Though they remain one of the top organizations in all of sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers display from time to time a trait common to every level of every form of athletics.
When great players do something wrong, excuses get made. When it’s a guy who doesn’t add much to the bottom line, he gets a shoe in the hind quarters.
The best example? Linebacker James Harrison and receiver Cedrick Wilson both engaged in alleged domestic violence. An excuse was made for Harrison; a path out of the building was made for Wilson.
More recently, the Steelers have looked the other way in the face of two off-field incidents by kicker Jeff Reed, whose reward for beating up a paper towel machine and being drunk in public (allegedly) was the franchise tag and the top-five guaranteed salary that goes along with it.
As to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, it’s still not clear whether the player will get a pass, or a swift kick in the ass.
If it were his first incident, the Steelers surely would be circling the wagons. But this is the third time in less than four years that Roethlisberger finds himself in an avoidable jam. And the Steelers are getting sick of it.
Commissioner Roger Goodell’s remarks from Monday made it clear that the league is taking the situation seriously. On Tuesday, coach Mike Tomlin seemed to suggest that Ben could be dangerously close to the Cedrick Wilson category.
“I think it’s well known that we’re very, very conscious about how we do
business,” Tomlin told reporters in Orlando, per James Walker of ESPN.com. “We have a very high
concern about our image and how we conduct ourselves that I think is
above and beyond our peers, and we embrace that.”
They embrace it when the player is expendable. They ignore it when he isn’t. The mere fact that the Steelers aren’t blindly touting phrases like “presumption of innocence” and pushing to the media talking points that trumpet Ben’s virtues at a time when the fans are writing him off tells us that the Steelers don’t currently regard Roethsliberger as a player who is absolutely necessary to the short- and long-term interests of the team.
Innocent or guilty, charged or uncharged, it tells us that Roethlisberger likely will be the former quarterback of the Steelers far sooner than anyone ever would have imagined.
This sounds like a long, well written user comment by BlueEyesDevil…
This site sucks, this isn’t news…
Is there a “Last word on the Roethlisberger issue” article in the near future?
oh man, steelers fans are going to have a fit over this. can’t wait to hear the excuses for harrison vs. wilson situations
So I realize that this is probably an unpopular view (and I’m not a Steelers fan by any stretch of the imagination). Why is it more likely that he did coerce this woman than the woman understands that the accusation is enough to further tarnish a reputation that is already under assault from another woman who’s credibility is also in question. I will completely agree that getting into the situation he was in is beyond stupid, but I am not willing to believe that he forced himself on this woman simply because she said he did.
I could have sworn that, here in the good ole US of A, you are innocent until proven guilty.
They say its not good to drink alone, but then they criticize you for being drunk in public. Make up your mind already.
Jeff Reed for beating up a paper towel machine
–
not a good analogy
that peaceful and completely innocent towel machine was not attempting to extort and sue rothliesberger
Yeah Right! The only way this happens is if Dennis Dixon has a tremendous year and Ben is found guilty.
I’m confused. After all the comments from the Steelers cronies I thought he didn’t do anything and will be behind center for Game#1???
He’s maybe in the top half of the league in terms of starting QBs, but he’s not a top 10 guy. If he’s trouble, let him go. He’s replaceable.
He’s a walking Will Ferrell frat-douche movie. Can’t wait for the “Dear Baby Jesus, Please forgive me…” press conference.
Yeah I guess it didn’t really matter that Cedrick Wilson slapped his girl in the middle of a crowded restaurant & Harrison allegedly broke his girls phone at their house…
Florio, this one is easy.
Cedrick Wilson was making too much money and was going to get cut anyway. He sucked. He didn’t get released for his legal troubles, no matter what the Rooney’s say.
They’ll keep him around. He represents the citizens of that town perfectly.
I do not like BR’s personality and never have and I am not a Steelers fan…but I think that the Steelers’ stance is more based on the fact that it is bad judgment #3, AND perhaps there is more substance to this one than the civil suit that makes them more cautious verbally. Oh and that 102 million with whatever guaranteed they have sunk into him has to factor in also.
When this incident first came out, you were saying how Steelers fans were apologists, Florio. Many of us Steelers fans were saying that that wasn’t the vibe with us or the organization with this incident. Glad to see you finally caught on.
You can be sure that if the Steelers let him go, there will be about 25 teams after him.
Big Ben is a top ten QB and helped them win 2 rings. No way in heck the Steelers will dump him. Their bark is worse than their bite.
i am a ravens fan,and even i gotta say,nothing has happened[proff-wise] for me to think he wont be the qb of the steelers this season and many more to come,allegations are waaaaay different than proof,i can make up an allegation that something crazy happened to me by a football player that i was in the same room and without proof it means nothing..kinds of things like these need to have time for the actual courts to make rulings and not the court of public opinion,right now couldnt anybody make claim against ben and the media would run with it first and then,maybe then would look up to see if it is true,,wait till there is proof
Its not only the steelers……there is a star system for every team………
So let me get this straight…you went a whole 3 1/2 hours between BR posts that just amounts to respewing the previous post.
Good Lord, you suck.
I want to see a preseason exhibition game in which Ben lines up with 10 college-age women, and Vick lines up opposite with 10 pitbulls, and let them all go at it. Sports!
We all know Big Ben’s picture is next to the word douche bag in the dictionary. He is young, dumb, cocky, has two Super Bowl rings (although he did everything in his power to try and lose the first one he played in) and has an unlimited supply of money so of course he is going to live like he is untouchable. Most “normal” people would have learned a valuable life lesson after almost killing themselves on a motorcycle or being accused of sexual assault the first time but not Rocks For Brains. It is quite obvious that the man has no common sense or just doesn’t give a damn.
