a scapegoat, of course Roethlisberger would be the first and biggest target, with Coach Tomlin running neck-and-neck with Ben. To clarify my point, I think it's noble of Roethlisberger to want to play whenever possible. He's personified the "team guy". But if he's playing hurt, and he's only going to get more banged up with each snap, I don't see how that's putting the team in the best possible position to win. As you know, I think Ben Roethlisberger is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But at what percentage is a damaged Ben better than a Byron Leftwich at 100 percent? 90, 80, 75%? Sometimes, I think he may not even be that healthy.

To further complicate things, he's playing behind a line that's mediocre on their best day, and playing without his top weapon at running back (and on Sunday, without his top tight end). I realize Mewelde Moore and Matt Spaeth are valuable contributors and they both played well, but they are not Willie Parker and Heath Miller. If they were, they would be the starters. This has to be factored into the equation.

It's a complex situation. All things are not equal. And there's no easy answer. Unfortunately for Mike Tomlin, he's going to be questioned - often - about how he's handled (and will handle) this conundrum. And how the Steelers adjust will determine how they finish their season.

Game Notes:

--To those of you who are bombarding me with emails in the wake of Ben Roethlisberger's rough patch, thanks for your concern. I think I'll be OK. I want you to know that I regret nothing that I've ever stood up for related to Roethlisberger and will stand by my words. He's still the man, he's just banged up. I'm not going to jump off the bandwagon. That's called "2006 thinking" - you know, the last time a portion of Steeler fans said Roethlisberger stinks. Of course, he was coming off of a near-fatal motorcycle accident, an appendecomy on the eve of the season, and a concussion early in the season, but that's no excuse. None.

--That being said, let me point out the biggest weakness of my favorite QB: his ever-growing database of killer interceptions in big games. In the 2007-08 playoffs, he threw three against Jacksonville; he threw two in Super Bowl XL; and three in the 2004-05 AFC Championship. I'm not suggesting that yesterday was that important of a game. But sometimes, I think he has a Favreian tendencency to do to much. Of course, it's worth noting that those tendencies have also resulted in touchdowns. And no one's complaining then.

--If you think this has been Ben's worst stretch, think again. In his first three games of his injury-riddled 2006, his TD-INT ratios were 0-2, 0-3, and 0-2. After a two-game stretch where the Steelers inexplicably put up 83 points out of nowhere, he returned with four picks in the infamous Oakland game and three against Denver. My point is that when Roethlisberger's not healthy, he's just not the same. We've been here before. The Steelers' record when he fought through those injuries? 1-6.

--Specifically, let's go through a few of yesterday's missed opportunities: two Ike Taylor drops, including one that went for an early-game, momentum-changing touchdown; a Troy Polamalu dropped interception; and perhaps the biggest of all, consecutive stops of Mewelde Moore at the goal line. You can't settle for three points against the Colts.

--HUGE game by Hines Ward yesterday. Nine catches, 116 yards, and plenty of body blows absorbed. Is it me, or does he lead the league in "catches while falling backwards"?

--Matt Spaeth: 6 catches, 53 yards out of the tight end bullpen. That's more catches than an average Heath Miller afternoon.

--Give it up for Jared Retkofsky. Everyone said that no one appreciates the long snapper until he's hurt, so congratulations for not snapping the ball over Paul Ernster's head.

--Peyton Manning's final line: 21-40, 240 yards, 3 TDs. He clearly wasn't the Peyton Manning of yesteryear (as evidenced by 19 incompletions), but with the game on the line, he got it done, against the best defense in the league. Cut that meat.

--On the other hand, Joseph Addai had 34 yards on 12 carries. I wish the best of luck to any running back opponent of the Steelers, because you're going to need it.

--The Colts had not won in Pittsburgh since 1968. 1968! Let that sink in for a moment.

--Another 4:15 start next week against the 4-5 San Diego Chargers. Count on plenty of talk between now and then.

