I hope they trade him. I never really followed football but since I've been in Colorado I somehow fell in with the Steelers crowd (you guys are everywhere!!) and so I've been cheering for them for 5 years now. I'm going to have a hard time cheering for the offense if that jerk is out on the field. :evil:
Read an article yesterday (Peter King, SI) that said this is the overwhelming feeling of Steelers fans ... in that same article, King felt the Steelers would keep Ben, but ... sure ain't looking that way now.
Also, this talk of trade could be a PR thing for the fans, so Steeler's management can say, "hey, we tried to trade him ... there were no takers."
Yeah, absolutely. Most of the people I watch games with grew up in Pittsburgh and looking at their Facebook posts the past few days , they all want him gone.
I just wonder if a year from now or two years from now, if any of them will still care about what he did? Laker fans love watching Kobe play and win championships...
I was born in 1974, so basically missed out on the 70's superbowl years as a fan... But suffered during the 80's & 90's seasons of Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, Neil O'Donnell, Kordell Stewart, etc... And it's nice to have a top-8 starting QB... My question to the people who want Ben gone, is "then what?" Are they going to be the people supporting the team if they go through 5 losing seasons trying to find another quality QB?
My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I just wonder if a year from now or two years from now, if any of them will still care about what he did? Laker fans love watching Kobe play and win championships...
as a lifelong laker fan, i wish he would have gone somewhere else a couple years back...i'd rather the teams i root for have integrity and lose, than forsake it to win games
I just wonder if a year from now or two years from now, if any of them will still care about what he did? Laker fans love watching Kobe play and win championships...
I was born in 1974, so basically missed out on the 70's superbowl years as a fan... But suffered during the 80's & 90's seasons of Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, Neil O'Donnell, Kordell Stewart, etc... And it's nice to have a top-8 starting QB... My question to the people who want Ben gone, is "then what?" Are they going to be the people supporting the team if they go through 5 losing seasons trying to find another quality QB?
Well they had a pretty bad year this year and they're still fans - they've been through thick and thin with this team since they were kids. They're also mostly women and I don't think they'll change their mind anytime soon, but I can't say for sure. Speaking for myself, I'd rather go through losing seasons than having this guy on the field. Then again, I don't think Ben is going to be able to stop his behavior for very long unless they keep him locked in a room, so he'll be gone eventually. I posted before, it's a sexual deviance and sexual deviants do not change.
I just wonder if a year from now or two years from now, if any of them will still care about what he did? Laker fans love watching Kobe play and win championships...
as a lifelong laker fan, i wish he would have gone somewhere else a couple years back...i'd rather the teams i root for have integrity and lose, than forsake it to win games
It's comforting to know that everytime the Lakers come in town and play the Jazz here in SLC, the crowd joins in on the "RA-PIST" chant all night long.
Oh yeah, and the "NO-MEANS-NO!" chant.
You're always welcome here Kobe, in the sense of being heckled that is.
7/2/06 - Denver, CO
6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
I just wonder if a year from now or two years from now, if any of them will still care about what he did? Laker fans love watching Kobe play and win championships...
I was born in 1974, so basically missed out on the 70's superbowl years as a fan... But suffered during the 80's & 90's seasons of Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, Neil O'Donnell, Kordell Stewart, etc... And it's nice to have a top-8 starting QB... My question to the people who want Ben gone, is "then what?" Are they going to be the people supporting the team if they go through 5 losing seasons trying to find another quality QB?
While I'm sure this isn't what you intented to say, it kind of sounds like you're suggesting that winning football games is more important than not raping women.
“The Personal Conduct Policy makes clear that I may impose discipline ‘even where the conduct does not result in conviction of a crime’ as, for example, where the conduct ‘imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person’,” Commissioner Goodell stated in his letter to Roethlisberger. “As the District Attorney concluded, the extensive investigatory record shows that you contributed to the irresponsible consumption of alcohol by purchasing (or facilitating the purchase of) alcoholic beverages for underage college students, at least some of whom were likely already intoxicated. There is no question that the excessive consumption of alcohol that evening put the students and yourself at risk. The Personal Conduct Policy also states that discipline is appropriate for conduct that ‘undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players.’ By any measure, your conduct satisfies that standard.”