And I find it quite funny that the Steelers care about their “image” so much. Caring about your image is covering the problem with a band-aid. How about trying to help Ben and figure out why he is like he is instead of acting like “hey, as long as none of our players are in the news for negative reasons and we look like a model organization then everything is fine.”
i almost feel bad for steeler fans…
then i remember how obnoxious they were when they were in our stadium, and i don’t feel so sorry anymore
It’s been 3 weeks now, and the complete lack of corroborating evidence/testimony to support the accuser’s claims is disturbing.
Where are all the witnesses? With TMZ all over this situation, they surely would have found someone willing to say on the record (offer a little $$) that they were there that night, and saw the accuser crying hysterically right after she exited the bathroom.
Where are these people? crickets. crickets.
The longer this goes on without any new info released, the stench of yet another false accusation is getting worse and worse.
Meanwhile, what we know for sure about the accuser leads a reasonable person to conclude that she was a very willing participant in whatever may have occurred. The fact is she LIED to obtain a fake id so that she could get an over 21 bracelet, to be served at that bar. Numerous witnesses have reported that she was VERY drunk that night, after consuming many drinks. The fact is she attends a 3rd rate college in a podunk town that has rampant unemployment and very low income levels. This creates a HUGE incentive for her to falsely claim sexual assault, in hopes of winning the jackpot with a big payoff.
So shes (1) a liar (2) a drunk, possibly an alcoholic (3) has huge economic incentive to lie How much credibility does she deserve?
He is guilty as hell. Goodell needs to stop avoiding the inevitable. SUSPEND HIS ASS INDEFINITELY. He’s a serial rapist and the Squeeler fans know it.
Pure speculation. What 3 cases are you referring to anyway? The one with the bike..he was doing radio shows.. promoting the Steelers when a woman(probably reba) left her lane and hit him.. how is that an issue??? Neither of these 2 accusatations have any merit to them either,at least ONE we know for sure.
Stop saying the fans are writing him off.. Only the retarded ones are.. the rest of us are awaiting some evidence.
Must be a boring day,you have to now draw up some new avenues to explore.
by the way.. Most of the charges against Reed were found unwarranted too and dropped
I’m not sure I’d equate Reed’s indiscretions to those of Roethlisberger. Reed didn’t hurt anyone but himself. But your comparison to Wilson and Harrison is spot on.
Let’s see, let’s keep attacking Ben Roethlisberger over and over because:
1. He was in a motorcycle accident riding without a helmet;
2. A floozy who tried to extort money out of him (and she also was fired and she was also lambasted by many of her fellow ex-employees who questioned everything she said about anything) in Vegas;
3. Another girl who was with him that night is now trying to extort money out of him.;
Ben has never been guilty, he has never admitted any guilt, nobody but the people who want the gold have accused him of anything, nobody has seen him do anything but the people who want the gold, etc. He has not broken any laws that anyone can see, no drugs, no DUI’s, no prostitution, no stealing, no affairs with married women (that we know of), no anything but bad judgment. Even her own sorority sisters were questioning the validity of her accusations, but hey, whatever sells newspapers or internet site hits, right? Ben is arrogant, Ben has poor judgment, Ben should grow up. All true.
All the Steelers named in this article were charged and arrested for various offenses.
All except Roethlisberger.
He hasn’t been charged OR arrested.
Ever.
For anything.
Tell me ,, “Would you want the FACE of your Franchise to be a guy who continually gets accused of Sexual Misconduct and Irresponsible acts to woman,” Seriously there has to be some point even if hes found not guilty you have to know He did it. This is the kind of trouble we do not need.
That’s the problem with american …we want everything easy and simple, thus the reason we generalize. With that being said, all of these are individual cases and cannot be compared to each other. Not to mention, its quite obvious, that if he was cut, he’d immediately be picked up by another team. What type of punishment is that!?!? (Unless he’s picked up by the Raiders, lol) Also, the QB has more of an impact on a team, that any other position giving more cause for not releasing him. Furthermore, …if this is a reason, without further investigation, to release him ….who’s to say, people cant go around falsely accusing NFL players, in order to weaken a team. You’re essentially making them targets!
Florio, isn’t there anything else you could be doing? Like sweeping the floors of the office, getting coffee for your bosses or kissing the bosses asses for letting you keep your job. Good reporting reports facts not twisted preception of the facts.
Alot of times you kindof feel for players. You say, eh, I could see that happening or hell, I’ve done that before (driving drunk, etc.). But by all accounts, even before this incident, he is a perpetual dickhead. Here’s to hoping he finds himself behind bars and miserable for more than just football reasons.
Yeah Bullshit,
We are not talking about a linebacker or Wideout…We are talking about the 1 position in the NFL where there has to be greatness, every team looks for their “franchise guy” some teams find him in 1 year others 10 other never…they will not let the Big guy go unless they get an equal replacement in return..
I call BS. Ben’s not going anywhere except to another Super Bowl.
It’s easier for them to wash the lesser known players under the rug as the incidents don’t get the publicity but given the fact Roethlisberger is garnering worldwide attention from his rape a palooza it’s not something that’s going to easily go away. Steelers were fast becoming “Americas team” but Ben has pretty much destroyed that now and as long as he is there the Steelers team will have a taint surrounding them. I really don’t think the Rooney’s are going to sacrifice their image just to keep this guy on their roster if they do they will certainly be known as hypocrites and lose pretty much all respect they ever had throughout the fans and the league.
It’s alot to sacrifice for one scumbag.