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

The Afternoon Killer

Rest in peace, Elbie Nickel. For you kids out there, Elbie Nickel was the Steelers' all-time record holder for passes caught in a season, a record he held from 1953-69. He is their all-time leader with 329 catches by a tight end, a mark Heath Miller will surpass only if he plays for 30 years.

Unlike Elbie Nickel, former Steeler WR Troy Edwards didn't die. He's actually playing in the Arena league, which means we'll probably see a lot of him on ESPN.

Set your TiVo for March 24, when Peyton Manning hosts SNL. Cut that meat! Cuuuut that meat!

Raise the Jolly Roger...Penn State wins their 2nd Big Ten hoops game of the year!

Here's a countdown of the top 16 Super Bowl XL audio clips. My favorite, not listed, was Al Michaels' "They call him Faaaaast Willie Parker!"

Len Pasquarelli/Don Vito gives us his list of the top 30 NFL free agents.

ESPN gives us a simulted MLB team with a payroll of nearly $1 billion...that wins 70 games.

Some truly exciting news...the Geico Cavemen are getting an ABC sitcom! Johnny Damon circa 2004 has already accepted a role.

Welcome Checkers' restaurant's Rap Cat. Their homepage is tolerable for 2.3 seconds.

Bobby Brown was bailed out of jail by a radio station. Seems to make sense.

Putting the Wraps on XLI

More than 24 hours have passed since the Steelers were officially dethroned by the Colts as the reigning NFL champions, and I'm still trying to stop my head from spinning. Peyton Manning, the guy who "couldn't win the big one", won the big one. Tony Dungy, the coach who "couldn't win the big one", won the big one. Rex Grossman, the quarterback who "couldn't win the big one", didn't win the big one. The game pretty much played out like most of the pundits thought it would, which greatly disappointed me. So let's take a closer look at some of the key points of SBXLI and count down the days until Mike Tomlin takes the Steelers to Super Bowl XLII in his first season.

-Impressive performance by Dominic (don't call me Dominic, it's Dominique) Rhodes with 113 yards and a TD to boot. It was Rhodes' first 100-yard game since 2001. Conveniently, Rhodes becomes a free agent in the offseason, so he hit a jackpot on Sunday. Rhodes' game conjured up memories of Jeff Weaver, who posted a 5.76 ERA and 8-14 record in 2006, but parlayed a superior postseason into a one-year, $8.3 million deal with the Mariners. Much like the Mariners, I'm sure their dumb NFL equivalent will overpay largely based on one good game. Call it the Larry Brown Theory.

-Thomas Jones ran for 112 yards on the Bears' side, so as a reward he'll probably be traded by the Bears this offseason. I'm amazed that this is the same player who started a grand total of 18 games through the first four years of his career. But despite Jones' 2,500 yards rushing and 15 TDs in the last two years, the Bears have too much invested in Cedric Benson to keep Jones around. Maybe he could sign with Indy and replace Dominic Rhodes.

-Rex Grossman's many problems were pointed out before, during, and after the Super Bowl. With Grossman coming up on the end of his deal, do the Bears extend him? Is there still enough potential for improvement, or did this team win despite him in 2006? Are we ready to go back to the future to the Kyle Orton Era?

-The Bears defense was the true letdown of SBXLI. They bent but did not break. Unfortunately for them, they bent all too often. The Bears went almost an hour between offensive posessions. That wasn't good news for the rhythm of their offense...or the fatigue of their defense. A disappointing sperformance by the "Monsters of the Midway" for sure. Somewhere, Jim Belushi is weeping.

-Why did Grossman continue to try the deep pass given the fact that the ball was slick? Manning settled for short passes (2 completions over 20 yards) and earned a ring in the process.

That being said, Grossman's long ball reminded me of the one Ben Roethlisberger threw in the 2006 season. As soon as he dropped back for a bomb, you knew something bad would happen. And more often than not, something bad did happen. Unfortunately, Roethlisberger couldn't use the excuse that the ball was wet or the Super Bowl logo made the ball slippery.

-Adam Vinatieri finally missed a field goal. This happened in the same year that Tom Brady threw an interception and lost the AFC Championship to the Colts. The apocalypse is officially upon us.

