Health Miller signs contract extension

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, starting tight end Health Miller has signed a contract extension that will keep him in Pittsburgh for the next six years. The agreement calls for a $12.5 million signing bonus and has a total value of $35.3 million.

Personally, I like the idea of extending Miller's contract, but in contrast to other recent contracts (Starks, Kemoeatu, Ward) it seems like the team might have overpaid a little in this case.

At any rate, kicker Jeff Reed might be next in line for a contract extension (with safety Ryan Clark also a possibility). Reed plays a position that isn't particularly expensive, and he's proven that he can kick effectively at Heinz Field, which is no small consideration.

Roethlisberger TV commerical for Dick's Sporting Goods/Nike

This morning I saw a TV commercial on ESPN for Dick's Sporting Goods that features Nike Air Marauder cleats ... and Ben Roethlisberger. Is this a new commerical? If it is, the timing of the launch is awful. Watch it here:

Roethlisberger issues statement, calls allegations 'reckless and false'

At 2 p.m. today Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger read a prepared statement - his first public comments - since Andrea McNulty's lawsuit was filed against him (and eight other defendants) last week.

Roethlisberger and his attorney have 20 days from the date of the filing of the lawsuit to file an Answer (unless they request and are granted an extension of time).

Ben Roethlisberger's shirt makes us cringe

Ben Roethlisberger finished tied for 30th at the American Century celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. Sorry Cincinnati and Cleveland - Big Ben finished ahead of Carson Palmer and Derek Anderson. (Now he's beating Bengals and Browns on the golf course too!)

But what really got our attention was this photo (buried in the "behind the scenes" section of the tahoecelebritygolf.com Web site), and not because he's standing next to former LPGA star Annika Sorenstam. (That is Annika, isn't it?) If you can't make out the words it reads: "Harley Davidson."

Roethlisberger moves up leaderboard at American Century Championship

Ben Roethlisberger is now tied for 22nd after two rounds of the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Club. Meanwhile, his day one playing partners Mario Lemieux and Jerome Bettis have slipped off the pace, with Lemieux falling into a tie for 36th and Bettis all the way back to 48th. Complete results can be found here.

Odds on a Steeler winning the Tahoe Celebrity golf tournament

Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis will both be playing in this weekend's American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. In fact, they will be paired with Mario Lemieux in the first round of the tournament tomorrow (July 17). The odds on Big Ben winning the tourney are listed at 20-1 (kinda long odds considering his round at Bethpage Black a few weeks back), while The Bus is a longshot at 200-1.

Former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt is in at 20-1 odds. And of course, Charles Barkley is the longest of the longshots at 499-1, up from the 500-1 he usually rates.

Former Steelers punter Pat Brady dies

Former Pittsburgh Steelers punter Pat Brady died on July 14 in Reno, Nevada, after a long battle with lymphoma. He was 83.

Brady played for the Steelers from 1952-54, averaging 44.5 yards per punt over that span. He led the league in punting in 1953 and '54 before his career was ended by an injury.