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
“The Personal Conduct Policy makes clear that I may impose discipline ‘even where the conduct does not result in conviction of a crime’ as, for example, where the conduct ‘imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person’,” Commissioner Goodell stated in his letter to Roethlisberger. “As the District Attorney concluded, the extensive investigatory record shows that you contributed to the irresponsible consumption of alcohol by purchasing (or facilitating the purchase of) alcoholic beverages for underage college students, at least some of whom were likely already intoxicated. There is no question that the excessive consumption of alcohol that evening put the students and yourself at risk. The Personal Conduct Policy also states that discipline is appropriate for conduct that ‘undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players.’ By any measure, your conduct satisfies that standard.”
Amen
"The dude abides. I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' her easy for all us sinners."
i dont like ben but if thats the product we put on the field then that is the product i cheer for in the football game. i, and most pittsburghers, who already know anything about ben have not liked the person for a few seasons now.
but steeler fan is steeler fan and we are the best fans in the league in supporting our team and we are the best team in the league in winning and supporting our city
Also, this talk of trade could be a PR thing for the fans, so Steeler's management can say, "hey, we tried to trade him ... there were no takers."
and this notion is a joke, this isnt how the steeler office operates. they shoot straight and dont bullshit. if they wanna keep ben they will make no excuses about it and no steeler fan will need one
ABIDE BY THE ROONEYS!!!
and fuck me if I say somethin you dont wanna hear, fuck me!
and fuck me if you only hear what you wanna hear
fuck me...if I care...but im not leavin here
Roethlisberger should have to donate a portion of his salary to rape crisis and battered women's shelters. He should have to speak to young kids about the fact that "No means no." He should, in other words, have to do everything that Michael Vick has had to do to make amends. Yes, Vick was convicted and Roethlisberger wasn't. But if Vick's entourage had lawyered up instead of turning state's evidence against him, it might have been a different story. Roethlisberger went out on the town not with his normal entourage but with off-duty cops: people who know the value of silence. He had a game plan. Goodell had better send a strong message that whatever Roethlisberger was trying to do that night, it's not a game.
I just wonder if a year from now or two years from now, if any of them will still care about what he did? Laker fans love watching Kobe play and win championships...
as a lifelong laker fan, i wish he would have gone somewhere else a couple years back...i'd rather the teams i root for have integrity and lose, than forsake it to win games
Kobe is not the first womanizing Laker I remember this guy called Magic and another called Kareem. Glad the Lakers showed thier integrity with these two.
I can't imagine the Steelers being able to make a draft day trade. What team would take Ben not only with this baggage but also a 6 game suspension to serve?
Put emotions aside and stop Roethlisberger trade talk
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
I wanted so badly to hear Steelers president Art Rooney II put an end to all of the troubling speculation Wednesday.
"We are not looking to trade Ben Roethlisberger. He is our quarterback now and will be our quarterback in the future. We won two Super Bowls with him. We plan on winning more with him."
Instead, I got this from him:
"We can't answer questions about trades."
Please tell me the Steelers aren't looking to move Roethlisberger.
Let me clarify that point.
Unless the Steelers know something deep, dark and dirty about Roethlisberger that goes beyond his problems in Georgia or unless they are convinced he is incorrigible as a human being and will embarrass the organization again with his abhorrent behavior, they would be crazy to trade him.
The Steelers are in the business of winning games, just like any other professional sports team. Roethlisberger, as a franchise quarterback, gives them their best chance. You want to get rid of him? That's easy to say in April. Get back to me in December when the Steelers are 4-10. Get back to me in December 2011, when they are 5-9. Get back to me after they have gone years and years searching for that next great quarterback who can win for them.