-The commericals, as usual, were vastly overrated. The K-Fed spot was great, but nerds like myself had already seen it. Other than that, nothing stands out. To the people who "watch the game for the commercials": get a life.

-Prince did a solid job at halftime, but I don't get the set list of all the cover songs. And we thought those shadows, coupled with the placement of his guitar, were a thinly-veiled version of his own "wardrobe malfunction", if you get my drift.

-George Bush called Peyton Manning after the game. He wasn't congratulating him, he just wanted to know his thoughts on the situation in Iraq.

-Future Super Bowl locations: next year, SBXLII will be played in Glendale, AZ, in the house that Larry Fitz built. Steeler fans will remember that the last Super Bowl hosted by the Cardinals resulted in a Steeler appearance (and subsequent loss) back in 1996. I'm sorry I brought that up.

In 2009, SBXLIII moves to Tampa, who last hosted Super Bowl 35. You remember, that tremendously exciting Baltimore-Giants matchup in 2000. Seriously, how could they top Trent Dilfer vs. Kerry Collins? Jon Kitna vs. Andrew Walter?

In 2010, the game travels back to Miami, who will have suffered through three years without a Super Bowl. I presume they will not build a dome by then, which should be disappointing to all those knee-jerking louts suggesting today that "all Super Bowls should be played in domes". Let me get this straight...we hear all week about how great Miami is, then it rains for the first time in a Super Bowl, and we're supposed to uproot everything and move to a dome?

So where are we supposed to play these games? Detroit? No, can't do that. The same miserable talking heads who covered that game gave us nothing but columns like "Why do they have the Super Bowl in Detroit?"

I guess they could play it in Indianapolis. But since the Colts are predicted to make the Super Bowl every year, that's not too fair. It would be like home-field advantage in advance. They could play in New Orleans, but their owner may still move them to LA, so that's out. How about Minnesota? Imagine all the love boat jokes! That would make life so much easier for the media. The columns and segments would write themselves! But let's get realistic. Maxim models don't travel to Minnesota, and you can't have a Super Bowl without VIP parties. So Minny is out. We could play it in the KingDome, but Seattle tore that down. Cross that off the list. So we're left with St. Louis. And if you can find something wrong with St. Louis (other than a city that's only sin is loving ol' Mark McGwire), then I'd like to hear it.

-Coming later: some links for the link-deprived and a rant about the NHL. Good stuff, I promise.

Where is Mondesi? NOT in Miami.

Sorry for the lack of goods today. I've been like Waldo this week. No one knows when or where I'll show up. Geez, even Bill Simmons has been more consistent posting stuff the past few days.

So where was I? To quote the great Latrell Sprewell, I was working on the site that "puts food on my table". I changed some of the color schemes, added some new categories, deleted some stuff...I'm just trying to make it more user-friendly. I have to inspire more collectors to part with some of their treasured mementos. In Pittsburgh, that's no small task. It's nowhere near being done, but I made some progress. I'm also working on an affiliate program that will pay websites/blogs that link to Steel City for any sales and/or consignments generated. Again, it's still in the development stage, but it should be done soon.

Being that I was so engrossed in my work today, I was too focused to even turn on some talk radio in the background. But I feel I should make some sort of comment on the Super Bowl, mostly because I've completely ignored it to this point. So here are some thoughts on "the big game".

I feel absolutely zero excitement going into the game. I don't think it's sour grapes because the Steelers aren't involved; I've enjoyed past non-Steeler Super Bowls just fine (although the presence of the Steelers would have increased the enjoyment tenfold).

I don't like the Colts and I really don't like the Bears. That's probably where my lack of interest starts. I can't stand Tank Johnson, and if it's possible, I dislike him even more after Media Day.

I keep reading story after story on Deadspin about various ESPN personalities chasing women around South Beach, and they haven't even gotten to Berman...yet. So it makes it harder than ever to take them seriously on TV when you hear what they were up to the night before. These guys make Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan look like amateurs.