Ummm…of course the Steelers took care of these guys. What team in their right mind doesn’t defend their star players? The key word throughout your diatribe is “alleged” and as far as Ced Wilson goes…did you ever stop to think that maybe they just wanted to bring in a better talent? Maybe draft a receiver by the name of Santonio Holmes or something to that affect? Judging by the amount of teams that Wilson played for after Pittsburgh let him go (which is a nice round 0 by the way) there were better receivers out there.
Concerning Reed…well there just aren’t many things that are funnier than a kicker getting sloshed and beating the guts out of a paper towel dispenser are there? I am also willing to bet that a great number of your readers have been “drunk in public” and just haven’t been formally charged. That is one the po-po’s like to use when they can’t come up with a specific offense. In the words of Ron White….”I don’t wanna be drunk in public. I wanna be drunk in a bar!”
Seriously…. what’s so difficult to understand? He’s a superstar QB with two Super Bowl wins. While we all sometimes wish we could live in world where everyone is treated equally regardless of status in life, most of us gave up that notion when we graduated kindergarten. It’s simply naive and “Pollyanish” to delude oneself into thinking otherwise. No sense suffering over it. The coin has to sides, too. They get to have their dirty laundry aired to the world and on the nightly sports report. I think most people would have some discomfort if that were the case. Doesn’t excuse the behavior or give Ben a “free pass”. But this hand-wringing over a well established double-standard is just a waste of time, and simply done to make those that report on it feel less guilty, and in a roundabout way, make themselves feel better about how intellectually superior they are to everyone else for pointing the double-standard out. Whoopti freaking do!! I’m so impressed. Ughh!
“Innocent or guilty, charged or uncharged, it tells us that Roethlisberger likely will be the former quarterback of the Steelers far sooner than anyone ever would have imagined.”
um…absolutely not
No matter what happens Ben will not be cut unless he is convicted of rape and that isn’t even being discussed. Worst case is that he gets convicted for assult and has minimal jail time and may have to sit out up to 8 games.
“Innocent or guilty, charged or uncharged, it tells us that Roethlisberger likely will be the former quarterback of the Steelers far sooner than anyone ever would have imagined.”
Bring on the Dennis Dixon era.
That being said, I don’t think it will happen. He won’t be charged or even if he is, he will pay her off. He may get 2 games from the NFL but thats the worst I see happening.
Let’s be honest, Cedric Wilson wasn’t going to be around even with out the Domestic Dispute
come on. be serious. cedric wilson’s incident happened with numerous witnesses. harrison’s was purely a he-said she-said. jeff reed’s just an idiot. never injured anyone though.
We all hope so.
Browns Fans
They only gave James Harrison a break because he’s white – right BlueEyedDevil?
Oh wait, my bad.
You mean a team cares more about a star than it does for a mediocre player? Wow…what a news flash. What will tomorrow’s story be about? That teams actually pay more for good players than they do for average ones?
LOL.. this is really getting hilarious.. I mean, we’ve been talking about this in the threads for a month now, way to bring out the obvious, Ric Romero!
Eff you all, I can’t wait till this is over so you biznitches eat crow. Bye!
He’s a white sports star. He won’t be going anywhere, no matter how many women he rapes.
I don’t understand what the confusion is with how the Steelers handle these situations. It’s not “looking the other way.”. In fact, it’s looking at the whole picture.
If you had a lambourgini with a radiator problem, would you get rid of the car? Hell no. If you had a used chevy Malibu with a radiator problem, would you get rid of it? Absolutely.
It’s a double standard if the steelers had declared that all conduct violations would be handled equally. They have never said that. No team has. But conduct issues will trigger a risk-reward / cost-benefit re-evaluation and I believe it is within the steelers rights as a business to retain players who can contribute above potential costs (James Harrison) and release players who are a bigger liability (ced Wilson). How the steelers do things is merely business. It’s what businesses in America do every day. To single the steelers out is ridiculous.
It’s about damn time – hell I could have won the Superbowls with that defense.
This Ghetto Trailer Trash Thug needs to be banned for life and he better spend more than 23 months in prison or the system is literally gone to the dogs…………
That pun is for all the dog kissing lovers out there – two birds with one stone.
Hey Mike, how can Harrison and Wilson possibly engage in something that’s alleged? Did you really mean to say “They are alleged to have engaged in domestic violence”. Are you allegedly a lawyer?
“Innocent or guilty, charged or uncharged, it tells us that Roethlisberger likely will be the former quarterback of the Steelers far sooner than anyone ever would have imagined.”
Let’s not get carried away here, Florio. You’ve really been fanning the flames with this story over the last week I think…
Yeah, there’s a double standard here alright. And that’s YOU Florio, for wanting to lump people who have been charged and/or arrested in with those who have not.
Give it up Florio, you’re never gonna get Jerry Springer’s job no matter how hard you try.
No way he gets the boot. No way.
I doubt it. They may rattle their sabres and wag their fingers in his face, possibly even suspend him for a game or two, but in the long run he will be the QB in Pburgh for a long time to come- unless he is charged and convicted.
NFL teams are not in the habit of cutting off their noses to spite their face (well, maybe a couple) and the Steelers consider themselves a playoff team. With no suitable option at this point, they will use the excuse that he was never charged, make a public show of disciplining him, and move on.
Like I said, unless he is charged, then it’s a whole different ball game.
Wilson and Harrisons issues were not nearly the same. you are comparing apples to oranges. Cedric was on a string of bad situations and violence with that woman. Harrison got into a fight (and was very wrong in his actions) over a very emotional issue with his kids. Santonio was very important and was sat down with no charges. The Steelers, like everyone else takes things situation by situation.