Spare me the argument that you would rather the Steelers lose than keep Roethlisberger. I won't tell you that you aren't entitled to your feelings. I'll just say that I believe you are in the minority. The majority of fans want to see their team win with good guys. If they can't have that, they'll settle for their team winning.
Rooney II has to get that.
He has to know that time, a few terrific performances by Roethlisberger next season and a lot of Steelers' victories will ease the public's perception of the quarterback and his team.
Don't underestimate the importance of time.
The wounds Roethlisberger has caused are still fresh and oozing. We just learned April 12 that he wasn't going to be charged in the Georgia sexual assault. We just learned Wednesday that he must serve a conditional six-game suspension handed down by the NFL.
It's an emotional time.
Certainly, it isn't the time for the Steelers to make a decision that could have an impact on their franchise for years.
I'm suggesting the situation might seem a little different in September.
A little less dire.
That isn't to condone Roethlisberger's actions in Georgia. Far from it. A 28-year-old man hanging out at a college bar at 2 a.m.? Buying shots of alcohol for underage patrons? Ending up in a dingy bathroom with an intoxicated 20-year-old girl?
If stupid, immature behavior were against the law, they could lock Roethlisberger up and throw away the key.
That's why his suspension -- presumably, it will be reduced to four games if he behaves himself -- is fair. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has every right to protect his league's brand. Roethlisberger badly tarnished it and must be punished.
But the Steelers trading him?
No.
That's not necessarily going to restore the organization's good name. It might be a little too late for that because of the beating that good name has taken the past few years. The organization that says it's "above and beyond" its NFL peers when it comes to player conduct -- coach Mike Tomlin's assessment last month -- put its franchise tag on kicker Jeff Reed after he had two off-the-field incidents in eight months. It gave linebacker James Harrison a six-year, $51,175,000 contract after he was involved in a domestic-abuse incident. It didn't trade wide receiver Santonio Holmes until after he had his fourth episode involving police intervention, made a series of offensive tweets on Twitter and was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse program.
Trading Roethlisberger isn't going to restore the Steelers' image.
They've proved they are no different than any other team that wants to win.
All trading Roethlisberger would do is weaken the Steelers from a competitive standpoint.
Where is the good in that?
It's not as if Roethlisberger can't be rehabilitated. People love a comeback story, don't they? It's nice to think this suspension will force him to grow up in a hurry. If he can't see that he must change his ways when he looks in his mirror, he should be able to see it when he looks at the faces of his teammates. How can he look any of those guys in the eye? When they play their first four regular-season games, he won't be there with them. He won't be there for them. They must try to get by with Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch at quarterback.
It's hard to imagine a worse feeling for any athlete than the feeling he has let his buddies down.
If that doesn't scare Roethlisberger straight, nothing will.
Here's hoping the Steelers give him one more chance to prove himself.
i just on the local sports radio station that they have a deal in place to send him to oakland for Russell and the Raiders 1st roudn pick this year and possible the 2nd round pick next year.
i just on the local sports radio station that they have a deal in place to send him to oakland for Russell and the Raiders 1st roudn pick this year and possible the 2nd round pick next year.
NO Team is dumb enough to take on Russell. At least I hope not.
...got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul...
It was pretty funny listening to Terry Bradshaw in person two days ago bagging on Ben. Not a lot of love between those two... which is probably best for the Blond Bomber lest he unwittingly wind up in a locked bathroom with the youngster.
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Wow, inmytree... the article you posted makes me ashamed to be part of this culture. I wish its writer would get raped by this guy, and then I'd like to see if he feels the same way.
Wow, inmytree... the article you posted makes me ashamed to be part of this culture. I wish its writer would get raped by this guy, and then I'd like to see if he feels the same way.
I would agree with you if Roethisberger were convicted by a court of law...
the court of public opinion seems to have different rules...
Wow, inmytree... the article you posted makes me ashamed to be part of this culture. I wish its writer would get raped by this guy, and then I'd like to see if he feels the same way.
I would agree with you if Roethisberger were convicted by a court of law...
the court of public opinion seems to have different rules...
