shouldBworking: Did the PG have any concern about putting James Harrison as the face of the Steelers preview? I doubt it as, once again, it proves that if there is enough ability in a player, all his indiscretions can be looked past.

Jerry Micco: Would you suggest Ben Roethlisberger? It's an NFL section and it's about his ability as a football player. As far as I know, James Harrison has never been charged with a crime, though I know there have been problems in his past. Those have been chronicled on the Post-Gazette. But I wonder how many people were thinking like you while he was returning that interception 100 yards in Super Bowl XLIII? I'm guessing no one.

JoelSteedisaHouse: Jerry, now that it appears Casey Hampton's days are numbered, it got me thinking about his predecessor. I asked this question of Ed a few weeks back, but it didn't make the cut: Who would you take, Joel Steed or Casey Hampton? Thanks.

Jerry Micco: In his best days, Casey Hampton. He could cover guys sideline to sideline when he could run a bit. He was also very powerful and provided excellent push up the middle. But, injuries and eating have slowed him down tremendously, which is a shame.

James_Taipei: How long until the Detroit Lions win a game? I just hope their first win does not come against the Steelers!

Jerry Micco: It won't, but I don't look for the Lions to win more than a couple games this year. Maybe point to the Nov. 1 home game vs. St. Louis as their first best chance to win a game.

Homey: Do you think if Mendenhall has been picked a few rounds later, he would have still made the team ahead of Redman?

Jerry Micco: Yes. While everyone sees Redman as the next Franco Harris, here's what I know: He was passed over by everyone in the draft and he played his career at a Division II school. That's not to say he's not a nice player and that he may one day be a nice player and start for the Steelers, but Rashard Mendenhall is a better all-around back. He's not shown much, but remember, he was hurt early on last season and you wonder how guys come back from injury. I think when it's all said and done, Mendenhall will be just fine. Whether he's first-round worthy, well, that may take a couple of seasons to find out.

Jack_da_Hydroplane: I got a kid in college. I could never boo a college kid. Could you?

Jerry Micco: I haven't been to a college game as a fan in a long time, so I don't know if I could. I have a kid in college, but the difference between my kid and, oh, say a starting QB at Pitt, is the starting QB is getting several thousands of dollars a year to play football in the way of scholarship. So I really don't have a problem when college players are booed. I'm not saying I'd do it, but I don't criticized people if that's what they want to do.

praveen: I have been enjoying Ed Bouchette's updates on the plus site. It is amusing to see him scramble to please some of the impatient readers. Personally I don't care if he holds some updates in the interest of accuracy and giving us a better context for the stories.

Jerry Micco: It's a work in progress, but Ed's done a masterful job in my opinion. It does give people a glimpse into the beat. Beat work is not a constant flow of information, which may confuse some readers. It's a lot of reporting and sometimes, there's little that can be printed. It takes time to do it right and it takes time to say what you want to say in an analytical way. Also, there are Steelers stories three ways now: in print; the free site and the pay site. And there's only so much news to go around.

Jack_da_Hydroplane: As a Pirate fan, the last 17 years have indeed been dismal. But I saw two World Series winners in my lifetime, and many Pittsburghers have seen three. Don't you think no World Series victories for 100 years (the Cubs), or no World Series victories ever (the Astros, Expos/Nationals, Rangers, Mariners, Padres) is a lot worse?

Jerry Micco: It's nice to be competitive, which the Pirates have not been in a number of years. That's a slow death, as far as I'm concerned. I've been alive for four World Series (but was only 4 in 1960, so I really don't remember that one). It's been great to see. I've enjoyed every bit of the 71 and 79 Series. But, I don't think the Pirates can use other franchises' misery in the World Series as a salve on the wound to the fans. Sorry, but I want to have a SHOT at the Series at least every few years. These guys may be several years from a winning season.

praveen: I am glad Ben's lawyer is not settling. The way that case looks , I think even I can win the case for Ben.

Jerry Micco: It has taken some strange twists and turns in the legal system. We'll be keeping an eye on it.