Then I heard that the NFL Fed-Ex'd an overnight letter to an Indianapolis church, demanding they cancel their Super Bowl party for using the words "Super Bowl" in the title. We can't have a church commit copyright infringement. But if the NFL is so PR-conscious, why make such a move? Because it's a sign of how serious they are about those words. They'll even go after a church. That will make bar owners think twice when they name their event on Sunday.

We have the black coaches storyline, which has been thoroughly overdone as soon as Championship Sunday ended. We have the "Rex Grossman sucks" angle, which is almost to the point that I feel sorry for Grossman. Almost.

We have Jimmy Kimmel sending the two American Idol rejects to Media Day. Yawn.

These teams are doing absolutely NOTHING to even create any fictitious hoopla. There's been no Jerramy Stevens moment, and certainly no pitbull-owning loudmouth to call out the XLI version of Stevens. The coaches like each other; this isn't like Cowher and Billick. If Don King was promoting this game, you'd see Booger McFarland swing a chair at Brian Urlacher at Media Day. Instead we get cliche after cliche about how great the other team is, with teams ever-cautious of supplying bulletin board material. For the people who say sportsmanship is dead, they must've been at the beach this week. It's alive and well, at least for these teams. The Colts and Bears are what's known as a blogger's nightmare.

The game aside, we don't even have an interesting musical act to get quasi-excited about. And I don't care about the music angle, only about the wild-card tendencies of the personality performing. As weird as Prince is, I don't see him whipping it out. Nor would I want to see that. Ditto Billy Joel.

And the commercials? We've already seen the K-Fed spot. Well done, but memo to Nationwide: try to keep better tabs on who has your commercial in the future. Nothing like paying big bucks for a Super Bowl ad that millions of people have already seen on the internet. Yes, millions have seen it, and that's the name of the game. But people will watch anything on the net featuring K-Fed. Just pick out a YouTube video, slap a Nationwide logo on it, and voila! Millions saved.

Few, if any, are giving the Bears a shot to win. I find this hilarious, since "Peyton Manning is a choke artist" jokes were this nation's favorite pastime for the past nine years. I guess all it takes is a win over the storied Patriots to wipe that out. Just ignore the fact that Manning may or may not have an injured thumb and also ignore the fact that he is still Peyton Manning and could snap at any time. Everyone else is.

On the flip side, Rex Grossman inspires no one except for bartenders waiting on a good night of tips. He is exciting and nauseating in consecutive plays. Blitz him and he blindly throws the ball up for grabs. Give him time and he blindly throws the ball up for grabs. Yet he continues to win and win and win. Why not give the Bears a chance? They could absolutely win this game. In a league where the Raiders beat the defending Super Bowl champions, the Bears could beat the Colts. And they just might.

Quick Monday Wrapup

Time is at a premium for old Mondesi, so I can't write much now...I'll be back later on in the day with some good stuff for you. In the meantime, here's a quick recap of what's going on:

The P-G says that Tomlin is the man for the Steelers. Looking back, the whole Cowher resigning/coach search/Tomlin hire has been a less-than-memorable experience for all involved.

The Colts are in the Super Bowl. Think of this: Peyton Manning was in every other commercial this year, and that was before he played in a Super Bowl. Next year he'll probably be battling the Rock Em Sock Em Robots, eating subs with Jared, and looking like a piece of food in a Vytorin commerical. But the greatest subplot from this outcome is that Bill Belichick gets to coach nine Chargers in the Pro Bowl.

The Bears will represent the NFC. Prepare yourself for multiple appearances of Jim Belushi over the next two weeks, as well as approximately 5,649 retrospectives on the 1985 Bears. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Colts are early 7-point favorites for the big game

Pitt plays like crap, somehow manages to get Marquette into OT, then ultimately loses with .9 seconds left.

Pens thrash the Maple Leafs 8-2, much to the dismay of all the Canadian visitors in town to witness the carnage.

LeSean "Shady" McCoy's Myspace page...yeah, this is pretty much everything you'd expect

Now sources say Michael Vick didn't have marijuana in that water bottle after all. A nation of haters is distraught.

