Ben Roethlisberger

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, still on the mend from a sprained ankle, said that he’ll do his best to be on the field Sunday in the team’s regular-season finale against the Browns.

“As long as I can deal with pain, I’ll be out there,” Roethlisberger said Thursday. “I don’t want to let the guys down, so I’ll do what I can to be out there.”

Pittsburgh has clinched a playoff berth and remains in the hunt for a division title and the No. 1  seed in the AFC (that would take losses by the Ravens and Patriots).

Roethlisberger missed last week’s game, a win over the Rams. Backup Charlie Batch started for the Steelers after Roethlisberger looked shaky a week earlier against the 49ers, a 20-3 loss in which Roethlisberger threw three interceptions.

Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said he was “much more” confident in Roethlisberger after seeing him practice Thursday, but he doesn’t want to rush the QB back.

“I want him out there but not at the risk of injuring himself,” Arians said. “If he can’t move around and get out of the way, there’s no sense in getting him out there.”

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY TUESDAY:
No games scheduled

AROUND THE WEB:

Michael Vick

♦ Michael Vick might be rebuilding his image after his prison stint, but in the eyes of many people he has a long way to go. Forbes magazine has results of a poll of the most disliked players in the NFL, and the Eagles quarterback ranked first, with 60 percent of respondents saying they disliked him. Women were especially disapproving of Vick, with 70 percent viewing him negatively.

Vick is followed by Jets receiver Plaxico Burress and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Two first-year Patriots are on the list. Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth checks in at No. 4, with a 46 percent disapproval rating, and receiver Chad Ochocinco is sixth at 35 percent.

♦ Michael Jordan‘s image has been taking quite a hit the past few days, as reports emerged that the Bobcats owner has been taking a hard line toward negotiations with NBA players. This despite that fact that when he played, he showed no sympathy toward owners who could not turn a profit. Onetime Celtic Stephon Marbury, asked on Twitter about Jordan, tweeted: Mike has never been with the real. Mike lives up there in the air up there. He can’t come down.

♦ Real Clear Sports has a list of the top 10 football/academic powerhouses, giving equal weight to the NCAA’s graduation success rate and Jeff Sagarin‘s computer rankings. Stanford is No. 1, followed by Notre Dame and TCU. Boston College, despite ranking near the top in GSR, is nowhere to be found on the list due to its on-field struggles.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Nov. 8, 2000, which player was named the 16th captain in Bruins history?

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Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas will miss the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon. (AP)

Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in his left ankle in New York’s loss to the Ravens Sunday night.

A 10-year NFL veteran, Thomas suffered the injury in the first quarter. An MRI confirmed the injury on Monday. The Jets’ longest-tenured player, Thomas will be a free agent after this season.

“That’s going to be a huge loss to us, obviously,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said of Thomas’ injury.

While no replacement has been chosen, the Jets did work out former Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain recently as they prepare to face New England this Sunday.

Here are some more notable injuries from Week 4.

• Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will play this Sunday despite suffering a sprained right foot this past weekend. Roethlisberger’s injury occurred in the fourth quarter of the Steelers’ loss to the Texans this past Sunday.

Roethlisberger’s teammate, linebacker James Harrison, will be out “for a number of weeks,” according to coach Mike Tomlin, after he suffered a right orbital fracture around his eye against Houston. The injury will require surgery. Harrison was injured after being hit helmet-to-helmet by a Houston player

• Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson suffered an injured right hamstring in Houson’s win over Pittsburgh, but the star receiver’s status remains uncertain. Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said that the team is still in the “evaluation process” and that Johnson could miss anywhere from a few days to “a few weeks.”

• Colts defensive tackle Eric Foster spent Monday night in the hospital for observation after dislocating his right ankle in the first half of Indy’s, 24-17, win over the Buccaneers. Colts head coach Jim Caldwell said that Foster’s injury will need surgery.

• Texans running back Ben Tate suffered a sprained right groin in Houston’s win over the Steelers on Sunday, but coach Gary Kubiak told the Houston Chronicle that Tate is day-to-day and the team hopes Tate will be ready to go for its game against the Raiders next Sunday.

• Redskins running back Tim Hightower revealed to coach Mike Shanahan on Monday that he played the majority of Sunday’s game against the Rams with an injured shoulder, The Washington Post reports. While the extent of the injury is unknown, Washington has a bye next week. But the Redskins might not be in a hurry to get Hightower back on the field after Ryan Torrain‘s strong game on the ground for Washington.

• Browns cornerback Joe Haden suffered a sprained left knee in Cleveland’s loss to the Titans on Sunday, and it’s uncertain whether the standout corner will miss time heading into the Browns’ bye week. Browns Pro Bowl center Alex Mack underwent an appendectomy Monday afternoon and it is also uncertain whether he will have to miss any games.

