We will get to the smoldering controversy surrounding Ben Roethlisberger and his alleged sexual assault incident in a moment because -- darn it! -- that's a required topic of discussion when the Steelers open training camp. But first, a little levity: Would you believe big, tough, mean NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison in a Smart car?

I can't make that up.

On a day his teammates pulled into Saint Vincent College in their monstrous Range Rovers and Escalades, Harrison made quite the picture tooling around campus in the tiny car. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin couldn't help himself. "I expected it to feel like a go-kart or something. But it didn't," he said, wide-eyed, after taking a little spin and clearly enjoying the experience.

The next you know, Michael Vick will be behind the wheel.

OK, maybe not.

Or maybe giant nose tackle Casey Hampton will wedge into that front seat.

OK, maybe not.

But at least Hampton -- the team's beloved "Big Snack" -- showed up in relative shape and did the conditioning run in fine fashion, unlike last July when Tomlin publicly scolded him, put him on the physically-unable-to-perform list and sent him to bed without supper.

"It's all systems go," Tomlin said of his squad.

It's been a terrific offseason for the Steelers.

Hold on, I said I'd get to that Roethlisberger business in a minute.

It's been a terrific offseason because the Steelers were able to keep 20 of their 22 starters from the team that won Super Bowl XLIII in February. They did a whopping new deal for Harrison and one for Hines Ward. They kept the offensive line together -- that's a good thing, I'm telling you -- by signing Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu and Willie Colon. And, just this week, they signed invaluable tight end Heath Miller to a six-year, $35.3 million contract, adding to the most amazing month of his life, considering his first child -- son, Chase -- was born 3 1/2 weeks ago.

"I feel very fortunate to be drafted here," Miller said yesterday. "I think it's the best organization in sports ...

"Winning Super Bowls is what it's all about for me. I can only imagine what it's like to catch 80 balls in a season and then be sitting home on Super Bowl Sunday. Who wants that? That's not for me."

It really has been a wonderful offseason.

Except for that Roethlisberger issue, of course.

Yeah, it's time.

Big Ben didn't speak to the media on day one of camp, but his coach and teammates hardly ducked talk of the lawsuit filed by a woman because of an alleged incident in Lake Tahoe, Nev., more than a year ago. They insisted Roethlisberger will be fine, which wasn't unexpected. But, significantly, they did it in a way that didn't seem the least bit forced.

I believe them, anyway.

I look at Roethlisberger and see the same thing they do -- a world-class athlete with the ability to focus on the task at hand and block out all distractions.

"I have no questions about Ben's mindset," Tomlin said, firmly.

"If he can come back and play after his motorcycle accident [in 2006], he can play after anything," defensive end Aaron Smith said. "Coming back after an injury is the most mentally draining challenge you can have in this business. This won't distract him. He'll be fine."

All parties concerned were just as adamant about the minimal impact they expect Roethlisberger's legal troubles to have on the team. "We're going to proceed professionally," Tomlin said, again firmly.

"This is our safe haven," Ward said. "When we step on the field, it's all about football."

Smith said the fellows proved their mental toughness to him last season when they played through his crisis with his son's battle with leukemia. Elijah Smith, now 5, is doing well and his prognosis is good, but the second half of the '08 season was difficult for everybody in the organization.

"That was a life-threatening thing and it touched more people in the locker room [than the Roethlisberger incident]," Smith said. "If these guys can get through that and win a Super Bowl, they'll get through this.

"This is just a little speed bump."

Even for a big man in a Smart car.