STEELER UPDATE: OBAMA MAKES IT OFFICIAL

--As I alluded to earlier, it's now official: Barack Obama chose Dan Rooney as the new U.S. ambassador to Ireland. Nice timing, on St. Patrick's Day and all.Rooney was a lifelong Republican, but has shown unwavering support for Obama for quite some time, so the announcement was nothing more than a formality. It's been hinted at for weeks.Rooney's Irish roots go deep, as he helped found the American Ireland Fund, an organization that has raised millions for advocacy of peace and education in Ireland. He's always been a great ambassador of the city of Pittsburgh, and he's been an influential and diplomatic owner in a room full of NFL billionaires for decades. This is just the natural evolution to the next level. [SI]--So much for Trai Essex joining Nate Washington in Tennessee. The Steelers put the kibosh on that by signing the o-lineman to a two-year deal on Tuesday. Essex received a signing bonus of $500,000 and will earn salaries of $620,000 and $800,000 ove...