I’m just here to watch.
I agree there are a couple cases where a double standard was in play. However, the Roethlisberger case has officially become an unhealthy obsession of yours Florio.
You are reading WAY too much into what is being said.
The Steelers are simply letting things play out without taking a stand either way until the police finish their investigation. What good is it to prejudge? None of us were there. If he’s charged he’ll be suspended, if he’s convicted he’ll be locked up.
Everything will take care of itself. RELAX ALREADY!
Also, Ben is clearly one of the most important parts of the team. Yet you say if they come down on him hard it is not because they are showing they discipline stars as well as scrubs, but that he is really a scrub. Are you freaking kidding me. That is the worst logic ever.
Good obbservations. One way or another, I thought that Ben R. would not be the Steelers’ quarterback for long–either through legal actions, league actions, or his own actions–but I missed the subtle signals that you noticed, i.e., what the team is not saying. It’s a shame in more ways than one–like a powerful BMW being driven by a drunk.
Let the Dixon era begin!
Tomlin is blowing smoke. The Steelers will make an excuse to keep him.
This knucklehead will most likely be cut by the Steelers when he is charged. But the sad thing is, there will always be someone like Al Davis to pick him up by the bootstraps and give him an even bigger contract than he got in Pittsburgh.
even if he ple bargains his way out of court.. hell still be there starting qb.
what are they going to do, cut him????
yeah right… just to have some other team “take a chance on him”.. so he can “try to regain the image he had before”
they are not going to cut their 2 time sb winning young qb…
i wonder how this would be if he was black… (dont worry, im a redneck white republican) …it just goes to show in any business.. not just the nfl.. producers get perks…. its not sunday school.. its a job… and they are allowed to have favorites
Florio, you know what they say about asssumptions, right?
Oh geez, however will Ben Rapistburger survive? He might have to sell off one of those houses he owns near university campuses and young college coed hangouts just so he can go party it up with the unexpecting locals…that’s going to put a huge damper in his “love”/”dating” life. (Or as he might better understand it, using fame and money to take advantage of other men’s daughters and sisters who aren’t mature, responsible, bir or strong enough to see past the hype and not let him use his social status to get them in compromising situations)
Sad these girls can’t see the cheese is actually sitting in a mouse trap…carefully and purposefully set by the biggest cheese eating rat of them all…. Ben.
Its sad the people in life with the most undeserved blessings are usually the ones that take it the most forgranted and appreciate it the least. Its sad the people in the best position to do something great for others in this world are too often the ones that are doing them harm…Big Loser Ben is the best example I can think of.
I have watched the NFL my whole life and support it like no other. It breaks my heart to keep hearing Ben Rapistburger’s name carried in the same sentances as Peyton Manning, Drew Breese, Kurt Warner, even Brett Favre. It is even more heart breaking to think about the great people who have come in this league, in his position, before him…such as Steve Young, John Elway, and the many more that have serve our society, the NFL, and its fans so well.
Ben “the young over arrogant punk who happens to fit into a very great system with great coaches and great surrounding players and an amazing defense in a great organization supported by a great fan base in an amazing football city cocky happen to be at the right place at the right time” Rapistburger needs be kicked out of the league and banned just like M. Vick did. After all, Vick was treating dogs like unwanted animals…. is it any better than Ben is treating young innocent (to certain degrees) girls like wanted animal pieces of meat ?(allegedly)
The NFL doesn’t need him…whether he realizes it or not, he needs it. What would he be doing if it wasn’t for football…hmm? Let him take his money and fame and have all the time he needs to whore himself around the country by bribing young girls with booze instead of getting a real woman the way a real man would want to…
BIG RICH says:
March 23, 2010 2:10 PM
Florio, isn’t there anything else you could be doing? Like sweeping the floors of the office, getting coffee for your bosses or kissing the bosses asses for letting you keep your job. Good reporting reports facts not twisted preception of the facts.
—————————————–
I didn’t see any of “YOU” people complaining about over exposure of the Vick case and it has been 3 years and is still going on.
Sorry guys but this is not going anywhere………….
HA HA HA
I think after he gets out of prison and leaves Bubba’s bedside, he should change positions.
I mean isn’t that what “YOU” people said about Vick after he got out?
Karma is a biatch……………
HA HA HA
1. Every team would say they are concerned about their image.
2. The motorcycle issue and the Nevada issue are not big deals and unrelated to this matter. Nevada was consensual sex in the privacy of his hotel room with a woman that wanted his baby. Therefore, this is the first issue to me that Ben has a potential major problem.
3. It is taking way too long for the Georgia DA to do something, which leads me to believe they don’t have enough evidence to charge him with criminal activity.
4. Ben will make an apology, get suspended by the league for a game or 2 because of his contract language, and will be cheered after he throws a TD pass.
5. The girl will sue, but will not win. And everyone finally will get to find out things about her past and her character. Ben might settle just to put it behind him without admitting any guilt.
6. Anybody that is using the word “rape” in this matter is making a complete mockery of real rapes, in their haste to make stupid repetitive jokes.
7. PFT and Floria are desparate for traffic here and will post absolutely anything related to this issue, even if it isn’t new news. They want to stir up the lynch mobs and fringe lunatic haters as much as possible.
8. SOS, over and over.
Sounds exactly like what I wrote in response to Tomlin’s comments this morning. The simple fact of the matter is the Steelers are no different than any other organization. Name one single player they have kicked off their team that was performing well? I’ll name five they haven’t. Holmes, Ben, Harrison, Reed and Peezy.