And you think the law equally applies to the mega-rich super star hanging with the cops on the night in question? You don't think some folks get away with bloody murder? Public opinion isn't always right, but neither are convictions, or the lack thereof...
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Wow, inmytree... the article you posted makes me ashamed to be part of this culture. I wish its writer would get raped by this guy, and then I'd like to see if he feels the same way.
I would agree with you if Roethisberger were convicted by a court of law...
the court of public opinion seems to have different rules...
and too, the article was about the steelers trading him... what does that do besides make him move? it's not like trading him (and his $100 million contract) is any sort of punishment for him.
My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Wow, inmytree... the article you posted makes me ashamed to be part of this culture. I wish its writer would get raped by this guy, and then I'd like to see if he feels the same way.
I would agree with you if Roethisberger were convicted by a court of law...
the court of public opinion seems to have different rules...
when you stopped reading the Zirin article, which I think was spot on given that a year before in Georgia a young black male who was 17 is in jail after having been tried as an adult for having consensual sex with a 14 year old girl, you missed the part where he read both police reports from Tahoe and Georgia. They had the same exact story...Ben parties with his boys, tells them to not hang out that night and goes out with cops. Then he buys the girl drinks and has his cop friends bar the door while he has at them in the bar bathroom. Thus, the girl in Georgia either "read the Tahoe report on the off chance that Big Ben would find himself in the middle of nowhere Georgia", or Ben is a total creep. Given that evidence, which admittedly didn't fly in Georgia because the doctor decided not to say that it was rape despite another doctor suggesting that his diagnosis was stupid, the bar tapes "disappeared", and the lead investigating cop (who was later fired) was reported to have said that the girl should "have considered herself lucky to have sex with Ben", the court of public opinion may have a better handle on the situation than the moronic "justice" system in Georgia.
As for trading Big Ben, as Herm Edwards said today he's obviously got a major problem and he needs help. Football should be the farthest thing from his mind right now, and where he plays shouldn't be a concern of the fans. Trade or not, in lieu of a deserved jail sentence he needs to take care of his issues. Given this pattern, and evidence that these aren't the only two times he's done this, maybe there is something actually wrong with him that trading isn't going to help. Most rapists don't just become that way through a "normal" childhood, and, if he has these issues (which is an IF) then having his football "family" jettison him is only going to exacerbate those problems. And no I am not sticking up for him, it just seems like he needs some sort of guidance right now since he's not getting the justice he deserves.
...you missed the part where he read both police reports from Tahoe and Georgia. They had the same exact story...Ben parties with his boys, tells them to not hang out that night and goes out with cops. Then he buys the girl drinks and has his cop friends bar the door while he has at them in the bar bathroom.
In the article he made reference to the Tahoe case being similar, but besides alleged sexual assaults they are not even close to the "exact same story". I guess if you substitute 20 year old drunk college girl in a bar bathroom, with a 30 year old, sober, hotel concierge who he invited to his room that night, who bragged to her friends the next day about sleeping with him and wanted to travel to pittsburgh later that summer to see him, then I guess they are the exact same story.
I'm not saying Ben isn't an entitled-feeling scumbag who apparently takes advantage of women, but this writer seems to be going out of his way just to pull the race card and sexism card.
My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Wow, inmytree... the article you posted makes me ashamed to be part of this culture. I wish its writer would get raped by this guy, and then I'd like to see if he feels the same way.
I would agree with you if Roethisberger were convicted by a court of law...
the court of public opinion seems to have different rules...
Yeah, you have a point. But I got the impression that the author believes he did it and just thinks it's irrelevant.
Wow, inmytree... the article you posted makes me ashamed to be part of this culture. I wish its writer would get raped by this guy, and then I'd like to see if he feels the same way.
I would agree with you if Roethisberger were convicted by a court of law...
the court of public opinion seems to have different rules...
and too, the article was about the steelers trading him... what does that do besides make him move? it's not like trading him (and his $100 million contract) is any sort of punishment for him.