Rush Limbaugh on the NFL: "Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it."

Peyton Manning Lookalike, Pirates Top 10 Prospects, Bowl Projections

Peter King rambles on for nine pages in today's Monday Morning QB. He also has the Miami Dolphins in his Fine Fifteen. 'Nuff said.

ESPN unleashed a Peyton Manning lookalike on Indianapolis.

Topprospectalert.com ranks the Buccos' Top 10 Prospects. Is it a bad sign when three of them are 26?

ESPN has concocted their own college bowl projections, with Ivan Maisel and Mark Schlabach each listing their choices. Amazingly, both still have Pitt penciled in for postseason appearances. Maisel says Pitt will face East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl, with Schlabach predicts the Panthers will meet Ohio U. in the International Bowl. Wake me when either one is over.

Borat: $67 million in 10 days.

Monday Morning Wrapup: Disaster for Pittsburgh Sports

This weekend was an unmitigated disaster for the Pittsburgh sports fan. Pitt loses at South Florida, the Pens drop a contest in San Jose, and the Steelers, well, they were the Steelers again. I think Mayor Ravenstahl must have proclaimed this "Be Kinda Cleveland Weekend" but forgot to inform the fans in advance.

South Florida 22, Pitt 12- Pitt TE Darrell Strong, who watched one too many Steeler games this season, drew a crucial 15-yard unsportsmanlike with his flipping off of the South Florida fans. He has been suspended indefinitely for his stupid play. At least one coach in town disciplines his players for senseless, back-breaking penalties.

Sharks 3, Pens 2- Evgeni Malkin is held goal-less, Mark Eaton is injured on a dirty hit, the Pens have a goal disallowed that should have counted...this was a bummer all around. And then we had to see Dan Potash do LA with Colby Armstrong and Ryan Whitney in between periods.

Wisconsin 13, Penn State 3- JoePa goes down on a late hit...I think it was by Joey Porter...and was carted off. Early word is a torn ACL and MCL, and he'll train with Daunte Culpepper to rehab in time for opening day next season.

Lions 30, Falcons 14- Mr. Engraver, you might want to wait on that "MICHAEL VICK" inscription on the MVP trophy.

Dolphins 31, Bears 13- Surprisingly, it looks like Joe Theismann's prediction for an undefeated Bears season was wrong. Can't wait to see how they do on their three-game road trip of the Giants, Jets and Patriots.

Bills 24, Packers 10- This is what Brett Favre came back for: a cold Sunday afternoon in Buffalo losing to a 2-win Bills team quarterbacked by JP Losman.

Redskins 22, Cowboys 19- I really feel bad for the Cowboys, losing on the sequence of a blocked Mike Vanderjagt field goal, a 15-yard facemask, and a game-ending field goal by Nick Novak. Then I remembered that the Cowboys have Terrell Owens, are coached by Bill Parcells, and are owned by Jerry Jones. And I felt much better. By the way, Tony Romo is Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Joe Namath, Dan Marino, Terry Bradshaw, and John Elway rolled into one, and multiplied by 50.

Ravens 26, Bengals 20- If it weren't for his media whoring during each week, would we realize Chad Johnson was even playing this year? A couple things jump out at me from this game: Cincy RB Chris Perry fumbled twice, meaning he will probably be a Steeler in the future; TJ Houshmandzadeh had the most impressive on-field helmet-spike I've seen in ages; the AFC North probably has the worst collection of offensive lines in the NFL; and that meaningless Carson Palmer interception at the end of the game gave negative points to thousands of fantasy footballers across the country.

Saints 31, Bucs 14- Did anyone notice Reggie Bush's rushing stats for this game? 11 carries, minus-5 yards! For the year...81 carries, 207 yards (2.55 YPC)...46 catches, but for only 312 yards (6.7 YPC)...0 offensive TDs? Can I be the first to suggest too many Subway subs with Jon Lovitz? On the Bucs side, this is the fifth game this season that Cadillac Williams rushed for 48 yards or less. The Bucs record is a Cowher-esque 0-5 in contests where the running game stalls.

