Steelers football blog

Controller fears 'unjust' Steelers sale

If the Pittsburgh Steelers are sold to investors outside the Rooney or McGinley clans, Allegheny County Controller Mark Patrick Flaherty wants to exact potentially hundreds of millions of dollars from the fabled franchise's small group of shareholders.

"I feel it would be unjust for any shareholder to sell shares and take the money and not really have any implication, in terms of the public taxpayer's dollar that went into that investment and helped that investment appreciate," Flaherty said during a news conference Wednesday. Continue

Rooneys struggle with putting price on Steelers

Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney asked Arthur Andersen Accounting to put a price tag on the team as early as 1999 because of a "potential corporate restructuring as well as estate planning," according to court documents filed last year. That day of reckoning didn't happen in 1999, but it seems to be playing out now in a family feud pitting Dan Rooney against his four brothers, Art Jr., Thomas, John and Patrick Rooney, each of whom owns 16 percent of the club. Continue

Steelers' situation 'inevitable'

Art Rooney Jr. got a touching reminder Monday of just how synonymous his family is with the Steelers. It came in the form of a letter from a former Steeler who played in the 1950s. The player, Rooney said, is gravely ill and wants nothing more than to see the Rooney family retain ownership of the storied franchise.

"He was very, very well-loved, and he was so sad and things like that," said Rooney, who declined to name the player because of his poor health. "He's dying, but he said he would fly to Pittsburgh to do what he could do. He said, 'Without the Rooneys, (the Steelers) aren't the same.' " Continue

Former players believe Steelers' legacy will endure

Former Steelers safety Mike Wagner put fans at ease with his game-sealing interception in the team's first Super Bowl win over the Minnesota Vikings. Now, the ex-NFL star turned businessman said fans of the black and gold have nothing to worry about again, given the likely sale by some members of the Rooney family. "The presumption is the fans are upset," Wagner said. "I don't think they should be." Continue

Football fans, bikers fight for rooms in Latrobe

It's not unusual for huge crowds to travel to Westmoreland County in the last week of July to see their helmeted heroes going head to head. But most years, everyone's buzzing about the opening of Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe. This year, however, the big draw will be the National Bikers Roundup at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds, which is expected to bring in 15,000 to 20,000 people.

It'll be a hotel owner's dream -- and a traffic cop's nightmare -- when the two popular events fall on the same weekend, July 30 through Aug. 3. For those of you who haven't booked your rooms yet, be warned: It looks like every hotel bed in the Greensburg-Latrobe area has been booked for more than two months. Continue

Investor confirms talks with 5 Rooneys

Billionaire hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller acknowledged yesterday that he is interested in purchasing the Steelers and pledged that "any resolution involving me will guarantee the team remains in Pittsburgh." "I am more than aware how uniquely important the Steelers are to the city," he said in a short statement.

The chairman of Duquesne Capital Management has talked to both sides of the Rooney family -- the four brothers who hired Wall Street investment bank Goldman, Sachs & Co. to evaluate offers for their shares, and the fifth brother, Dan, who wants to buy out his four brothers and become majority owner of the Steelers. At the same time, Dan and his son Art II are also trying to line up other investors to buy all, or even a portion, of the shares held by Art Jr., Tim, Pat and John. Continue

Chairman says 'many people' interested in deal

Four of the five brothers in the Steelers family feud over the storied franchise's future conceded publicly Wednesday that they've hired a Wall Street investment firm to find "alternatives" to their continued stake in the business. And the fifth brother, Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, stopped short of guaranteeing that he and his son, Art Rooney II, will be able to stay at the helm of a team that's won five Super Bowls.

"Even though we've been talking about it for some time, there are many, many things that have been up in the air," said Dan Rooney, 75, during an interview conducted by PNC President and Chief Executive Officer Sy Holzer at the Steelers' South Side headquarters for a special KQV Radio "PNC Business Journal" broadcast yesterday evening. Continue

Investor in talks to control Steelers

Less than a year after they celebrated the 75th anniversary of one of the greatest family-owned franchises in sports history, the Steelers appear to be on the precipice of a major restructuring in ownership that could result in the franchise being controlled by a billionaire investor whose last name is not Rooney.

