As well as the Penguins are doing on the ice, and they've been excellent, they're doing even better with their television ratings on FSN Pittsburgh.

Ratings skyrocketed this month and, according to some, it's not just their near-perfect play that has created the boost. Some see it as a residual effect of the Winter Classic, the New Year's Day outdoor game between the Penguins and Buffalo, that drew an enormous rating in Pittsburgh.

Since that game the numbers are spectacular. The team's January ratings have almost doubled over last year's, going from about a 4.5 to an 8.0. Most noteworthy was the game Thursday against Tampa Bay. In what was just another January game, against a nondescript last-place opponent, the Penguins drew the highest rating for a road game since such numbers have been recorded. The 9.8 rating means close to 120,000 households were watching in the Pittsburgh region.

The rating wasn't totally unexpected because numbers had been unusually high since the Winter Classic. Equally mundane January games had drawn ratings of 8.0 or more, which is almost astonishing for regular-season games.

As expected, the ratings fell Saturday when the Penguins-Atlanta matchup went against the New England-Jacksonville NFL playoff game, which drew a 23.7 rating (about 285,000 households). Still, the Penguins had a respectable 5.7 rating for the game and spiked to a 10.0 when it went to a shootout.

"I think the Winter Classic [which had a 17.7 rating in Pittsburgh] introduced a lot of non-hockey fans to hockey and the Penguins," said Shawn McClintock, the executive producer at FSN. "The game was so well done by the league and the teams, and the Penguins won in such dramatic fashion, that it translated into a 'Hey, did you see that,' with a lot of people."

Tom McMillan, the Penguins vice president for communications, said: "Our ratings have been strong all year but there was such a dramatic increase after the Winter Classic that you have to attribute a lot of that buzz to the game. I don't think anyone thought that would be one of the consequences of the Winter Classic."

In a different twist to its hockey telecasts, FSN occasionally puts color analyst Bob Errey at ice level between the two benches rather than in the broadcasting booth.

"It gives a different perspective, a different feel," said McClintock. "He hears what's going on at ice level and relays some of that information to the viewers."

Errey also conducts in-game interviews with the Penguins' coaches. He'll be in that location Friday against Tampa Bay.

Steigerwald returns to WTAE

Viewers to WTAE's "Action Sports Sunday" Jan. 7 no doubt were jolted by the presence on the show's panel of John Steigerwald, long a staple of KDKA's rival "Sports Showdown." It was Steigerwald's first appearance on WTAE since he left the station for KDKA in 1985.

In his typical fashion, Steigerwald said, "I left 22 years ago. What was I thinking?"

Steigerwald's contract with KDKA ended Dec. 31, making him a free-lancer and available to work where he wants.

It was a smart move by WTAE to bring on Steigerwald. Not only does he have great name and face recognition in the region, he's also particularly good on these kinds of shows. He's a man with strong opinions, and, for sure, he's sticking to them. The fact he is so closely associated with KDKA can only help WTAE in the ratings, where it usually trails the "Sports Showdown."

The station would be wise to have him make regular appearances. Neither show sizzled Sunday night, although both had their moments. Two of the best:

On WTAE, Mike Prisuta, of the Tribune-Review, mocked the announcement that the Pirates would build a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. They can, he said, "start cranking out prospects that can sign with other teams once they get good."

On KDKA, Eric Hagman of KQV called into question to coaching of universally revered Tony Dungy, whose Indianapolis Colts were upset earlier in the day. " ... in two of the last three years, he has lost home playoff games that his team was favored to win, and today a backup quarterback and a backup running back beat his Colts."

Strangest moment: KDKA host Bob Pompeani tossed out a strong question: For one game, who would you rather have at quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning?

He got answers from Hagman (Roethlisberger) and Joe Starkey of the Tribune-Review (Manning) but never bothered to ask Ron Cook of the Post-Gazette.