~~ September 2005 ~~

Under Pressure Is Big Ben Ready To Accept A Leadership Role?Ben Roethlisberger is just 23 and not yet ready to assume a leadership role on a team full of grizzled veterans – but that has to change if he is to become the quarterback the Steelers need him to be. By Jerry DiPaola “It’s a role he has been slow to accept. After all, he is only 23 and not far removed from a college campus. He’s making the kind of remarks that are indicative of a player unwilling to shoulder more responsibility.” NFL Preview Steelers’ Outlook: Joe Starkey breaks down the 2005 Steelers, position by position. Nobody in his right mind expects the Steelers to match last year’s 15-1 regular-season record…But plenty of people expect the Steelers to win one more playoff game, advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade and maybe even win the darn thing for the first time in a quarter-century. AFC North: DiPaola gives the lowdown on the rejuvenated Ravens, the up-and-coming Bengals, and the rebuilding Browns. PSR Showdown: Who is that one player who would turn the Steelers into a Super Bowl champion? Joe Bendel and Jon Burton share their opinions. Power Ratings: PSR rates every team in the league. NFL Storylines: We answer the tough questions, assess off-season moves and make bold predictions for the ’05 season. Up Close with Sidney Crosby: “The Next One” sat down with PSR’s Bob Grove to discuss his future with the Pens and how he got to this point. “I’ve just become more experienced, more mature, and physically I’m bigger and stronger and faster. I just tried to improve on being an all-round player the last two years.” Madden – Mad World: The Pens are back in a big way, thanks to some slick self-sabotaging. Junker: Cashing In On Sports – A certain #87 has got registers across the region working again. Cannon Firing Line: Team Family – applying the lessons of sports to another generation. Sports History: Anne Madarasz, director of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, remembers October 13, 1960. Media Savvy: It's confession time. I'm not a parent, but I have hundreds of kids. By Andrew Stockey.    Copyright © 1997-2005 Pittsburgh Sports Report [PSR]