Stanley Druckenmiller, who owns Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Capital Management and whose lifelong dream is to own the Steelers, is engaged in negotiations with at least three, and possibly four, of the five Rooney brothers to purchase their shares of the franchise and become majority owner of the team -- a move that has pitted Steelers chairman Dan Rooney in an awkward and perhaps contentious financial battle against the rest of his brothers. Continue

Steelers Shopped to Potential Buyers

The storied Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise has been secretly shopped to potential buyers amid continuing divisions among the five sons of the team's founder, Art Rooney Sr. The talks affect not only one of America's iconic sports franchises, but one of its most fabled sports families. Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney, who helped build the National Football League and is the oldest of the five sons, wants to consolidate his control by acquiring most of his brothers' shares in the Steelers over 10 years, those briefed on the talks said.

In a statement Monday afternoon, Dan Rooney confirmed these efforts and said, "I have spent my entire life devoted to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football League. I will do everything possible to work out a solution to ensure my father's legacy of keeping the Steelers in the Rooney family and in Pittsburgh for at least another 75 years." Continue

Florida camp helps Steelers reach higher level

Steelers linebacker James Farrior was drenched in sweat, his muscular upper body sagging from physical exertion in the sweltering central Florida heat at Disney's Wide of Sports.

And then something magical occurred. Farrior recovered quickly after running several "gassers" while wearing a weighted vest and pulling a parachute. The chute popped open and billowed behind him upon reaching top speed while offering 30 pounds of resistance. Continue

Courson wrote of steroid use in NFL before he died

n the months before his death in 2005, former NFL lineman Steve Courson wrote a 5,000-word letter expressing disappointment that more players weren't open about their steroid use and saying the league's enormous popularity relies on a "myth" of its players as drug-free heroes.

"I believe the NFL is a prisoner to their own public relations myth," Courson said in the letter, which was found on the computer of his western Pennsylvania home after he was crushed to death at age 50 by a tree he was cutting down. Continue

Bradshaw used some steroids for healing

Former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw told an interviewer last week that he occasionally used steroids in his playing days, but only when prescribed by a doctor to improve the healing process. "The steroids I'd always taken was to speed up the healing process and that was it. It wasn't to get bigger, stronger, faster," Bradshaw told Dan Patrick on Patrick's radio show. He not did specify what kind of steroids he took. Continue

Expect much from Mendenhall

The great Eric Dickerson rushed for a NFL rookie record 1,808 yards and 18 touchdowns in 1983. The Vikings' Adrian Peterson, a modern version of Dickerson, set the single-game rushing record with 296 yards last season while becoming the first rookie in league history to tally two 200-yard rushing games.

Three running backs were selected in the first round of this year's draft. Steelers rookie Rashard Mendenhall, the No. 23 overall pick, said he understands the lofty demands expected from his position. "It's all reaction,'' Mendenhall said. "There's a hole, you run through it.'' Continue

Steelers D-line aging gracefully

Steelers veteran defensive end Aaron Smith really means it when he says he and his linemates aren't too old. If anything, Smith feels like the Steelers' defensive line is too much. Too much for opponents to handle. "They have faith in the guys that we have -- the older guys," Smith said. "(We're) very capable." That faith comes from the fact that the Steelers had the NFL's top-rated defense last season. Obviously, somebody was doing something right. Continue

Vacation not in Parker's plans

He has achieved star status, but Willie Parker still has the sensibilities of someone who went undrafted. Consider what the Pro Bowl running back said Thursday after the Steelers' final offseason practice of the year: "I'm not like a lot of other athletes in the league who are just blessed and gifted or are just born with a lot of talent," said Parker, who has rushed for more than 1,300 yards in each of the past two seasons. "I feel I have to work for it to be the best." Continue

Timmons seems poised to oust Foote at inside LB

As Big Brown discovered, nothing is a sure thing in sports, not even a 1-7 shot. The closest, though, might be this: If you're drafted in the first round by the Steelers, you will have a starting job no later than your second pro season.

Only one of their first-round draft choices did not become a regular starter by at least his second season since the infamous Huey Richardson in 1991. That was offensive tackle Jamain Stephens, a monumental bust of a pick in '96. Stephens did not become a regular until '98 and was cut the night after he collapsed, out of shape, during running drills on the first day of training camp the next season. Continue

Dizzying week doesn't deter Steelers QB Dixon

Dennis Dixon's world is traveling at 100 mph. The game is still football, but everything's considerably faster for the rookie quarterback this early in his NFL career. "My head is spinning," Dixon said following a recent organized team activity at the Steelers' South Side facility. "That's what every rookie goes through." Dixon was a surprise fifth-round draft pick for the Steelers, considering Pro Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger signed a $102 million contract extension. Continue

Starks hopes to make big impact

Normally when a team bestows the kind of money the Steelers did on Max Starks, it comes with much fanfare, usually a news conference. The Steelers made Starks their second-highest paid player without even a photo op, then told him to go win a job.