• The Eagles had a pair of Pro Bowl starters suffer injuries in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. Defensive end Trent Cole suffered a calf strain, while left tackle Jason Peters has a hamstring strain. While nothing is certain, both could very well miss Philly’s game against Buffalo next Sunday. The Eagles also lost defensive tackle Antonio Dixon for the season after he tore his triceps against San Francisco.

• Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne‘s status is unclear after he injured his left shoulder in Miami’s loss to the Chargers on Sunday. While results of an MRI from Monday are pending, Henne says that he will be ready to go for the Dolphins’ game against the Jets on Oct. 17 following Miami’s Week 5 bye.

• Titans safety Chris Hope is out for 4-6 weeks after breaking his left forearm on Sunday against the Browns. The injury will require surgery. Hope had missed the first three weeks of the season with a dislocated shoulder.

• Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski‘s status is uncertain after he suffered a concussion in Baltimore’s win over the Jets on Sunday. Zbikowski did not return to the game after suffering the head injury. He will have the Ravens’ upcoming bye week to recover before Baltimore’s next game.

Ben Roethlisberger

A Steelers team source told ESPN Monday afternoon that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an MRI Monday that revealed a sprained foot. Roethlisberger said he injured his foot on the second-to-last series of Sunday’s 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans. He finished the game but had difficulty walking in the locker room and left the stadium in a walking boot.

ESPN’s source would not speculate on Roethlisberger’s status for next Sunday’s game against the Titans. Given Roethlisberger’s history with foot injuries, however, it seems unlikely that he would miss any time as he played through part of last season with a broken foot.

Because of their loss Sunday, the Steelers moved to 2-2 this season. Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense has struggled, as Roethlisberger has thrown five interceptions this season and just three touchdown passes. The Steelers have struggled to get into the end zone, and they rank 27 in the NFL in points per game with 16.

The Patriots are due to visit the Steelers on Oct. 30.

Roethlisberger was 16-for-30 Sunday, throwing for 206 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY TUESDAY:
MLB: Red Sox at Orioles, 7:05 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Jets legend Joe Namath apparently puts the blame for his old club’s loss to the Raiders Sunday on coach Rex Ryan. Appearing on ESPN Radio Monday, Namath questioned Ryan’s method of preparing his players. “It’s rather alarming,” Namath said. “It starts at the top. Coach Rex Ryan, he’s been doing a great job, getting us to two conference championship games, but there’s one thing about the athlete: You keep telling him how good he is, he’s going to start believing it to the point that he may not be preparing quite the way he should. He may be losing some respect for the other team.”

Responded Ryan: “I’m not going to change who I am because Joe Namath said something. Joe Namath can come in here and if he can still throw we’ll have him as a backup quarterback. But you know what? He doesn’t know our team. He’s on the outside, even though he’s a Jet and once you’re a Jet you’re always a Jet. But he’s on the outside. He’s not in these meetings. I think if he was he’d be shocked at the preparation.”

♦ With Cam Newton off to a fast start with the Panthers, Real Clear Sports has a list of the top 10 rookie quarterbacks of the Super Bowl era. The list includes No. 10 Rick Mirer, who the Patriots passed over for Drew Bledsoe, and No. 5 Matt Ryan, who starred at Boston College before joining the Falcons. The top three are all AFC rivals of the Patriots: No. 3 Peyton Manning, No. 2 Ben Roethlisberger and No. 1 Dan Marino.

♦ With people flocking to see “Moneyball,” the movie about the A’s front office that stars Brad Pitt, Sports-Kings.com has its list of the 10 best baseball movies of all-time. The top three are “Field of Dreams” followed by “Major League” and “Bull Durham.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Sept. 27, 1977, which player recorded his 30th save to break the Red Sox single-season record set in 1964 by Dick Radatz?

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Ben Roethlisberger

The Nevada Supreme Court said Thursday that the civil suit against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stemming from a July 2008 rape allegation will stay in Reno. Roethlisberger had requested the case be moved to the town of Minden in Douglas County.

Roethlisberger’s accuser is a former VIP casino hostess from Harrah’s, a casino chain that includes a resort in Lake Tahoe. The hostess said Roethlisberger assaulted her in his penthouse suite while Roethlisberger was in Tahoe for a celebrity golf tournament.

The Supreme Court said that Roethlisberger lacked the standing to seek a change of venue, rejecting other arguments by Roethlisberger’s attorneys.