Jack_da_Hydroplane: I thought the James Harrison piece was great, especially his blow-by-blow account of his 100 yard run. I noticed his extreme shyness when he was interviewed by Andrea Kramer on the field after the Super Bowl. He looked and sounded TERRIFIED to talk to her!

Jerry Micco: I don't know Harrison personally, but have heard he's sometimes very shy. Again, you never really know about these guys because only their families and friends see them in unguarded moments. I'm glad you enjoyed the piece. I think Ed did a very good job handling it.

Jacque_Strap: Enjoyed all of the Steelers stuff today. Interesting piece on James Harrison.

Jerry Micco: See the above answer. And thanks. I've been getting positive comments on the story all day. Ed deserves the praise.

praveen: I know teams start low when giving out offers. But offering Jeff Reed in the bottom half of kickers contract numbers must have been insulting. He is one of the top kickers out there, and certainly in the elite when it comes to kicking at Heinz and the playoffs. Considering he was a year away from free agency, some discount is in order, but not that much.

Jerry Micco: I think that's all about negotiating. And it's also about the fact that they likely will have 2 franchise tags in what likely will be an uncapped year next season. And while Reed certainly deserves top-half money, kickers can be found. He was doing farm work in North Carolina when the Steelers picked him up. Remember?

Jack_da_Hydroplane: Why are so many people so enamored with New England? Granted, they have Brady back, but they're losing their great old defenders left and right, and the past 4 Super Bowls were won by somebody not called the Patriots.

Jerry Micco: I agree, except for one thing, as you said: Tom Brady. He's still the best QB in the NFL and he alone can make them very dangerous. They'll have to be dealt with in the AFC, as will the Steelers. It should be an interesting year.

praveen: Whether Mendenhall is a bust, i guess we won't know until this year ends. But he did not look as good as a few other rookies taken later in the draft last year before he was injured. He showed poor teams-manship by not showing up regularly after his injury. I don't think he will ever be first round worthy for the Steelers. We should just hope that he can at least be close to other Steelers RBs from the last 15 years not named Bettis.

Jerry Micco: Holding him up to Jerome Bettis is a pretty tall order for him. But let's give him time. I also agree that his not hanging around with his teammates was a poor judgment on his part. I think that's been resolved, but at some point, and I guess starting tomorrow, he's going to have to show why the Steelers spent a first-round pick on him. He's not done that yet.

budwardo: Do you think the defense is going to be the same without Timmons?

Jerry Micco: From what I saw of Keyaron Fox, it's not going to drop a lot. I think they are better long-term with Simmons, but Fox has shown thus far to be a capable backup.

FoolBack: Jerry, I've always wondered what the off-season is like for your writers? Of course a little vacation, but what else is different or the same?

Jerry Micco: What offseason? Look at hockey: The Pens played into early June. Less than 3 weeks later, free agency starts. There is a lull in August, then prospect camp starts in early September. Regular camp by mid-September and the season in early October. The NFL: Steelers play until early February. Free agency starts in March. The draft is in late April. Minicamps throughout May and early June. Regular camp in late July. The writers take vacation and any other time off they can get. But in the old days, the beat writers often had an offseason beat. But not anymore.

praveen: Regarding booing college players, I wouldn't use the thousands in scholarships as an excuse. Many academic students get thousands in academic scholarships. Do we boo them when they get bad grades and bring down the school average and ranking? I think the pros are there for a reason. College players should be booed only if they are dogging it on the field.

Jerry Micco: No, we don't boo academic scholarship students, but if they don't make the grades, they lose the scholarship. Not that some athletes don't have scholarships pulled, but it's rare. And besides, don't you sign up for some criticism when you go to a major program to play a major sport? I think that's part of it. Also, no one asks fans to shell out good money to watch a guy do well in physics. But he sure does shell out bucks to watch a guy play football.

Jack_da_Hydroplane: Is this Tennessee game the toughest on the Steelers' schedule?