Starks has been doing that all spring, trying to win back his old job of starting right tackle. He lost it to Willie Colon last summer, which set off an unusual set of circumstances that culminated when Starks signed a one-year contract for nearly $7 million in April. Continue

Steel Curtain's 'Mad Dog' dies

Joe Greene remembered Dwight White as a person who could always make him laugh. Mike Wagner remembered him for the time he came out of the hospital bed, stricken with pneumonia, to play in Super Bowl IX. Jack Ham recalled the way he was always yapping at and agitating offensive lineman with that high-pitched voice, one of the reasons he was called "Mad Dog." Continue

Two fights develop; it's hockey day for Steelers

Perhaps watching the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup final rubbed off on the Steelers yesterday because they held a practice and a hockey game broke out. Fights during voluntary spring practices are not usual, but they do occur on occasion. It's rare when two of them take place, as they did yesterday, each involving an offensive tackle.

Willie Colon, the team's starting right tackle, went to the ground at their indoor practice facility while wrestling with second-year linebacker Lawrence Timmons. Not long after, veteran backup tackle Trai Essex and linebacker Arnold Harrison went at it. Continue

Defense needs to pressure the QB

It's bigger and, according to the plan, will pack more punch. The Steelers' defensive playbook always has been one of the more intricate and confusing in the NFL under coordinator Dick LeBeau, and it might be more so in 2008.

Some of the newer designs are meant for one reason: Get to the quarterback. The Steelers have been among the best at that, traditionally. But the past two seasons, it's not the quarterback who has dropped but Steelers' sack totals. They dipped from 47 during their run to the Super Bowl in 2005, to 39 in 2006 and to 36 last season.

They've gone from Blitzburgh to Zipsburgh when it comes to sacking the quarterback, especially in the second half of last season. Halfway through, the Steelers had 25 sacks and a 6-2 record. In the second half, they managed only 11 sacks and a 4-4 record. Continue

Crowded backfield doesn't faze Moore

If he had it do again, running back Mewelde Moore would still sign with the Steelers -- even though Pittsburgh has since drafted Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall in the first round. In March, Moore left the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent and signed a three-year deal with the Steelers. The next month, the Steelers added Mendenhall. Moore, though, said he has never felt better about his decision. Continue

Sacks don't scare Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger said he has a better grasp of the offense Bruce Arians installed last year and is more cognizant of where his outlet receivers are when he comes under a heavy rush. Better awareness, Roethlisberger said, should cut down the number of times he is sacked this season. That is not to say the Steelers will need less laundry detergent for Roethlisberger's uniform or that the Pro Bowler is trading in his swashbuckling style for a more conservative approach. Continue

Steelers' Spaeth gains strength, confidence

Matt Spaeth is a lot more confident, and not just because the second-year tight end has a better grasp of the Steelers' playbook. At this time last year, Spaeth was not only learning a new offense, he also was trying to regain the strength he had lost after undergoing reconstructive shoulder surgery after his senior season at the University of Minnesota.

"This is probably the best I've felt in a long time," Spaeth said Tuesday after a Steelers' OTA practice at their South Side facility. Continue

Healthy McFadden seeks Steelers' starting spot

Coach Mike Tomlin has taken a simple approach to the OTA practices the Steelers are holding this month and in June: players nursing injuries, including minor ones, will watch more than they will participate.

"Have to," Tomlin said after practice Wednesday at the team's South Side facility. "The purpose of this is to get better, not get worse, so we'll have to exercise caution." The Steelers have not had to handle Bryant McFadden with care during offseason practices, and that is telling of how good the cornerback feels physically after playing at times on two bad ankles in 2007. Continue

Steelers' Kemoeatu seeks starting spot

Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu hasn't talked recently to the player he considers a mentor. But Alan Faneca apparently said plenty to Kemoeatu during the three seasons they spent together in Pittsburgh.