To be honest, I don’t see how anyone can argue with this. I am not saying the Steelers are scum. I am just saying they are not better than anyone else (like their fans think they are).
Florio is simply calling a spade a spade.
Ok Ok….let’s get back to the Overtime Rule for the playoffs…….
Even with all this “news” about Roethlisberger, I am still going to bet or more Favre stories during the offseason. Roethlisberger would have to rape three women, two men and a dog…….at the same time, in order to generate the number of “stories” about Favre that we will be blessed with from this site during the next few months.
I am convinced that the delay in the release of the schedule of prime time games is the result of a Steelers game that is now being rescheduled to something other than prime time, possibly the first game of the season.
Ben is innocent and Wilson beta up hso girlfriend! As for Wilson and Harrison, it happens in “EVERY BUSINESS!” If you bust your ass and a great worker/player, you get a free pass, if you a lazy slug you are gone!
@HJC
I totally agree with what your saying. The only problem is its not NFL fans that are holding the Steelers to a higher standard. The Steelers and Steeler fans are the ones acting like they are above keeping players with character issues.
The fact of the matter is they are no different than any other team when it comes to dealing with players with off the field issues. Yet they continue to insist that they are. Read Tomlins quote.
If they are going to act like they are more rightous than their peers, then they better practice what they preach.
He’ll stroke a check, all will be forgiven within the organization once the civil suit is dropped and the criminal case folds when she won’t testify.
They sucked last year and got bounced out of the playoffs by the Browns…they need him to win a few games.
Tomlin says what we want to hear, but they’re worried more about jersey sales than rape victims, I guarantee. This franchise is just as shitty as the rest…storied, my ass. They cut guys for a buck, ignore injured players, and let their HoF players die homeless on the street….just like all the rest. The Steelers organization is utterly classless.
It’s not a double standard to treat a $120 million dollar guy different than a $300K guy. Any moves you make with respect to Roethlisberger have huge financial implications – not just with the cap, but with season ticket sales, merchandise sales, etc…
That said – As a loyal Steeler fan, I’m ready to say my goodbye’s as soon as the Rooney’s are. My preference is that Ben sit for 1 year and sort out his life a bit, and figure out if he wants to be a big-time qb any more. However, if they decide to trade or cut him, I would understand. They got rid of Bradshaw – forced him to retire when he still wanted to play a couple more years. Don’t think they could get rid of Ben? Think again.
Joe 6606 alleges above that the woman in question is a floozy, an alcoholic, looking for an easy buck — hey, Joe, what if she was your sister? I suppose you’ve never, ever lied to get into a bar (or get alcohol) while underage, have you? Painting the woman this happened to with the above lets me know that you have very little esteem for women in the first place.
MOST women who are raped walk away rather than prosecute. After all, who wants to have their entire life history dissected in open court, even if you’ve done nothing wrong? It might be a better use of time to ask the following: What was Roethlisberger doing in a college bar in the first place? He’s pushing 30. He obviously can’t attract women closer to his own age — after all, we’ve ALL known guys like him. They may not have a hundred million dollar NFL contract, but they’re bad news at best, and the best course of action is to stay away.
Unfortunately, I need to side with those who say nothing will happen to Big Ben. The Steelers won’t allow it, and Goodell will look the other way. Even if he’s charged, the victim will be smeared as the woman in Reno was, and it will be business as usual. We’ve seen it a hundred times over the years.
I’m a NFL fan, but I am not happy about the league’s turning a blind eye to sexual assault/domestic violence by their players.
It’s funny, Steelers fans claim innocent until proven guilty. But I always see them lambast Ray Lewis for being a murderer. Wasn’t he proven innocent with the same lawyer Ben is now using?
Also, stop complaining about whats posted on this website. If you don’t want to read it than don’t. You people complain over the smallest things sometimes
Hey, Holeinone09, the police wouldn’t ask him for DNA unless there was evidence of an assault with penetration.
The young woman in question did the right thing by immediately hiring attorneys to keep her identity a secret till he’s charged.
The “fans are writing him off”. Most Steeler fans aren’t. Florio loves Steeler posts because it brings out Steeler fans and Steeler haters. GO STEELERS!
BlueEyeDevil:
Your homoerotic obsession with Mike Vick is making me very uncomfortable.
I bet you have a photoshopped poster of you and Vick riding a tandam bicycle in the park while sharing a milkshake with two straws.
BlueEyeDevils is just Vox off his meds.
lol Doc i wonder myself if Donte Stallworth was white if he would be behind bars for vehicular homocide? see it works that way too…
Ok it’s official, there is a PFT poster who is dumber than Vox… Wayyyyy dumber actually, and that is truely not an easy feat. And the dumbest PFT poster award goes to….. (drum roll)…..
Yes that’s right, none other than our very own… BlueEyeDevils
Ben is the (fat) face of that franchise. Unless he goes to jail he’s not going to be cut. It’s just a fact. He’ll probably end of up settling with the two women for a ridiculous amount of money like Michael Jackson did and avoid jail time. The Steelers will say that Ben has undergone therapy for his “sex addiction” and everyone will move on.
It is kind of crazy though, Tiger Woods got insane amounts of media coverage for hurting his wifes feelings. Ben gets accused of rape and sexual assault and there is hardly any coverage. I guess Woods is just a much bigger star than Ben.
For all of you whiners who constantly claim Florio is a Steelers “homer” that was a pretty objective and somewhat critical article about the Steelers management.
Ben is the (fat) face of that franchise. Unless he goes to jail he’s not going to be cut. It’s just a fact. He’ll probably end of up settling with the two women for a ridiculous amount of money like Michael Jackson did and avoid jail time. The Steelers will say that Ben has undergone therapy for his “sex addiction” and everyone will move on.