49ers 9, Vikings 3- When Alex Smith faces off against Brad Johnson, you can throw out all the records.

Chargers 32, Browns 26- Cleveland keeps pace with their AFC North brethren in dropping a close one to San Diego. The Charlie Frye Era in Cleveland has not started as well as, say, the 2004 Ben Roethlisberger Era in Pittsburgh. Which is to say, no 15-1 record, no playoffs, and no Charlie Frye Beef Jerky.

Giants 14, Texans 10- Tiki "Fox and Friends" Barber chooses Game 8 to get into the scoring column. Eli Manning contributes another victory to the Manning Family Pot for 2006, which now stands at 14-2. Sean Salisbury has just predicted a Giants-Colts Super Bowl. Not one, but TWO Mannings in a Super Bowl. Does Sean ever watch the playoffs, or is he more of a "regular season" kinda guy?

Colts 27, Patriots 20- I would have been happy seeing either of these teams lose. The Patriots, who value kickers and wide receivers as much as the Steelers value holding onto the football, saw four INTs from their passing attack and a missed field goal from their rookie kicker. And this happened while their all-time leading scorer accounted for 9 of the Colts' 27 points. I hope all of that $10 million in cap room keeps you warm at night, Bill Belichick. And then we have Indy fans, who are getting excited again for a title run. They're like Charlie Brown getting the football pulled out from them every year. It's almost sad.

Cool Stuff to Watch This Weekend

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, opening tonight, at a theater near you. Wow wow wee wee!

Pitt at South Florida, Saturday, Noon- The Wannstache returns to Florida for a key Big East matchup. Unfortunately, I'll miss this while watching a few Steelers sign 500 autographs. Someone give me a recap.

Penn State at Wisconsin, Saturday, Noon- Big game for the Nits, who have a legit shot at a 9-3 season if they can pull the upset. Although this game is really just a 2006 Big Ten bronze medal game.

Penguins at Sharks, Saturday, 10:30 PM- Evgeni Malkin continues his attempt at becoming the only player in NHL history to score in every single game of his career.

Broncos at Steelers, Sunday, 4:15 PM- Steelers attempt to salvage their season with a win over QB Joe Dirt and the Denver Broncos. In other Steeler news, Duce Staley is so bad, he isn't even going to be activated for this game, with Mr. Bill instead opting for practice-squadder John Kuhn. Cowher has been unfairly criticized for some aspects of the season, but keeping Staley on the roster is nearly indefensible.

Colts at New England, Sunday, 8:15 PM- Peyton Manning tries to improve on his 1-6 career record vs. Tom Brady. The Vinatieri-Belichick mini-battle is a nice subplot that's developed this week.

Reader Submission: Rampant Psychosis in the NFL

My Theories On Rampant Psychosis Prevalent in the National Football League

An in-depth reader submission by “Worst Avid”

After years of watching the NFL week in-week out, I have formed some definite opinions as to the reasons why things happen the way that they do, but one thing stands out far ahead of all the others: These guys are a bunch of “head cases”.

Worstavid loves any reference to “The Terminator”

Here’s an excellent recent example: The Cardinals take everyone’s consensus #1 team this year, the Chicago Bears, all the way to a missed field goal at the end of the game, a contest that everyone who watched it knows that they should have won. It was also a game that everyone in the country thought would show the Cardinals getting dismembered.This same team then goes out six days later and plays the team that clearly is the worst in the league and gets thumped by the Oakland Raiders. Huh?

It’s not a Cardinal, but at least it's the desert..

You can see this repeated over and over every year. Games that should be won are lost as the players offer up consistently-inconsistent performances.

Let’s look at your defending Superbowl Champeens. Yes it’s been a brutal year so far for Rooney U., but admit it, do you really want to see them playing the Raiders this week? How this team will perform is anyone’s guess, but I just have a sneaking suspicion that there could be some in the Steelers locker room (they'll never admit it) who three months ago already marked a “W” on the Coors Light schedule hanging in their locker stall for this week’s game.