“The record contains no evidence demonstrating that the convenience of the witnesses compels a change in venue or that holding the trial in Douglas County rather than in Washoe County would promote the interests of justice,” the ruling said.

David Cornwall, an attorney for Roethlisberger, said that he’s still confident in the outcome of the case. He wrote in an e-mail that after examining the accuser’s testimony, “the jury will conclude that Ben has been falsely accused.”

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY TUESDAY:
NHL: Bruins at Hurricanes, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NBA: Celtics at Kings, 10 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ According to a poll commissioned by The Hollywood Reporter, Sunday’s Super Bowl is headed for record ratings, and while Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is the most disliked player in the game, Tom Brady surprisingly ranks higher on the list of most disliked NFL players.

The poll indicates that 78 percent of Americans plan to watch the game, which would be a 5 percent hike from last year, and more are cheering for the Packers (45 percent to 39 percent). As for the league’s most disliked players, Brett Favre is No. 1, Michael Vick No. 2, Brady No. 3 and Roethlisberger No. 4.

♦ Hockey Night in Canada and the NHL Players Association conducted a poll about the least desirable team to play for. The Islanders were the runaway winner with 27 percent. The Oilers were second at 20 percent, followed by the Sabres (8 percent) and Thrashers (7 percent). Tied for fifth were the Maple Leafs and Canadiens, at 5 percent.

♦ The Cavaliers were routed by the Heat on Monday, their 21st consecutive loss. At Fox Sports Florida, Bill Reiter writes that the Cavs have gone from The Decision to The Debacle, and it’s clear that LeBron James made the right choice in getting out of Cleveland.

♦ Los Angeles took another step toward landing an NFL franchise with a deal expected to be announced Tuesday that gives naming rights for a proposed downtown stadium to Farmers Insurance.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 1, 2004, the Patriots beat the Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII behind the efforts of MVP Tom Brady. Which Super Bowl passing record did Brady set in the game?

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Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY MONDAY:
NHL: Bruins at Kings 10:30 p.m. (NESN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Jets coach Rex Ryan got a sendoff from fans in the town where he lives before the Jets lost Sunday’s AFC championship game to the Steelers. Fans were invited to show up outside his New Jersey house Saturday morning for an early morning pep rally. Invitations were sent by the mayor of Summit, N.J., as well as the local high school football coach. The event was approved by Ryan’s wife, Michelle, who made an appearance.

Meanwhile, after Sunday’s game, Ryan told the media he plans to be back next year, and people that want to criticize his team can “go ahead, but you’ve really got no right.”

♦ Jay Cutler‘s toughness has been questioned after the Bears quarterback left Sunday’s NFL championship game against the Packers with a knee injury. In the Chicago Sun-Times, Rick Telander defenders Cutler, writing that he has many flaws, but lack of toughness isn’t one of them.

♦ The Lakers are showing signs of trouble during the regular season, but that’s something they’ve done before, only to regroup in time for the playoffs. In The Los Angeles Times, Mark Heisler explains why this year’s edition of the Lakers might not be able to turn things around in time.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Jan. 24, 1971, the Bruins beat the Canadiens 4-2 at Boston Garden after a pregame ceremony honoring which active player?

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Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY TUESDAY:
No games scheduled

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Joe Paterno is under contract for one more season at Penn State and has offered no indications that he plans to quit before then. However, as has been the case the past few years, there have been rumors indicating that he would retire after coaching his team in the Outback Bowl and completing his 45th season on the sideline. His family did not take well to those reports.

“Who started the crazy rumors?” wife Sue Paterno told PennStateScout.com on Monday. “He’s fine. No one has to identify who starts it. We don’t even know where it starts. … It’s just lies.”

Said daughter Mary Kay Hort to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Everybody’s been saying he’s going to retire. Someday, somebody might get it right.”

♦ Ben Roethlisberger may have served his NFL suspension, but he’s not out of trouble with the courts yet. The Las Vegas Sun has an update on the civil suit against him in Nevada, where it was sent to the state’s highest court.

♦ The Bobcats won their first game under new coach Paul Silas. In The Charlotte Observer, Scott Fowler writes that the former Celtic showed he still knew what he was doing despite 5 1/2 years away from an NBA bench.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Dec. 28, 1963, which Red Sox player was named winner of the Comeback Player of the Year award after amassing 42 home runs and 188 RBIs?

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Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will need surgery to repair a broken nose suffered in Sunday night’s contest with the Ravens, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The injury occurred in the first series when he was sacked and hit in the face by Ravens defensive end Haloti Ngata. Roethlisberger’s nose became bloody and disgustingly disfigured on the play (watch below). Roethlisberger is not expected to miss any time with the injury.