It is kind of crazy though, Tiger Woods got insane amounts of media coverage for hurting his wifes feelings. Ben gets accused of rape and sexual assault and there is hardly any coverage. I guess Woods is just a much bigger star than Ben.
It’s great that Florio realizes the other 31 NFL teams have absolutely no star system in place. Tom Brady is every bit at risk of losing his job as the Patriots’ backup punter. We all know that.
Thank you Mike Florio for pointing that out. *rolls eyes*
Look, I’m a Cardinals fan and Roethlisberger helped wreck a shoulda-been Super Bowl win for AZ, but so far there’s been no 1) criminal charges, or 2) proof.
Let it play out. Ben is OBVIOUSLY a member of the spoiled athlete fraternity and probably a grade A jerk at times. What he is NOT right now is a convicted criminal, so knock off the sensationalism.
Ben is the (fat) face of that franchise. Unless he goes to jail he’s not going to be cut. It’s just a fact. He’ll probably end of up settling with the two women for a ridiculous amount of money like Michael Jackson did and avoid jail time. The Steelers will say that Ben has undergone therapy for his “sex addiction” and everyone will move on.
It is kind of crazy though, Tiger Woods got insane amounts of media coverage for hurting his wifes feelings. Ben gets accused of rape and sexual assault and there is hardly any coverage. I guess Woods is just a much bigger star than Ben.
Blueeyedevil… according to you and your logic ben will not be doing jail time because he is white. Your post leads us to believe he will be bunking with a gentlemen named bubba. I dont understand. Will he or wont he be going to jail. Is bubba black or white? You are a confused racist.
“It’s about damn time – hell I could have won the Superbowls with that defense.”
You mean with the same defense that blew a fourth quarter lead?
Pretty cliche, I expected better.
First things first is he guilty or innocent?
No one except Ben and the young lady knows for sure. If he is innocent, everyone step off. If he is guilty, crucify him. It should have nothing to do with the organization or how famous. I have been a Steelers fan for over 30 years, would it hurt talent-wise to lose Ben absolutely. If guilty, would banning him from the NFL be appropriate? Absolutley. The incident should be about WAY more than football.
BBB82:
BBB82 says:
March 23, 2010 2:24 PM
He’s a white sports star. He won’t be going anywhere, no matter how many women he rapes.
Think much before posting??? It’s not a race issue. Do you really want to list side-by-side the number of athelets who get away with crimes? O.J. – How about Stallworth Killing a man while drunk? how much time would you have gotten as a black man that is not a sports star?? believe me, there are plenty of them and they are more than just black or white for every race of sports star there is there are that many who are treated as though they are above the law. That is a fundamental flaw in the Justice System NOT racial inequity.
Steelers suck. What a classless, trashy organization. Right up there with Oakland in terms of character.
The Steelers are the best franchise in the NFL and Ben is a proven winner.
Everyone else is just a hater.
ampats says:
March 23, 2010 1:49 PM
I’m confused. After all the comments from the Steelers cronies I thought he didn’t do anything and will be behind center for Game#1???
___________________________________
I guarantee Big Ben will be the starter on Game 1 unless he is injured.
@Julie
Again..where is the corroborating evidence? Where are the witnesses lining up to support her allegations? Where is the leaked video?
We all know TMZ pays a ton for “exclusive” content. College students would LOVE to paid for their eyewitness accounts. How many have we seen? None. Absolutely nothing. For 3 weeks.
Between her and Ben, the accuser is the only one who EVERYONE can agree did not belong in that bar because she was underaged. she LIED to obtain entry, and then drank HEAVILY. There have been numerous witnesses who’ve said they saw the 2 together and she looked “very happy”
She broke the law. That’s an indisputable FACT. So yes her character will deservably be scruntinized to find out what exactly her motives are.
@ DoomsDayD75
The key word is ACCUSED. Tiger did CHEAT. Why would he undergo therapy for sex addiction? He is a single man. You would call him all kinds of names if he didn’t try to fornicate.
I think Florio is reading too far into this. That being said,… if they don’t think they absolutely need him, then they are F*cking retarded. If he did nothing wrong, and they drop him, and move on with Dixon, they can kiss my ass goodbye as a fan. I’m not going to sit through the second coming of Kordell Stewart, just because Tomlin wants “his Guy” at QB, while Ben moves on to the Redskins and wins them a couple of Superbowls. Franchise QBs don’t grow on trees. They would be gutless if they cut him for the sake of the Steelers’ image. Plus, how in the hell could Tomlin justify cutting Ben, when it is ON THE RECORD that Tomlin would have signed MICHAEL VICK, had it not been for Ben’s first accusation. So BlueEyesDevil,… this would make many people question whether Tomlin is a racist.
way to state the obvious, FLORIO,…the star QB will get chance after chance after chance while the 53rd man on the roster will be cut IF he gets in trouble and embarrasses the team, there isn’t a team in the league that wouldn’t react that way, …you know the same way NBC would get rid of your worthless ass FLORIO, if you got into trouble, while they would be more tolerant of the rest of the NBC Sunday Night Football crew, that would make you the last guy on their roster… see DOUCHEBAG two of us can speculate
Steeler-lady.
Ha ha ha. Thanks for the publicity. It doesn’t matter if it is good or bad, my message stays in the limelight.
He’s a pig and I hope he’s done, forever. Therapy? PLEASE. He needs therapy that includes his name being on a registry.
Dennis Dixon better start gettin’ reps in with Holmes, Ward, Miller, and the rest of the receivers…
Florio you proved, with out a doubt, that you are a total moron. There is no way you have a law degree unless your daddy bought it for you.