"If he saw something that I wasn't doing right, he'd come and coach me on it or talk to me about it," Kemoeatu said Thursday after the Steelers' final OTA practice of the week. "He was always my motivation. He always told me I could be as good as him as long as I keep working at it and keep studying hard." Continue

Mendenhall practices with Steelers

Rashard Mendenhall practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, marking the first time the Steelers' first-round pick has taken part in drills since straining his hamstring during minicamp at the beginning of May. "I feel pretty good," the rookie running back said after the practice.

The Steelers will monitor Mendenhall closely throughout organized team activities, which run through next month, and will likely restrict how much he does. The last thing they want is for the injury to turn into a lingering one and something that hampers Mendenhall during training camp, which starts in late July. Continue

NFL owners opt out of labor agreement

NFL owners voted, 32-0, at Tuesday's spring meeting to end the current collective-bargaining agreement by two years. The league agreed to shorten the deal because the CBA penalizes teams for investing in new stadiums and other revenue-producing ventures. There's also a concern over the absence of a rookie pay scale and players not performing up to their contracts keeping bonuses.

If an agreement isn't reached, there will be no salary cap in 2010 and 2011, with the requirements for free agency increasing from four to six years. Continue

Steelers' Farrior keeps going and going

Linebacker James Farrior is 33 but plays like he's 23. The oldest starter on the Steelers keeps going and going. Farrior has made 38 consecutive starts, and he led the team in tackles for the fourth time in five seasons in 2007. His ability to be productive and remain healthy in a contact sport where injuries are commonplace is no accident. When Farrior reports tomorrow for Steelers organized team activities, he'll look like he hasn't missed a beat. That's because he's always working out. Continue

Steelers mixing up special teams strategy

For all the practice time the Steelers devoted to special teams last year, the return didn't come close to matching the investment. And maybe that's because an immutable truth applies to the critical, if sometimes overlooked, phase of the game, at any level of football. "Special teams is about 'want-to,' " Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. "Heart," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said, "that's all it is." Continue

Steelers OK Polamalu's alternative training plans

Troy Polamalu won't join his Steelers teammates Tuesday when they resume spring practices. He has returned to his distinctive workout routine in California, hoping to eliminate the kind of season that plagued him in 2007. Polamalu will not return until training camp in July, banking on the recuperative powers he believes he can attain through alternative training that disdains most weights. Coach Mike Tomlin's reaction? Go for it. Continue

Steelers, commissioner say the case is closed

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell along with Steelers chairman Dan Rooney and coach Mike Tomlin were in accord yesterday in declaring the end to Spygate. Today, it will be Sen. Arlen Specter's turn to render his own opinion after meeting yesterday with Matt Walsh, the former New England Patriots employee who turned over eight video tapes to the NFL last week. "It's over," Tomlin said. Continue

If healthy, McFarland good for Steelers

I like what Jacksonville did in the NFL Draft. The Jaguars needed a pass rusher to keep pace among AFC playoff teams and drafted not one but two. If I'm offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, I love what the Steelers did in the draft -- selecting a running back, wide receiver and a tackle among the top four picks.

If I'm defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, I hate what the Steelers did in the draft -- no true defensive linemen taken following a season in which his unit registered only four sacks in 100 pass attempts in its three biggest losses (New England and Jacksonville twice). Continue

Steelers counting on young linebackers to blossom

The story of LaMarr Woodley having to scrounge for change the first time he drove from Ann Arbor, Mich., to Pittsburgh is a well-documented -- and funny -- one. A little more than a year later, the Steelers' outside linebacker is reminded of it whenever he stops at the turnpike booth, where he paid a toll with the quarters he eventually found in his vehicle.

"Usually, every time it's the same lady that I didn't have enough change for going through," Woodley said with a laugh. If it seems to Woodley that he can't get away from that toll collector, he hopes opposing quarterbacks come to feel the same way about him. Continue

Mendenhall lucky to escape robbery

Rashard Mendenhall lost more than his wallet and cell phone in a Chicago stickup early Monday morning. He lost his Rose Bowl watch. He was thankful he still had his life after the 2 a.m. robbery at gunpoint by men wearing ski masks.

"It's cool," Mendenhall said in his first public comments since the crime, little more than one day after the Steelers' first-round draft pick ended his first minicamp in Pittsburgh with his new teammates. "It wasn't too bad. I'm safe. I was just hoping he wouldn't pull the trigger. I was just trying to cooperate so he wouldn't." Continue

Patriots' tape of Steelers turned over

Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh sent the NFL eight videotapes that show New England violated league rules by recording opposing coaches' playcalling signals -- including the 2002 AFC Championship Game against the Steelers.