At least it sends a message to him and to the fans that they don't want to support someone like him. Even if someone else is going to support him anyway, it doesn't mean they have to do it.
As for trading Big Ben, as Herm Edwards said today he's obviously got a major problem and he needs help. Football should be the farthest thing from his mind right now, and where he plays shouldn't be a concern of the fans. Trade or not, in lieu of a deserved jail sentence he needs to take care of his issues. Given this pattern, and evidence that these aren't the only two times he's done this, maybe there is something actually wrong with him that trading isn't going to help. Most rapists don't just become that way through a "normal" childhood, and, if he has these issues (which is an IF) then having his football "family" jettison him is only going to exacerbate those problems. And no I am not sticking up for him, it just seems like he needs some sort of guidance right now since he's not getting the justice he deserves.
I would suggest that his "problem" likely stems, in whole or at least in part, from the fact that he can do these things not only with no real consequences, but with the knowledge that he will still be treated like some kind of king. He'll still be rich and famous just because he can play football, he'll still have people kissing his ass everywhere he goes, and even cops will say women are lucky to have been raped by him. Why would he even think he's doing anything wrong if the ultimate message he's receiving is that he's not?
I'm not saying Ben isn't an entitled-feeling scumbag who apparently takes advantage of women, but this writer seems to be going out of his way just to pull the race card and sexism card.
Admittedly, I didn't read the article. But how is getting away with raping women - or even getting away with feeling entitled to take advantage of women - anything but sexist?
I'm not saying Ben isn't an entitled-feeling scumbag who apparently takes advantage of women, but this writer seems to be going out of his way just to pull the race card and sexism card.
Admittedly, I didn't read the article. But how is getting away with raping women - or even getting away with feeling entitled to take advantage of women - anything but sexist?
*in my best Elvis voice - "I like you, scb, always have, always will."
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If the Raiders had half a brain they'd trade for him tonight. He's disgraced in Pittsburgh. Raiders fans won't care about the past so long as he could play. They haven't had a winning season since like 2002. Sure it will look ugly now when you trade for a rapist-loser who has to serve a 6 game suspension....but 3 years from now, the Raiders may have a shot with him.
Comments
I just wonder if a year from now or two years from now, if any of them will still care about what he did? Laker fans love watching Kobe play and win championships...
I was born in 1974, so basically missed out on the 70's superbowl years as a fan... But suffered during the 80's & 90's seasons of Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, Neil O'Donnell, Kordell Stewart, etc... And it's nice to have a top-8 starting QB... My question to the people who want Ben gone, is "then what?" Are they going to be the people supporting the team if they go through 5 losing seasons trying to find another quality QB?
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
as a lifelong laker fan, i wish he would have gone somewhere else a couple years back...i'd rather the teams i root for have integrity and lose, than forsake it to win games
Well they had a pretty bad year this year and they're still fans - they've been through thick and thin with this team since they were kids. They're also mostly women and I don't think they'll change their mind anytime soon, but I can't say for sure. Speaking for myself, I'd rather go through losing seasons than having this guy on the field. Then again, I don't think Ben is going to be able to stop his behavior for very long unless they keep him locked in a room, so he'll be gone eventually. I posted before, it's a sexual deviance and sexual deviants do not change.
Oh yeah, and the "NO-MEANS-NO!" chant.
You're always welcome here Kobe, in the sense of being heckled that is.
6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
While I'm sure this isn't what you intented to say, it kind of sounds like you're suggesting that winning football games is more important than not raping women.
“The Personal Conduct Policy makes clear that I may impose discipline ‘even where the conduct does not result in conviction of a crime’ as, for example, where the conduct ‘imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person’,” Commissioner Goodell stated in his letter to Roethlisberger. “As the District Attorney concluded, the extensive investigatory record shows that you contributed to the irresponsible consumption of alcohol by purchasing (or facilitating the purchase of) alcoholic beverages for underage college students, at least some of whom were likely already intoxicated. There is no question that the excessive consumption of alcohol that evening put the students and yourself at risk. The Personal Conduct Policy also states that discipline is appropriate for conduct that ‘undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players.’ By any measure, your conduct satisfies that standard.”