Big Ben leave the Burgh just like Bradshaw did, when he’s totally used up physically. Fortunately, that will be after he wins a few more rings.
Holeinone09 says: March 23, 2010 2:57 PM
“7. PFT and Floria are desparate for traffic here and will post absolutely anything related to this issue, even if it isn’t new news. They want to stir up the lynch mobs and fringe lunatic haters as much as possible.”
It seems to work on the Ben-ablers, too. You and your brethren are so in love with this guy that you can’t see clearly.
Come on Mike. You sound like an idiot when you say, “we hold ourselves to a higher standard.” If you really did, you would have had Jeff Reed take a walk in the middle of last year. He actually sucks but yet you kept him around. But, he does fit in with alcoholic, toothless, hillbilly community of the Pittsburgh-area. I mean Big Rapist went to the sticks of Georgia, to a college I’ve never heard of to try and moles…ra…pick up chicks.
@whines
Why do you think Dixon would be the second coming of Kordell? I guess Leftwich and Batch are second comings as well. Why is Dixon Tomlin’s guy? I think Ben is his guy. He won him a Superbowl ring. All the Vick garbage came from Florio and Peter King not Tomlin. I am going to place you in the same boat as BlueEyeDevil.
By the way, you are the only Steelers fan that is so against the Steelers. Have you ever been to Pittsburgh?
@steeler4life: You’re just being a homer. If Tiger Woods was accused of raping one of those girls the media would be in a frenzy.
“I could have sworn that, here in the good ole US of A, you are innocent until proven guilty.”
Possibly one of the most ‘incorrect’ statements every used in the USA.
If that statement was the case; then why is the person jailed? You don’t put innocent people in jail!
Florio, how much money have you lost betting against the Steelers to make you hate them so? What a tool.
He’s stupid. That’s a fact. The Steeler organization is waiting to see what transpires. Art II is a lawyer if you remember. They’re saying nothing to send the message that there is nothing to deal with yet. This is a new regime in Pittsburgh. We are going to see how they deal with things shortly.
And the new quarterback of another team without near so high standards. Look at the Eagles and Mike Vick. Give ole BR the Ed Block Courage Award for not caving after the first accusation and daring to repeat it with someone else.
biggtee,
Feel free to use some punctuation. That was a world record for longest sentence.
All I can say is keep the Steeler players out of public restrooms!!
Harrison admitted to kicking down a door, breaking a cell phone in half during a 911 call and hitting his girlfriend with an open hand and laving marks on her face.
Rooney’s never batted an eye.
No way they get rid of Ben. Their “standards” only apply to the players with low jersey sales.
By the way on the black white nonsense:
MLK was a republican. Ever ask yourself why?
MLK understood, he was intelligent. He could figure it out, it is about the constitution.
The lib wackos don’t want ya’ll to know that one.
So was Lincoln, yep, republican.
I don’t know what Ben is, but he appears to be a Libertarian of some sort.
biggtee
Nice way of showing your GED
It does suck that if the Steelers were to cut him if he were charged, someone would scoop him right up.
Ben is a low-life, plain and simple. He needs help. If these were drug or alcohol related incidents he would have been suspended for sure. Nice message to women by the NFL.
With or without Ben the Steelers will go 6 and 10 in 2010.
Big Ben has put himself in these situations and will continue to do so until someone beats his sorry ass.
@steeelfann
The Republican party during Lincoln’s time was the more “liberal” party. The Dems were the “conservatives”. They didnt change to the philosophies of today until after the great depression.
@julieinduvall says:
March 23, 2010 3:10 PM
Hey, Holeinone09, the police wouldn’t ask him for DNA unless there was evidence of an assault with penetration.
The young woman in question did the right thing by immediately hiring attorneys to keep her identity a secret till he’s charged.
* * * * *
julie, don’t get me wrong. I have no idea about exactly what happened, and I am waiting to see how this plays out. But neither do you. What if they want match up his hair that they found in her panties? Also, do you conclude that there is no way that his sperm might have been somewhere else, like on her clothes? Also, why would penetration automatically be considered “assault” if she consented to it? Have they proven that she didn’t consent yet? Have they said there was penetration? If so, I missed it completely. But Ben admitted to sexual contact.
I also wonder why she didn’t run out of that bathroom screaming at the top of her lungs that somebody assaulted her? Does anybody else find that funny?
But if she sues for MONEY in a civil trial, then her background will come out. It will be fair game then. I don’t know anything about her except she was not of legal age to be in a bar drinking. I find it interesting that her facebook page, etc got taken down. I wonder what was on there?
lol Reba dont start something you cant finish.. you always run your mouth then when people retaliate you cry like the feminist whiny fake ass that you are to PFT. Sit back big mamma.
@ getreal
Get real getreal, everyone is someone’s daughter and most of them have sex in their late teenage years / early twenties. To sit there and say that she isn’t smart is an insult to her and other young women. She is smart enough to go to college. She was smart enough to get into multiple bars that night and she is underaged. “Young innocent girls” shouldn’t be in bars you jack ass. Vick was convicted, admitted guilt and spent time in a federal prison. Answer one question for everyone genius, how many times has Ben ben arrested for these two allegations?
@ DoomsDayD75
Tiger got more coverage because he was married and some new whore came crawling out of the wood work every other day. I’m sure getreal thinks they were all tricked by Tiger to have sex with him and they were naive and innocent and pure and moralistic. Give me a break.
@ julieinduvall
You’re an idiot. Do you know anything about the Reno psyco bitch that is Andrea McNutty?