For me, I’d much rather see them playing Baltimore, a team that today brings out their emotion. In fact, I'd rather see them playing the Colts than the Raiders; at least you know that they’d have their heads on straight. It’s funny writing that, because 30 years ago nothing churned up the competitive juices like a match against the hated silver and black. A game against “Oakland” would be circled and highlighted on everyone’s schedule along with two matches against “Cleveland”.

As Mondesi has pointed out repeatedly this year, there is little rhyme or reason when it comes to the NFL. So, if you ask me, “What are the Steelers going to do this week?” I think I'll answer, "They’ll win, but it might be a lot harder than we ever thought it would be." After all we are only one win better right now than the team everyone acknowledges as being the worst in the league. Worse than that, the Steelers have been beaten up physically. They have a very long injury list at this point. Psychologically? Well, let's be kind and just say that this team has more personalities than Peyton Manning has commercials on TV.

Big Ben...Game Manager?

The term "Game Manager" has always intrigued me. It's basically a term the media has invented to describe a crappy quarterback that somehow manages to win games. They're not asked to throw much, just more or less play safe and avoid turnovers. They're not expected to have the ability to throw their team back into the game if they're behind. They're never the focal point of an offense. Kyle Orton circa 2005, Trent Dilfer circa 2000, and Brad Johnson circa 2002 are all famous game managers. Heck, as recently as week one, our own Charlie Batch was asked to manage a game...which he did quite well, as a matter of fact.

Where am I going with this? Well, if the title didn't give it away already, it's the labeling of Ben Roethlisberger as "Game Manager". Would you agree with that label? Because that's exactly what SI.com's Phil Taylor says. Taylor's list of the NFL aristocracy includes Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer and Donovan McNabb. Brady has three rings on one hand, so he should be #1 on anyone's list. Manning has evolved into Dan Marino 2.0 as the annual stat king sans championship, but he has to be included. Palmer has some legitimate upside, and McNabb has at least been to a Super Bowl, so I can't argue with those choices either. But to lump Roethlisberger along with scrubs like Jon Kitna in his article? That's pretty amazing.

Taylor's list of "hopefuls" for the future of the position include Eli Manning and Phil Rivers, two QBs drafted above Roethlisberger in 2004 who have produced less than Ben to this point. Mark my words: Eli Manning will have great statistics when all is said and done. He will have made milllions upon millions of dollars, appear in a few Pro Bowls, and probably be in a bad cell phone commercial. But like every other QB named Manning who has played in the NFL, he will end his career without a ring. Rivers is more of an unknown, but I doubt he will ever be confused with Marino or Unitas at any point in his career.

I realize Ben has looked like he couldn't manage his way out of a Pop Warner game this season, as evidenced by his 0:5 TD:INT ratio, 34.3 passer rating, and 0-2 record. So this probably isn't a good time to argue on his behalf. But as I've said before, those numbers have been more exception than rule in relation to Ben's brief NFL career.

I look at a "Game Manager" as someone who is not asked or is unable to win a game on their own. Roethlisberger, 2006 aside, has won plenty of games as a result of 4th-quarter heroics, as early as his 4th NFL start, a 24-20 comeback win at Dallas. His play in last season's playoffs, when the Steelers came out throwing, was a virtual blindside to Denver and Indianapolis. Those are not plays a Game Manager makes.

I realize we're arguing over semantics, and really, who's Phil Taylor anyway? But this really boils down to the way national pundits view Big Ben. Taylor is not alone in his stance; the reality is that Roethlisberger is not viewed in the upper echelon of NFL QBs. I think fantasy football has a lot to do with this; but I think the Steelers' offense has the most to do with this. Roethlisberger is not asked to throw for 300 yards a game, but as the Colts or Broncos will tell you, he can certainly beat you through the air.

Manning and Palmer can win all the regular-season games and throw for all the 300-yard games they want; just keep giving us playoff wins and Super Bowl trophies and let Roethlisberger fly under the collective radar. Hopefully he'll choose the San Diego game as a reminder that he IS an elite NFL signal caller.