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Amen
i dont like ben but if thats the product we put on the field then that is the product i cheer for in the football game. i, and most pittsburghers, who already know anything about ben have not liked the person for a few seasons now.
but steeler fan is steeler fan and we are the best fans in the league in supporting our team and we are the best team in the league in winning and supporting our city
and this notion is a joke, this isnt how the steeler office operates. they shoot straight and dont bullshit. if they wanna keep ben they will make no excuses about it and no steeler fan will need one
ABIDE BY THE ROONEYS!!!
and fuck me if you only hear what you wanna hear
fuck me...if I care...but im not leavin here
http://www.edgeofsports.com/2010-04-20-519/index.html
Roethlisberger should have to donate a portion of his salary to rape crisis and battered women's shelters. He should have to speak to young kids about the fact that "No means no." He should, in other words, have to do everything that Michael Vick has had to do to make amends. Yes, Vick was convicted and Roethlisberger wasn't. But if Vick's entourage had lawyered up instead of turning state's evidence against him, it might have been a different story. Roethlisberger went out on the town not with his normal entourage but with off-duty cops: people who know the value of silence. He had a game plan. Goodell had better send a strong message that whatever Roethlisberger was trying to do that night, it's not a game.
I stop reading after the "if he were black" comment...
here's a better read...
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10112/1052429-66.stm
Put emotions aside and stop Roethlisberger trade talk
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
I wanted so badly to hear Steelers president Art Rooney II put an end to all of the troubling speculation Wednesday.
"We are not looking to trade Ben Roethlisberger. He is our quarterback now and will be our quarterback in the future. We won two Super Bowls with him. We plan on winning more with him."
Instead, I got this from him:
"We can't answer questions about trades."
Please tell me the Steelers aren't looking to move Roethlisberger.
Let me clarify that point.
Unless the Steelers know something deep, dark and dirty about Roethlisberger that goes beyond his problems in Georgia or unless they are convinced he is incorrigible as a human being and will embarrass the organization again with his abhorrent behavior, they would be crazy to trade him.
The Steelers are in the business of winning games, just like any other professional sports team. Roethlisberger, as a franchise quarterback, gives them their best chance. You want to get rid of him? That's easy to say in April. Get back to me in December when the Steelers are 4-10. Get back to me in December 2011, when they are 5-9. Get back to me after they have gone years and years searching for that next great quarterback who can win for them.
Spare me the argument that you would rather the Steelers lose than keep Roethlisberger. I won't tell you that you aren't entitled to your feelings. I'll just say that I believe you are in the minority. The majority of fans want to see their team win with good guys. If they can't have that, they'll settle for their team winning.
Rooney II has to get that.
He has to know that time, a few terrific performances by Roethlisberger next season and a lot of Steelers' victories will ease the public's perception of the quarterback and his team.
Don't underestimate the importance of time.
The wounds Roethlisberger has caused are still fresh and oozing. We just learned April 12 that he wasn't going to be charged in the Georgia sexual assault. We just learned Wednesday that he must serve a conditional six-game suspension handed down by the NFL.
It's an emotional time.
Certainly, it isn't the time for the Steelers to make a decision that could have an impact on their franchise for years.
I'm suggesting the situation might seem a little different in September.
A little less dire.
That isn't to condone Roethlisberger's actions in Georgia. Far from it. A 28-year-old man hanging out at a college bar at 2 a.m.? Buying shots of alcohol for underage patrons? Ending up in a dingy bathroom with an intoxicated 20-year-old girl?
If stupid, immature behavior were against the law, they could lock Roethlisberger up and throw away the key.
That's why his suspension -- presumably, it will be reduced to four games if he behaves himself -- is fair. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has every right to protect his league's brand. Roethlisberger badly tarnished it and must be punished.
But the Steelers trading him?
No.
