Ben has emergency Apendectomy, will miss the opening game.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

I can't even imagine Tommy back out there for us in a Steeler uniform, nor do I want to imagine it

[SteelersfaninPhilly]

St Pierre signed. Kuhn released.

[AZ_Steeler]

I can't even imagine Tommy back out there for us in a Steeler uniform, nor do I want to imagine it

I'm not really a drinker but I think if I saw Tommy on the field in a Steeler uniform under center... I would become a heavy drinker for the day. I would have to be really drunk just so I could watch the game and laugh at his mistakes.

The guy has costs the Steelers more games than he has won for them recently. The only thing I can thank him for is putting the Steelers in the siutation he did last year so they could make history!

[PITT23]

Yeah if we don't go 6-10 then we don't get Roethlisberger and I don't think we'd be anywhere with Maddox or Batch leading us full time. I can be confident in Charlie for one game though and I heard the whole team has really gotten behind him. He's played well this preseason because he hasn't had to look over his shoulder for Tommy anymore.

[House of Steel]

I was in West Virginia when I first heard the news and boy did the casino erupt with moans and concerns. I was shocked in the least. I heard on WTRF,WTOV,KDKA,WTAE, and WPXI they was talking to Tommy Maddox about a comeback to the team, I was like, NO NO NO NO NO!!! Brian St. Pierre, yes, I could handle that. He is better than Tommy. I think Charlie will do just fine and Willie. I am confident in this team. Hines being out is not helping the situation either, but I think this will put Washington on fire to showcase his skills on Primetime, I expect a big game from him.

[AZ_Steeler]

Ward's outlook on Ben is good, I'm still worried about Ward for the opener as well! The Steelers will need that extra spark!

Teammate doesn't expect Roethlisberger to miss more than 1 game

By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer
September 4, 2006

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger will miss one game following his emergency appendectomy. Hines Ward, who had the same procedure four years ago, will be surprised if the Pittsburgh quarterback misses a second.

After all, Ward said, isn't Roethlisberger's remarkably fast recovery from his June motorcycle accident proof enough how fast a healer he is?

Unless there are some unexpected medical complications, Ward expects Roethlisberger to play in the second game of the season Sept. 18 in Jacksonville. Because the Steelers play the NFL's season-opening game Thursday against Miami, they will have 11 days off before their next game.

"He's going to do whatever it takes to play against Jacksonville. He doesn't like to miss games," Ward said Monday. "Knowing Ben, he's going to be there for Jacksonville."

Ward spoke with some knowledge of the situation. He also had an appendectomy during the preseason, in 2002, but returned 17 days later to make eight catches in the Steelers' opener against New England.

Ward was still in pain, but not to the point it affected his play.

"You're not going to be 100 percent -- you just went under the knife -- and it all depends on how much pain tolerance he has," Ward said. "Ben's a guy who's played with pain before."

Roethlisberger broke his nose, upper and lower jaw, some eye socket bones and got a concussion during his June 12 motorcycle accident, but didn't miss any training camp time because of it.

Losing Roethlisberger is a setback to the Super Bowl champions going into a difficult opener against Miami, Ward said, but he emphasized how they went 2-0 with Charlie Batch as a fill-in starter last season.

Batch looked rusty while throwing for only 65 yards in a 20-10 victory in Green Bay on Nov. 6, his first substantial game action in nearly four years. He was much sharper a week later, going 13-of-19 for 150 yards during a 41-0 rout of Cleveland.

"You think you can jump right in and the game speed is going to come right away, and it didn't happen," said Batch, the Lions' starter for most of four seasons from 1998-2001. "I was kind of a split-second off while I was in Green Bay, but I was able to rebound when I came back against Cleveland. Definitely, having those games was good."

Batch doesn't expect to be off on his timing against Miami after spending considerable time practicing with the starting offense during camp.

Ward said the offensive game plan wasn't altered despite the change at quarterback.

"It is disappointing for us watching Ben get better, working his tail off to get back to where he was, and it's frustrating," Ward said. "But we've got to rally around Charlie. The confidence and comfort level with Charlie, it's there."

Ward returned to practice this week and expects to play after missing much of training camp with a sore hamstring.

The Steelers signed their one-time No. 3 quarterback, Brian St. Pierre, to their practice squad Monday. Either St. Pierre or rookie Omar Jacobs, also currently on the practice squad, will be Batch's backup Thursday.

Batch grew up in Pittsburgh and was an elementary school classmate of Dolphins defensive star Jason Taylor, so he expects to be more pumped up than usual starting a season opener. Batch hasn't played in an opener since 2001 with Detroit, but now gets to start one in his hometown.

"I've got to calm myself down because I'm excited, and to be able to start at home and do this in front of family and friends is great," Batch said. "I haven't had too many opportunities to play at Heinz Field and that's why I'm excited. But my mom is probably more excited than me, so I'll have to calm her down."

Batch attended the Virginia-Pitt game with Roethlisberger on Saturday night, and was as surprised as anyone to learn 12 hours later that he was ill and would miss at least one game.

"I never imagined anything was wrong with him," Batch said. "But that's why I'm here. I'm glad to have this opportunity and a couple of days to prepare for that. Most of the time, your number is called and you just run into the game."

[PITT23]

Ben was released from the hospital today which isn't bad at all. Some doctors thought he could be in there until late tomorrow or Thursday so a few days ahead of schedule is good news. And if I was Hines I'm not sure if I would have gone out and said he's only miss one game...Ben might feel pressured to get out if he's not 100%...

[AZ_Steeler]

Ben is always ahead of schedule when it comes to being in the hospital or getting hurt... it's his gaurdian angel! Maybe he'll throw us all for a loop and be in the starting lineup Thursday... I doubt it but given his past you never know

[Hawk Believer]

I have been away from the net and media this weekend. I have to say, when I saw this thread title, I absolutley assumed it was a troll...

I had to check to make sure this wasn't some big joke. Unfortunately its not. But I think, just like the motorcycle crash, this will be just another little footnote of adversity in a long and already successful career.