The Sports Monitor

Oh, no. The Steelers are in trouble. And it's not because they are 1-2 heading into Sunday night's game against the San Diego Chargers. I'm worried about Ben Roethlisberger. Last night, it was announced that Big Ben will be the guest host of a WWE event in Wilkes-Barre. Can you say bad timing, Ben? Awful decision? Coach Mike Tomlin said he was aware of the news but he didn't have a comment. He can't be pleased that the franchise QB will be involved with pro wrestling a day after a prime time game against the Chargers. And if the Steelers lose ... well, you can guess what the howls and screams will be like. On top of that, can you imagine what would happen if Ben gets hurt? This has the makings of a week-long distraction, or worse. The only way to end it is to win Sunday. On a different note, anyone have any ideas what type of nicknames they'll use for Big Ben?

Last week there were a few howls when the Pittsburgh Panthers college football team was left out of the Top 25. They were 27th in the Associated Press poll after winning their first two games, and a win against Buffalo seemed to be enough to vault the Panthers into the Top 25. The Panthers did their part, beating the Bulls. However, the pollsters didn't agree. They actuallly dropped the Panthers a couple spots. So, armed with a potential chip on their shoulder, the Panthers traveled to N.C. State on Saturday and naturally lost. Pitt was in control of the game, leading 31-17 late into the third quarter. N.C. State scored three straight touchdowns and the Panthers missed out on a first-and-goal at the end of the game to tie it. So much for being a nationally ranked team. Going into the season, the Panthers didn't have many questions on defense. The offense was the unit that was up in the air. How would quarterback Bill Stull be? Who would be the running back? Well, we know those ...

Random thoughts after the Steelers' 23-20 loss to the Bengals on Sunday: The Steelers need to line up linebacker James Harrison back on the outside. I don't understand why they're moving Harrison away from his strength. I don't know about you, but I got tired of hearing the announcers talk about how close the Bengals are from being undefeated, referencing the fluke play against the Broncos. If they want to play that game, give me a fourth-down stop against the Bears or Bengals and the Steelers would be 2-1. Of course, the Steelers easily could be 0-3 heading into the Chargers game Sunday. If they beat the Chargers, and it won't be easy, the Steelers will get games against the Lions and Browns. In case you were wondering, the Vikings, Broncos and Bengals follow. Willie Parker looked good in the first half, but didn't find as much room in the second half. The last time Parker faced the Bengals, he rushed for only 37 yards. I know he's still young and has talen...

If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn that the Steelers and Bengals switched uniforms at halftime Sunday. The Steelers played like the bumbling Bungles. There was an interception returned for a touchdown. There was Limas "Hands of Stone" Sweed's dropped touchdown catch. The defense couldn't get the opponent off the field when it counted, either. The Bengals, meanwhile, had the impressive touchdown run. Their defense came up with key stops in the fourth quarter. And, yes, there was that game-winning drive capped by a 4-yard TD pass with 14 seconds left. Those were the plays the team made last year on their way to winning the Super Bowl. Mike Tomlin knows it. "We need to finish football games better," he told reporters. "That's the mark of a champion, and that's not us at this point." I like Tomlin. He gets right to the point. And, right now, there's no avoiding the fact this team needs to turn things around. Now. It's j...

The overwhelming story leading into Sunday's Steelers-Bengals divisional showdown has been the anticipated meeting between Steelers receiver Hines Ward and Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers. The last time the two met, Ward ended Rivers' season with a crushing block. He fractured Rivers' jaw early in the game. Steelers fans loved the play. Steelers haters call the move a cheap shot. The NFL banned such a block in the offseason, dubbed the Hines Ward Rule. But it didn't rattle Ward. I'd like to see Ward rattle Rivers again. The idea behind making a rule because a wide receiver is too tough is just silly. It's OK for a defensive back to knock out a wide receiver, but a receiver can't put a lick on a DB. Jack Lambert was right when he said quarterbacks should wear dresses. But now it appears the league wants linebackers to wear them, too. Pretty soon, it'll be flag football. I'd like to see Ward land a few more hits before that happens.

The Cincinnati Bengals have been a joke the past decade or two. We're talking Pittsburgh Pirates of the NFL kind of joke. So it's not that surprising that many people want to overlook them this Sunday. After all, the Steelers own the Bengals, especially in Cincinnati where the Black 'n Gold have won eight straight. But this team is different than last year's 4-11-1 squad. For one, Carson Palmer is healthy. I'm sure you remember Palmer, he's the one that led the Bengals to a division title the year the Steelers won the Super Bowl. The Bengals also have a running game with Cedric Benson, who's coming off a 141-yard game against the Packers. It was Benson's third 100-yard game out of his last four. The Bengals have a pass rush, too, which should give the Steelers' offensive line fits. Cincinnati should be 2-0, if it weren't for the miracle finish by the Broncos two weeks ago. And I'm sure the Bengals will be fired up to give the defending champs...

It wasn't too hard trying to get over the Steelers' loss to the Bears this week. Maybe it's the thought of six Lombardi's in the team's offices that can calm one's mind. It could be knowing that the 17-14 loss easily could have been a win. Then there's the return of Troy Polamalu in a few weeks that will fix problems in the secondary. But the loss Sunday seemed easier to forget because of another early-season loss last year. In Week 3, the Steelers had a game they could have won, a Sept. 21 meeting with the Eagles. As it turned out, the offensive line couldn't protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (nine sacks) or create any openings for Willie Parker (13 carries, 20 yards). For me, that was a game that the Steelers could have won, but didn't. The offense struggled the following week against the Ravens on Monday night, but came through with a 23-20 win. The rest of the season wasn't too bad, either, if I remember correctly. Losing to the Bears wa...