Jerry Micco: Probably. Close to it though, will be the game at Baltimore and San Diego here. But all of those games are winnable. There will be stumbles along the way, that's why Game 2 in Chicago is important. The Bears are improved and the Steelers are off a tough game. Even with extra rest, that could be a tough game. I still think 12-4 for this team.

praveen: Is Oakland crazy to give up a first rounder for a guy who will probably bolt via free agency after a year? Then again, maybe not, judging by their drafting record.

Jerry Micco: If you try to figure out the Raiders personnel decisions, you'll be in the psycho ward in no time.

praveen: I wonder if they should trade players like Zach Duke who will get demoralized by the current team and their pitching prowess will continue to hit lows like the last one. Keep the Ohlendorfs who haven't had to endure losing for so long. I think if Doumit can get on a hot streak, they need to ship him out too.

Jerry Micco: Well, except for the last 2 outings, Duke has been their best pitcher. There might be something to the number of innings he's pitched. And many teams won't give up much for a guy who at best is probably a No. 3 starter. On a good team, a No. 4 or lower. But you see why Huntington likes guys like Ohlendorf. Big, hard thrower and young. Power arms are what they are trying to build around. Unfortunately, they don't have many and that's part of their problem. Doesn't mean guys like Duke and Maholm can't be effective, but they need to be nearly perfect to be so.

Jacque_Strap: Can anyone challenge Penn State / Ohio State in the Big Ten this year?

Jerry Micco: I was going to say Iowa, but after last week, maybe not. No question, the Big Ten is down this year. It's Penn State/Ohio State and a cast of thousands. But it's early. Someone may rise up and play really well and challenge.

praveen: I predicted 14-2 based on that they could lose one of the SD, TN, and Balt. games and then a game against a more beatable opponent.

Jerry Micco: You may be close than I to the truth, praveen. Their schedule sets up for that type of record. But there are teams on the schedule who we don't know if this is their wake-up year. I'm thinking Bears and Vikings, the latter is already a very good team. But we'll see. You may be closer to the win number than me, but I think most folks think 12 wins is the least they should get.

praveen: Do you think our defense is better prepared against Chris Johnson/Lendal white combo, especially against the former? And how about our OL? TN didnt have Haynesworth in the last game either. Our OL is no better at this point.

Jerry Micco: I think this game poses a great challenge for the Steelers. The Titans are good, but if Washington can't play at WR, then they become very one-dimensional, which is death against the Steelers defense. The Titans are very good defensively and will give the Steelers OL some problems. I think it's going to be fairly low scoring, like 20-14, or something of that ilk. But I think at home, the Steelers get a bit of an edge.

Homey: If the subscriber content is simply extra stuff, beyond what you've always had up, does that mean you're asking all the workers to put in more hours? I hope everyone is happy in the ranks.

Jerry Micco: Sometimes, you have to adjust schedules for new things, so while most major beat writers don't really keep track of hours, we're also trying to add people in key places to lighten the load. Doing reporting is hard work no matter what you're asking those folks to do. But our goal is to deliver information over many platforms to customers. We also work with our folks to try to level the load as much as we can.

praveen: Is American tennis dead, at least for males? At least on the women's side, we got the emergence of Oudin in addition to the Williams sisters.

Jerry Micco: I watched some of the US Open, but I can remember a time when Labor Day for me was watching a few hours of Open coverage. But the lack of a US male player who can get into a final or semifinal makes it less interesting for a lot of folks. I can remember when tennis had excellent ratings, but golf has now passed it. And it's too bad, because I saw some pretty good tennis from what I watched. But the men's matches are so much serve-and-volley. When guys like Borg, Becker, McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg, et al, played, they were shot-makers, too. And were all different types of players. It just think it was more watchable 20-plus years ago.

ajt123: Are there any Pirates on the current roster that you would consider part of a "core"?

