Let It Be
By John Mehno

Ben Roethlisberger has done his duty, conducting a whirlwind media tour that covered his near-disastrous motorcycle accident. Now it's time to let him be.

What matters is how he progresses, both in his career and in making decisions about his own personal safety. His answer for why he wasn't wearing a helmet (he forgot it) is lame, but it doesn't matter. Nobody can go back and change things. Roethlisberger is incredibly fortunate and he seems to know it. When the Steelers accepted an ESPN award as team of the year, Roethlisberger started by thanking God for allowing him to live to enjoy the moment.

Part of being a successful quarterback is having a certain swagger, so it was unrealistic to expect a full mea culpa from Roethliesberger. Maybe Barbara Walters could have made him cry. Jim Rome didn't stand a chance.

This isn't about selfishly viewing Roethlisberger solely in the context of his value to the Steelers. It's about allowing him to profit from his mistake while moving forward with his life. Most 24-year-olds don't devote a lot of time to introspection.

Camp is open and Roethlisberger is back on familiar turf, immersed in football. It should be good for him to move on to the next challenge. It's not like he'll ever be able to forget what happened on June 12. There's no reason to dwell on it.

In other matters:

o Yes, Mark Recchi yelled at Sidney Crosby last season. Big deal. Recchi got on Crosby when the rookie's penchant for yapping at referees cost him and the Penguins extra penalties. Referees don't appreciate input from 18-year-old rookies. Recchi could have been more subtle about delivering the message, but he was fundamentally correct. Crosby knew it and toned things down. There is no lingering problem; so there's no reason to be concerned about Recchi's return to the Penguins.

o When Aramis Ramirez first came to the Pirates, he was moody, indifferent and not very successful. Lloyd McClendon worked with him daily, boosting, scolding, begging, finally getting Ramirez to realize his potential. It's time for someone to make a personal project of Jose Castillo, who seems to go at 100 percent about 67 percent of the time. Castillo should be an All-Star. Instead he's just a pretty good player who is still prone to maddening funks.

o Finally, there will be some tangible evidence that Three Rivers Stadium existed. A marker is scheduled to be placed near the surviving Gate D tower. The place wasn't much to look at it, but it did house four Super Bowl champions, two World Series winners and a host of Hall of Famers. Now it's a big empty space where rib fests are held. People ought to know the place they're dumping their beer bottles used to be special.

John Mehno, on the Pittsburgh sports beat since 1974, can be reached at: johnmehno(at)lycos.com.