The tapes include signals by coaches of five opponents in six games from 2000-02, but they don't include video from the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl. The NFL said it received a letter from Michael Levy, the lawyer for Walsh, detailing the tapes that were scheduled to arrive today at the league's New York offices. Continue

Rookie injuries common in mini-camp

Rashard Mendenhall left Pittsburgh after the Steelers' mini-camp practices concluded Sunday with a thick playbook and something else he had to lug around: a balky hamstring. Mendenhall, the team's first-round pick in this year's NFL Draft, strained his hamstring last Friday and didn't take part in Saturday's and Sunday's practices.

The running back's injury didn't surprise Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who said it's becoming more common for top draft picks to report to mini-camp in less-than-top playing shape through no fault of their own. Continue

Draft pick a Sweed addition to receivers

X marks the spot for Limas Sweed. In football speak, the X position is the split end and that is where the rookie receiver will line up, behind Santonio Holmes. At least, that's where things started for the Steelers receivers at their weekend minicamp. It all could change between now and the start of the season. Sweed's addition to the roster in the second round of the draft prompted many to take notice of a receiving group that can claim to be a team strength.

The group includes as its starters Hines Ward, who owns almost every team receiving record, and Holmes, who led all NFL receivers in yards per catch (18.1) last season. No. 3 man Nate Washington, who is 6 feet 1, and the 6-4 Sweed can go deep and give quarterback Ben Roethlisberger more options. There is also 6-5 tight end Heath Miller, whose 47 receptions ranked third on the team last season, and his backup, 6-7 Matt Spaeth. Continue

Steelers' Mendenhall robbed at gunpoint

Rashard Mendenhall received a scare early Monday morning when he and a friend were robbed at gunpoint in Chicago, but the Steelers' first-round draft pick wasn't hurt and is doing well, his agent said. "He's glad he wasn't hurt; he's glad his friend wasn't hurt," said Mike McCartney, who represents Mendenhall. "He's fine, really."

According to McCartney, Mendenhall and a friend were robbed around 2 a.m. yesterday as they were walking along Chicago's South Side lakefront. Mendenhall, he added, gave the robbers -- who were wearing ski masks -- his wallet, cell phone and car keys. No shots were fired. Continue

Steelers' Smith not backing down

He has had almost five months to reflect on the infamous guarantee he made before the Steelers' game against the undefeated Patriots. And here's the thing: Anthony Smith wouldn't take back what he said last December, even though he got roasted for it, especially after the Patriots beat the Steelers, 34-13.

"If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change anything," the Steelers safety said Friday after the team's first mini-camp practice. "I'd have a better game, that's about it. I would say the same things, because it didn't affect me at all." Continue

Steelers starters take notice of McFarland

Free-agent defensive lineman Anthony "Booger" McFarland has won more Super Bowls than Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel, who comprise the Steelers' starting defensive line. Torn patella tendon or not, the Steelers recent flirtation with McFarland and his two Super Bowl rings should get the attention of those starters. McFarland didn't leave Pittsburgh with a desired contract last week, but coach Mike Tomlin still managed to get his point across to his players. Continue

Assault charge dropped against Steeler James Harrison

An assault charge was withdrawn today against Steelers linebacker James Harrison. Mr. Harrison, 29, was charged March 8 with assaulting his girlfriend, Beth Tibbott, 30, during a domestic dispute in Ohio Township. At a hearing today before District Judge Tara Smith of Bellevue, Mr. Harrison's attorney, Robert Del Greco said his client had completed anger management counseling and that Ms. Tibbott did not want to prosecute. Continue

Hartwig appreciates Steelers' legacy at center

One thing former Tennessee Titans teammate Neil O'Donnell, a former Steelers quarterback, stressed to Justin Hartwig always stayed with him. " '(O'Donnell) just kept telling me, 'Justin, turn on the tapes of Dermontti Dawson. Watch Dermontti Dawson. You'll know everything you need to know,' " Hartwig recalled Wednesday at the Steelers' South Side facility.

If the sixth-year veteran does just a fair impression of Dawson or one of the other standouts the Steelers have had at center, Hartwig will be considered a bargain. The Steelers struggled at center last season with Sean Mahan, and Hartwig gives them more size and leadership at the position. Continue

Steelers hike some, not all ticket prices

Like the price of gasoline, the cost to watch a Steelers game at Heinz Field keeps increasing. The Steelers raised the prices on some but not all of their 65,050 seats in Heinz Field, with the increases announced in a mailing sent to season ticket-holders this week. Those that did go up, however, rose by as much as 21 percent.