That's not necessarily going to restore the organization's good name. It might be a little too late for that because of the beating that good name has taken the past few years. The organization that says it's "above and beyond" its NFL peers when it comes to player conduct -- coach Mike Tomlin's assessment last month -- put its franchise tag on kicker Jeff Reed after he had two off-the-field incidents in eight months. It gave linebacker James Harrison a six-year, $51,175,000 contract after he was involved in a domestic-abuse incident. It didn't trade wide receiver Santonio Holmes until after he had his fourth episode involving police intervention, made a series of offensive tweets on Twitter and was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse program.
Trading Roethlisberger isn't going to restore the Steelers' image.
They've proved they are no different than any other team that wants to win.
All trading Roethlisberger would do is weaken the Steelers from a competitive standpoint.
Where is the good in that?
It's not as if Roethlisberger can't be rehabilitated. People love a comeback story, don't they? It's nice to think this suspension will force him to grow up in a hurry. If he can't see that he must change his ways when he looks in his mirror, he should be able to see it when he looks at the faces of his teammates. How can he look any of those guys in the eye? When they play their first four regular-season games, he won't be there with them. He won't be there for them. They must try to get by with Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch at quarterback.
It's hard to imagine a worse feeling for any athlete than the feeling he has let his buddies down.
If that doesn't scare Roethlisberger straight, nothing will.
Here's hoping the Steelers give him one more chance to prove himself.
Here's hoping they don't trade him.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10112/10 ... z0lqQPe1QD
Time to cut ties with Big Ben, no matter what
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/36705265/ns/sports-nfl/
NO Team is dumb enough to take on Russell. At least I hope not.
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I would agree with you if Roethisberger were convicted by a court of law...
the court of public opinion seems to have different rules...
And you think the law equally applies to the mega-rich super star hanging with the cops on the night in question? You don't think some folks get away with bloody murder? Public opinion isn't always right, but neither are convictions, or the lack thereof...
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and too, the article was about the steelers trading him... what does that do besides make him move? it's not like trading him (and his $100 million contract) is any sort of punishment for him.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
As for trading Big Ben, as Herm Edwards said today he's obviously got a major problem and he needs help. Football should be the farthest thing from his mind right now, and where he plays shouldn't be a concern of the fans. Trade or not, in lieu of a deserved jail sentence he needs to take care of his issues. Given this pattern, and evidence that these aren't the only two times he's done this, maybe there is something actually wrong with him that trading isn't going to help. Most rapists don't just become that way through a "normal" childhood, and, if he has these issues (which is an IF) then having his football "family" jettison him is only going to exacerbate those problems. And no I am not sticking up for him, it just seems like he needs some sort of guidance right now since he's not getting the justice he deserves.
In the article he made reference to the Tahoe case being similar, but besides alleged sexual assaults they are not even close to the "exact same story". I guess if you substitute 20 year old drunk college girl in a bar bathroom, with a 30 year old, sober, hotel concierge who he invited to his room that night, who bragged to her friends the next day about sleeping with him and wanted to travel to pittsburgh later that summer to see him, then I guess they are the exact same story.
I'm not saying Ben isn't an entitled-feeling scumbag who apparently takes advantage of women, but this writer seems to be going out of his way just to pull the race card and sexism card.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Yeah, you have a point. But I got the impression that the author believes he did it and just thinks it's irrelevant.
At least it sends a message to him and to the fans that they don't want to support someone like him. Even if someone else is going to support him anyway, it doesn't mean they have to do it.
I would suggest that his "problem" likely stems, in whole or at least in part, from the fact that he can do these things not only with no real consequences, but with the knowledge that he will still be treated like some kind of king. He'll still be rich and famous just because he can play football, he'll still have people kissing his ass everywhere he goes, and even cops will say women are lucky to have been raped by him. Why would he even think he's doing anything wrong if the ultimate message he's receiving is that he's not?
Admittedly, I didn't read the article. But how is getting away with raping women - or even getting away with feeling entitled to take advantage of women - anything but sexist?
*in my best Elvis voice - "I like you, scb, always have, always will."
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