One last question to ponder as we turn the page to 2010: Who was the Athlete of the Decade in Pittsburgh sports?

Plenty of names come to mind, with Steeler players Ben Roethlisberger, Jerome Bettis and Troy Polamalu heading the list.

However, the rightful selection is Hines Ward.

A starting receiver during the entire decade, he won a Super Bowl MVP award, earned the reputation as the NFL's most devastating blocker at his position and upended the Steelers record book.

Ward broke John Stallworth's all-time receiving record with his 538th career catch in 2005. He now has 887 catches for 10,886 yards and 78 touchdowns — all team records with nobody running a close second.

Ward also set the Steelers' single-season record of 112 catches and 12 touchdowns receiving in 2002. He was a Pro Bowl selection for four consecutive years.

He had 95 catches for 1,167 yards and six touchdowns this season.

For consistent production and on-field success, Ward deserves to be king of the mountain in Pittsburgh sports for the decade past.

Here are a few other selections:

Pirate of the Decade: Jack Wilson — With all due respect to Brian Giles, Freddy Sanchez and Jason Bay, Wilson was here from 2001-09 and was a classy, steady player for a sagging franchise.In 2004, Wilson became the ninth shortstop in National League history to collect 200 hits in a season. He led the NL with 12 triples and hit .308 that year as well.His career batting average is a respectable .268 and his defensive play at shortstop was memorable.

Penguin of the Decade: Sidney Crosby — There really is no other choice.The Pens were the league's doormat when they selected Crosby No. 1 overall in the 2005 NHL Draft and Sid the Kid hasn't disappointed.He broke Mario Lemieux's club rookie scoring record by netting 102 points, then became the only teenager in North American sports history to capture a league scoring title when he tallied 120 points in his second season.Crosby became the youngest captain to win a Stanley Cup last season, completing the Penguins' rags to riches story.

Pitt Basketball: Brandin Knight — The versatile guard was instrumental in the rise of the Panthers basketball program. He scored 1,440 points and set school records of 785 assists and 298 steals.Pitt retired Knight's No. 20 in 2009.

Pitt Football: Larry Fitzgerald — The third overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft, Fitzgerald caught 161 passes for 2,677 yards in 26 games at Pitt. He owns Panthers records of 34 receiving touchdowns and 14 100-yard receiving games.

Coach of the Decade: Bill Cowher — The man won a Super Bowl and led the Steelers to AFC Championship Game appearances in 2001, 2004 and 2005. Seven Cowher assistants — Dom Capers, Chan Gailey, Jim Haslett, Mike Mularkey, Ken Whisenhunt, Dick LeBeau and Marvin Lewis — went on to become NFL head coaches.Consistency counts.