Tickets that ranged in cost from $59 to $74 per game last season will cost between $59 and $90 this year, meaning many of the grandstand seats throughout the stadium will cost the same this season as they did last season. All club seat prices were raised, however. They ranged in price from $150 to $212 per ticket last season, and will cost between $175 and $240 this year. Continue

Steelers explain Wilson's release, Rooney clarifies statements

A day that started with the release of Steelers wide receiver Cedrick Wilson after he was charged with assaulting his former girlfriend Wednesday night, ended yesterday amid a series of statements by team chairman Dan Rooney to address what appeared to be a double standard in dealing with players involved in off-field domestic disuptes.

Wilson became the second player in 11 days to be charged in a domestic dispute with a woman. On March 8, Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison also was charged in an incident involving his girlfriend. Harrison is still with the Steelers. Continue

Steelers' Wilson charged with striking ex-girlfriend

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Cedrick Wilson was arrested last night for hitting his former girlfriend who was involved in a lengthy armed standoff at his home in January, police said.

At around 8 last night, Mr. Wilson approached 26-year-old Lindsey Paulat, of Fawn, at Patron's Restaurant near Route 910 and Perry Highway in Pine, police said. He then pushed Ms. Paulet, the mother of his 16-month-old daughter, and punched her in the face when she turned around, according to a criminal complaint charging Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson then left the restaurant and drove away, said police, who located him later at his home on Blue Herron Drive in Pine. Continue

Lawyer apologizes for Steelers' Harrison

Through his lawyer, James Harrison apologized for the fight with his girlfriend that resulted in the Steelers linebacker's arrest on simple assault and criminal mischief charges.

"I initially told him that my advice was he not speak with any of the media nor that I speak with any of the media, and he felt strongly that I convey his contrition and his regret regarding the incident, Harrison's lawyer, Bobby Del Greco, told the Tribune-Review on Monday. Continue

Steelers' Harrison keeps quiet about arrest

Steelers linebacker James Harrison didn't want to talk Sunday about his arrest a day earlier on simple assault and criminal mischief charges. "I have no comment on that," Harrison said at his Franklin Park home.

Harrison, 29, is accused of slapping Beth Tibbott, 29, at her Ohio Township home on Saturday, according to a police affidavit. Tibbott told police that she and Harrison were arguing when she locked herself in her bedroom and tried to call 911. Harrison broke through the door, snapped her cell phone in half and then slapped her across the face hard enough to knock off her glasses, according to the affidavit. Continue

Steelers Harrison arrested on assault charges

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison was charged Saturday with slapping his girlfriend across the face and breaking her cell phone in half.

Harrison of Franklin Park is accused of arguing with Beth Tibbott, 29, at her Sonie Drive, Ohio Township, home at 12:55 p.m., according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Ohio Township police to support the charges. Attempts to reach the Steelers and Harrison were unsuccessful last night. Continue

Legendary broadcaster Myron Cope dies at 79

Myron Cope, colorful sports broadcaster and reporter whose Terrible Towel remains the banner of the Steelers nation, has died.In declining health since even before his 2005 retirement after a record 35 years of Steelers broadcasts, Mr. Cope died this morning of respiratory failure at the Covenant at South Hills nursing home in Mt. Lebanon. He was 79.

One of the last of the great sports characters, Mr. Cope's life and career were nothing less than book-worthy, even if he had to write it himself. Twice."Double Yoi" it was called both times, the second an updated version of the original 2002 volume, the title immortalizing one of Mr. Cope's signature exclamations, which, along with "Okle-dokle," "Dumbkopf!", and "How do?", became so familiar to his radio and TV audiences. Continue

Steelers glad to let Patriots off hook

Steelers linebacker James Farrior was in a jovial mood Thursday. He basked in the sunshine and warmth of Florida while helping famed speed coach Tom Shaw train prospective linebackers for the upcoming NFL draft.