Jerry Micco: McCutchen and Ohlendorf. Too many other guys are untested or untried, even Garrett Jones. Or, in Doumit's case, always hurt. I'd like to include Maholm and Duke, but again, you see those guys fade late in a season so you don't know if they are key pieces or not. I'd love to see Neil Walker play almost every day. I think they know what they have in guys like LaRoche and Delwyn Young. But Walker has the potential to have a little power in his bat.

ajt123: Who would you sign if you where Ray Shero, Letang or Gonchar???

Jerry Micco: LeTang because of his upside and years. Gonchar is a terrific player, but at his age, you probably won't get nearly as much out of him as you'd want for the price. While he'd be a better player right now than LeTang, I'd rather have a young, very talented D signed up for several years.

praveen: Steelers have had many of their ex players get into broadcasting. Is that a product of the local scene where the players get many opportunities to take part in the local media? Or do the Steelers mentor their players and encourage them to do something in that area?

Jerry Micco: I don't know if the Steelers do this purposely or not, but a lot of it is that those guys are some of the most popular athletes in town, so when they knock on a door and if they have a bit of talent, they usually get hired.

Homey: What do you see as more likely over the next several years: Football becomes more like baseball - without a salary cap, and a group of haves and have nots; OR baseball becomes more like football - with a salary cap and more level playing field for teams like the Pirates?

Jerry Micco: I think the former rather than the latter. I don't ever see baseball changing its structure. They may tweak it some, but the haves in baseball are very powerful. In the NFL, they likely won't abandon some sort of cap, but it may be much softer like the NBA.

MDSteelerFan: Long time reader, first time chat here in Baltimore - Do you think the Steelers are forcing Willie Parker out the door after this year because they feel obligated to use their first rounder in Mendenhall or is Parker just getting that banged up? He still put up respectable yards in my opinion even after missing a good bit of time.

Jerry Micco: Could be they wanted to see more of Mendenhall in the preseason and save Parker for the games that count. I think it's hard to chase away a guy who has gained something like 1,200 yards each of the past couple years. In this league, those guys are prized. That said, RBs generally start to slow down around 30, so why not give Mendenhall some carries and some chances? I'm sure the Steelers would love to see Mendenhall emerge to justify the pick, but if not, Willie Parker sure is a good guy to fall back on.

praveen: I dont think the NFL will become like MLB. I think Jerry Jones had a point with his recent comment that it is ridiculous for teams like GB to subsidize teams like MN. I actually agree more with Kraft than Rooney that revenue sharing is good, but must have some conditions. Otherwise there is no incentive other than pride for the Bengals to be anything more than the NFL version of the Pirates.

Jerry Micco: I don't think they'll become MLB, that's not what I said. I thought they may move toward MLB with a more flexible cap and maybe some revenue sharing changes, which you stated.

ajt123: More excited for the NFL or NHL to start their seasons?

Jerry Micco: Always the NFL. It's such a big deal here and around the country. Football season also signals the start of the sports cycle of seasons. The NHL, because there are so many games, you tend to not pay attention for a month or so (not in my case, but many fans who are not hardcore NHL fans do that). And this is such a football city and the team's so good, how can you not get excited. It's fall, the air is crisp. Shoot, it's the best time of year around here.

MDSteelerFan: Good way of looking at Mendenhall v. Parker - either way Parker just exudes class to me. I've read about Mendenhall maybe not participating as much as the other teammates would like. Hopefully, Willie can hand off some of that character Bettis gave to him. Your thoughts?

Jerry Micco: I think the Steelers, if Mendenhall improves as expected, will have 2 very good running backs. But, eventually, Mendenhall will take over. If he's good enough. The Steelers don't hand jobs to guys who aren't very good. If they think Mendenhall was a poor choice, they won't keep him around to look good. Sometimes it takes time to get better in the NFL. And Mendenhall may be one of those guys. We'll see.

Jerry Micco: Time for me to head back to the other part of my work day, trying to run a sports department. I want to thank all of you for your time and attendance today. It's been great, and I appreciate the questions. It always is my favorite time of the week. I'll see you next Wednesday at noon when we can talk about how the Steelers looked in Game 1.