MVN: Most Valuable Network

While if you watched the game for any length of time, you probably saw it, but in case you wondered where Ben Roethlisberger spent his Thursday night - he was in Cleveland - rooting on the Clevleand Cavaliers and LeBron James. Yes, Ben Roethlisberger is not only a basketball fan, he's a Cavs fan as well.

Big Ben was shown on TNT a number of times in his courtside seat, and shown as well clapping when "King" James made a couple of amazing shots in the Cavaliers victory over the Orlando Magic in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Magic still lead the series 3 games to 2, with the next game being on Saturday in Orlando.

This is not the first time that Roethlisberger has been seen rooting on the Cavaliers, as he was also in attendance for a preseason game in Pittsburgh between the Cavs and Celtics last October.

In a funny twist of fate, Ben and Cavs star and NBA MVP LeBron James are also battling off the court, as the two are in a contest being put on by Spike TV called the "Guys Choice," and Roethlisberger and James are going at it for the "Most Unstoppable Jock."

To vote for Ben, you can click HERE

Yes, the AFC North as we all know is a very physical division with a lot of good players on both sides of the ball. Today though we are going to break down some of the running backs, and give our take on the running back cores of each team in the division, and rate them from one to four after sizing them up. 1. Steelers - Willie Parker leads the Steelers running game, last year going for 791 yards on 210 carries in the regular season with 5 touchdowns. He only ran for 71.9 yards per game, which is a little low for him, but the team seems dedicated on giving him more touches in 2009. He has to prove he can stay healthy as well, as nagging injuries last year were an issue for him. The team also boasts the shifty Mewelde Moore, who relieved Parker last season... Read more

It goes without saying that Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is on his way to one of the most memorable NFL careers in recent history. He is entering his sixth season in 2009, and has two Super Bowl rings on his hand already. He's been very effective as a starter, and since his insertion into the starting lineup back in week three of the 2004 season, it's been a heck of a ride for Big Ben and Steeler fans all over the world. When you think of quarterbacks in Black and Gold, the obvious comparison of who Ben matches up with is Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. So with training camp about a month and a half away, it's time to see where Roethlisberger compares when it comes to Bradshaw: Roethlisberger has been a starter since 2004, and has led the team to four playoff appearances in five seasons, with the... Read more

Go back to the Steelers running troubles of a season ago, and remember that there was a spark led by one player that was able to find some success where others could not - Mewelde Moore. While watching NFL Networks replay of last seasons Steelers loss to the Colts, Moore was a big player that day, rushing for 57 yards and scoring twice. He had his biggest day of the season in week 8 vs the Bengals, as with Willie Parker hurt, Moore went off for 120 yards with two touchdowns. He also ran for 99 yards in the 26-21 win over the Jags on October 5th, and had 84 yards on 19 carries vs the Giants on October 26th. His production dropped at the end of the year, and had just five rushes in the teams three playoff wins. I realize Willie Parker deserves to be the teams feature... Read more

It seems like Steelers LB James Harrison keeps taking undue heat for not wanting to go to the White House on Thursday with the Steelers. Don't forget, Harrison didn't go with the team to the White House after Super Bowl XL - "Let me ask you a question," the NFL Defensive Player of the Year said. "Why is it a big issue now that I'm not going if it wasn't a big issue the last time?" Good point. But, is there more to the story than James just not wanting to go than meets the eye? Possibly. Ed Bouchette, the excellent Steelers beat reporter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, reported today that a "well-placed source" says that Harrison has a fear of flying, and that he's a "wreck" whenever he is required to fly on football business. Hmmm, if that is true, why doesn't James just come out and say that?... Read more

Steelers linebacker James Harrison is his own man. That we know. He's not a very talkative guy, and maybe it's the fact he was cut three times in his career that has made him seem a bit unhappy when it comes to dealing with the media and the such. Which at the end does not surprise me that he's taking heat for saying he is not going to be with the team this Thursday when they go to the White House at the request of President Obama. Harrison, who also did not go with the club a few years back when they won Super Bowl XL, said it doesn't really matter to him to go. "I don't feel the need to go, actually," Harrison told Pittsburgh station WTAE-TV. "I don't feel like it's that big a deal to me." The Steelers today declined to comment on Harrison skipping the ceremony,... Read more

Vinnie Iyer of SportingNews.com has put out his list of the 10 best rivalries in football, and he has the Steelers-Ravens at the top of his list. Here's what he has to say about these two foes: 1. Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers In retirement, John Madden didn't leave us with enough onomatopoeia to describe all the hard-hitting, head-snapping, clock-cleaning and slobber-knocking that happens when Baltimore and Pittsburgh trade blows. The NFL's most visceral rivalry isn't for the faint of heart, stomach, mind or body. This is physical football at its best. The defenses fly around smacking everything, but the offenses also have enough tough personalities to stand up and fight for every extra yard. Two players who come to mind immediately are Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward. The teams clearly are the class of the AFC North, and playing each other three times a... Read more

They were as good as it gets when it came to defense in 2008, but one big question about the 2009 Steelers that deserves answering is - what can this unit do for an encore? It's going to be interesting what defensive mastermind Dick LeBeau has in store for this defense in 09, as you know already there will be some wrinkles of blitzes that we've never seen before. Can the Steelers defense be as good? It's going to be hard to do. Last season they were 1st in yards allowed (237.2), 2nd in yards allowed rushing (80.3), 1st against the pass (156.9) and 1st points (223). The run defense to me at the end of the day was better than the pass defense, but that is mostly to me due to the pass rush and guys likes James Harrison and LaMarr Woodly rushing and getting to the QB. The... Read more

Go back to 2008, and it was not your typical type of Steelers winning season when it comes to offense. Usually the formula for the Steelers to win and go deep in the playoffs includes a physical, punishing running game and a passing game that does enough to get the job done. Not so in 08. The running game was the weak spot on the Steelers when it came to offense, as they put up just 105.6 yards on the ground, while the passing game led by Ben Roethlisberger put up 206.3 yards per game. In the Super Bowl, the passing game clearly bailed out the offense, as Big Ben was able to pull out that last drive to get the job done in the 27-23 win. So now we turn the book to 09, and the offense again is looking to get better when it comes to the running... Read more

Yes, with a lull of news in the air, it's time for NFL writers to start throwing out such things like power rankings. The very good Peter King, who is on about every NFL show these days, but is mostly known for his work in SI, has a power ranking out, and he likes the Steelers second-best in the entire league next to the hated Patriots. Here is what King Has to say about the mighty Black and Gold: 2. PittsburghOther than losing Bryant McFadden (free agency, Arizona), nothing significant happened to a deep roster this offseason. You can be sure Mike Tomlin won't be much of a laurel-rester, but it's always quasi-impossible to repeat. I had a friend of Ben Roethlisberger's tell me the best thing that could have happened to him was not being MVP of the Super Bowl. After he led one of the best playoff... Read more

The Steelers will have a number of  2010 that will be free agents. Some are already thinking that 09 is going to be the final season that the team can be competitive, but if you study the roster, that clearly is not the case. The defense has some age, no doubt, but on the other hand, they have some youth as well that could carry them for another 4-5 seasons. Heading into 2010, provided that these players don't get new deals, on defense Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and Ryan Clark will all be free agents. Hampton and Keisel are cogs of that D-line, a D-line that got some help with Ziggy Hood on draft day, but who knows how long it will be till he makes a big impact. I love both Hampton and Keisel, but I would be surprised if both are back. Unless they both give the team... Read more