When asked about Spygate and what if any competitive advantage that filming the Steelers' defensive signals gave the New England Patriots in the four meetings between the teams since 2001, a relaxed Farrior didn't offer the anticipated angry retort. "They're probably not the only team that ever did that," Farrior said. "If they did tape it, I'm mad that we didn't do it first. Continue

Specter: Patriots filmed Steelers 4 times

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter said yesterday that he has a list of witnesses and will pursue the "Spygate" case against the New England Patriots that he said involved four games against the Steelers, including two AFC championship games. "I think Steelers fans have a lot to be concerned about this and I'm one of them,'' Mr. Specter told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in an interview yesterday, adding that "maybe Steelers ownership should think about it a little."

Specter met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for more than an hour Wednesday to discuss why evidence turned over by the Patriots that documented their illegal videotaping of opposing coaches' signals was destroyed. He said he was not satisfied with Mr. Goodell's explanation. Continue

Steelers plan to manage grass at Heinz Field

The Steelers will stay with a natural grass surface for Heinz Field in 2008 and look to scheduling to help keep it playable. Steelers president Art Rooney II said Monday -- in announcing the team will stick with the natural surface -- that he wants help from the NFL in the form of a road game after the four-game WPIAL championship weekend. The Steelers played last season on DD GrassMaster, a 97 percent natural grass and root system stabilized by synthetic fibers, which has been their surface of choice since 2003. Continue

Steelers tackle Hampton added to AFC Pro Bowl

Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton has been added to the AFC Pro Bowl squad in place of San Diego defensive lineman Jamal Williams. The Pro Bowl designation is the fourth of Hampton's career, and his third straight. Steelers linebacker James Harrison and guard Alan Faneca will start for the AFC on Sunday in Honolulu. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will serve as a backup for the AFC. Continue

Chasing receivers has cost Steelers

The Steelers are playing a dangerous game of chicken with respect to their wide receivers since losing Plaxico Burress to free agency following the 2004 season. Burress now stars for the New York Giants, who face the undefeated and heavily favored New England Patriots today in Super Bowl XLII at University of Phoenix Stadium.

"I've been dreaming about this my whole life," Burress said about playing in his first Super Bowl. He left the Steelers as a free agent before the 2005 season, missing an opportunity to play in Super Bowl XL. Sure, the Steelers won a Super Bowl without Burress, but so what? Burress' absence only shows the lengths the Steelers have gone to replace him. Continue

Steelers' Ward gains attention for charity work

Hines Ward will not participate in Sunday's game, but the Steelers wide receiver may snag an award that he said would mean almost as much to him as winning Super Bowl MVP honors two years ago. Ward is one of four finalists for Walter Payton Man of the Year, and he will find out Sunday if he has won the award that is named after the late, great running back and honors an NFL player annually for his work in charity. Continue

Burress finally gets to reach for the ring

Bill Cowher called him the day after the New York Giants won the NFC championship. Other former Steelers teammates and coaches followed with phone calls, such as Jerome Bettis, Casey Hampton, Mike Logan, Joey Porter, Ike Taylor. They would love to see Plaxico Burress join their Super Bowl ring club, albeit two years removed.

"Got a call from coach Cowher," Burress said, smiling broadly during a quiet interview Monday evening at the Giants' hotel in Chandler, Ariz. "He was telling me to enjoy the whole two weeks. He told me I deserve it, enjoy it and don't be afraid to tell people 'No!' Just go out and do what I've been doing and play to the best of my ability." Continue

Steelers remove Heinz Field sod

The Steelers are tearing out the grass at Heinz Field, but not because they have decided to install an artificial surface. Less than a month after their season ended at home with a playoff defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Steelers are removing the sod that was laid over their primary DDGrassMaster surface in November in an attempt to make the field more playable and presentable. It does not mean they have made any final decision to replace their grass field, which includes small synthetic fibers, with some type of artificial surface. The discussion to switch to another surface has been on-going among the Steelers hierarchy and a decision will be made shortly.

"That was something we had to do anyway," said Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett. "No decision has been made in regard to what we will do with the field." The Steelers installed the sod, at a cost of $150,000, in an attempt to improve the field. But, because the sod covered the drainage system that was installed with the original surface, Heinz Field was turned into a soggy, muddy mess when the first game on the sod -- Nov. 26 against the Miami Dolphins -- was plagued by a severe thunderstorm. Continue

The Grass Menagerie

The Steelers soon will decide whether to stick with grass at Heinz Field or finally make the move to artificial turf. They had meetings on the matter this past week. "Don't rule out grass," one official cautioned as mounting sentiment grows inside the organization to install artificial turf.

They've already chosen the type of artificial surface if they make the change -- the new generation of FieldTurf that West Virginia University installed last summer and the New England Patriots put down in 2006. It's called Duraspine and it cost WVU $901,152 to install. Continue

Steelers must address O-line, draft

It will be unusually quiet this week at the Steelers' South Side practice facility, as the coaches are on vacation. When they return from a brief respite after a grinding stretch -- one that started with high hopes in late July and ended with a deflating playoff loss more than five months later -- their focus will be squarely on next season.

And specifically what the Steelers have to do to go from a team that was good enough to win 10 games and a division title to one that is good enough to contend for a Super Bowl title. Continue

Steelers' LeBeau not done yet

Dick LeBeau just completed his 49th NFL season as a coach or player. He said Wednesday he'd like to return for a 50th. "Do you know something I don't?" LeBeau joked when asked if he'd be back as the Steelers' defensive coordinator. The only apparent question regarding LeBeau was whether he wanted to return, given how long he has been coaching -- he just completed his 35th season -- and that he turned 70 in September. Continue

Steelers play with fire, get burnt

After playing with fire and losing their fire, the Steelers caught fire during crunch time of their first home playoff game in three years. The Steelers were a playoff team with plenty of flaws that were all on display Saturday night against Jacksonville. Poor offensive line play, poor special teams play, inconsistent offensive execution, inconsistent defensive play. You name it, the Steelers flaunted it. The postseason is supposed to include only the cream.

Jacksonville led, 21-7, at halftime. The Steelers appeared to be one and done in their AFC wild-card playoff game at Heinz Field.You can't rush for 24 yards on 13 carries in the first half, as the Steelers did, and call yourself a playoff team. The postseason is supposed to include only the cream. So, how did the Steelers sneak in?  Continue

Jaguars, Steelers rematch tonight

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was in a team meeting last week when he asked all the players who had never been in a playoff game to raise their hand. Guard Alan Faneca, one of five players to appear in 10 playoff games, including the four-game run to the Super Bowl in 2005, was surprised at the number of arms he saw in the air. "I was like, what the heck are so many hands doing up there," Faneca said. "But there are so many new guys on this team you don't even think about it. To me, that signifies this is a different team, a different group of guys."

Just two years after their historic run to victory in Super Bowl XL, the Steelers (10-6) have 25 players on their roster who have never appeared in a playoff game. What's more, only 12 of the players who will start tonight in an American Football Conference wild-card playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) were starters in Super Bowl XL. Continue

Taylor has Steelers on the run

It is like watching the Great Wall crumble, brick by brick, a stark reminder that even the sturdiest pillars are prone to disintegration. It is not that dramatic with the Steelers' defense, which still retains some measure of statistical pride as the National Football League's No. 1-ranked unit, despite allowing an average of 28.5 points in the past four games.

But it has almost become that pronounced with the rush defense, which, less than two months ago, was the most dominating in the league. "It's surprising, it's disturbing, it's everything," nose tackle Casey Hampton said. "That's just not our makeup. That's not what we do, not being able to stop the run." Continue

Steelers defense feels new pressure

Here is a question that might seem as absurd as asking nose tackle Casey Hampton if he'd like a light salad for dinner: Will the Steelers have to find a way to win in the playoffs in spite of their defense? The Steelers straggle into the postseason having lost three of their last four games, and the defense has loomed large in the late-season malaise.

The Steelers have given up an average of 26.7 points in their last three games. More troublesome, considering they play the team with the No. 1 rushing defense in the AFC Saturday night at Heinz Field, they have allowed more than 130 rushing yards per game during that span. Bring on the Jaguars?  Continue

Not much resting on Steelers' finale

It's the kind of game for which no one wants to admit he'd prefer to sit. New England and Indianapolis have byes, a week off before their first playoff games. Today is a chance for some Steelers to take the same kind of break, for a group of key players to rest ailments they all have, starting with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He had a sprained ankle this week, a sore arm the week before and 47 sacks on his resume this season.

Finding Steelers who would come clean about a desire to take today off, though, was like finding a Baltimore Ravens fan in their locker room. "Do I want to?" Alan Faneca said, repeating a question he could not answer. "I'll tell you what, if you can find someone in this locker room to tell you they want to take a break, come tell me. Come tell me." Continue

Playoff scenarios for Steelers

The idle Steelers wrapped up the AFC North title and a playoff sp