People need to realize that Ben did not win the SB by himself. That was a team effort and I believe Ben wasn’t even the MVP. Gee, the league didn’t recognize him as God? Oh my!
Ben was even invited by Disney to go to the parade with Santonio. Ben didn’t even show up after accepting the invitation. Figures!
Yes, I’ve been to Pittsburgh. They love the Steelers. Here’s another fact tid-bit I have stated over and over. I love the Steelers as well. I just hate Roethlisberger. One can’t say you can’t love a team because you hate one player! People don’t hold the Atlanta Falcons in contempt but I bet many of them hated Michael Vick!!
I really dont understand this site sometimes. Dont get me wrong, I love coming here while im sitting here bored at work but come on guys!!! Do any of you really think that Ben Roethlisberger at this point in the investigation deserves to be suspended or cut? As of right now Ben is not in any trouble. He is not charged with a crime, there is no judge or jury hearing arguments. Some woman said he assaulted her and so its being looked into. I am a HUGE Steelers fan and I can say without a doubt that if either of these sexual assault cases turn out to be true that Roethlisberger deserves to be cut and probably put in jail. However before any of that happens, he deserves his day in court just like you or I would get.
For those of you who say “nice message to women” because he hasnt been punished by the NFL, well thats because there is no reason for the NFL to punish yet. For those of you who say its “racist” that hes not punished yet, please remember that Michael Vick didnt get suspended by the league until Federal Charges were made. Let this play out folks and whether hes cut, Suspended, in jail or back playing football in September on opening day, Ben will get what he deserves.
Steeler-lady
Get a clue. Besides, thanks for keeping my name on the board and in the limelight.
When he’s charged and suspended, bow down and apologize. LOL
Gheez the people that post on this board are…oh wait a minute…I’m posting on this board…okay never mind!
More BS since there have been NO charges…HA HA Big Ben Haters!
Maybe she’s changed her mind now that she’s sober and all. You know how things always look different in the morning after you’ve tied one on. The keystone cops did give her a breathalyzer I wonder what she blew?
GO STEELERS!
@ItalianArmyGuy: Bradshaw was NEVER forced out.
He sat out most of the 1983 season with an elbow injury, only to return for one quarter against the Jets in the regular-season finale. He threw TWO touchdown passes in that game, blowing out his elbow for good on the first TD pass. That was his final game as a Steeler.
Catfight! (Reba and Steeler lady) LOL
@julieinduvall …
Clearly I misspoke in the other thread in saying you were too intelligent to post some of the things you’re posting. Intelligent people take time to check their facts.
The Georgia woman did not accuse Roethlisberger of rape. The police confirmed in their first press conference that this is not a rape case–therefore, by definition, no vaginal penetration occurred. According to the police incident report, the woman is alleging “sexual manipulation.” So far, that has remained undefined. Sexual assault can include anything from oral sex to digital rape to rubbing up against someone to grabbing the breast, crotch, or buttocks.
DNA is not limited to semen, though semen could be present on her skin or clothes without intercourse. DNA also can be found in hair, saliva, tissue, and blood.
All evidence presented indicates beyond doubt that the Nevada accuser is lying to extort the $3 million in damages she’s seeking from Roethlisberger and her coworkers. All we know in Georgia is that an accusation has been made. Not one shred of corroborating evidence has been presented. The man you describe as “pushing 30″ was in Milledgeville celebrating turning from 27 to 28.
You chastise others for assuming with no proof–except, of course, that she’s hired a plaintiff’s attorney whose only purpose is seeking monetary compensation–that the accuser is a gold digger. But you distort the facts to paint Roethlisberger as a sexual abuser. It doesn’t help real rape victims to punish the wrongly accused.
robhug71
Thanks for setting that guy straight about Terry. He was a great QB and a great example for the Steelers. Those were the days!
First let me say the NFL is NOT a democracy so the talk of a double standard is off the mark to start with. There is a value system. It goes without saying. That said, I see the vultures circling above… Mr. Florio said “3″ incidents. The first was a motorcycle accident. He was stupid for not wearing a helmet. The lady did pull in front of him trying to beat the light thus causing the accident. So lets cut back on the exaggeration and not assume there were 3 incidents of alleged sexual assault. Secondly, and I would say this about anyone else outside of Pittsburgh, whatever happened in Georgia happened very fast and among a whole bunch of police officers. This suggests to me a very quick, intense and impulsive action allegedly taken by Ben. That is scary because it could mean there is a person here with problems and desperately needs help. Tell the vultures that before you stake him out to die, some other course of help or action can be contemplated.
# Steeler4life says: March 23, 2010 4:27 PM
@whines
Why do you think Dixon would be the second coming of Kordell? I guess Leftwich and Batch are second comings as well. Why is Dixon Tomlin’s guy? I think Ben is his guy. He won him a Superbowl ring. All the Vick garbage came from Florio and Peter King not Tomlin. I am going to place you in the same boat as BlueEyeDevil.
By the way, you are the only Steelers fan that is so against the Steelers. Have you ever been to Pittsburgh?
——————————————————————–
Because Dixon is a RB/WR who knows how to throw a football. Batch and Leftwich are different. Have you seen these guys run lately? Dixon is Tomlin’s guy because he drafted him. Did you not see the interview with Tomlin during either pre-game or halftime of one of their games this year??? Tomlin said that he would have entertained the idea of Vick playing for them if it wasn’t for Ben’s Nevada incident. The guy said something like “So if Ben didn’t have the civil case, you would give Vick a chance?” Tomlin said “That’s a big if”. I promise you, he said that. Now, why is it OK to bring a guy on your team that was convicted and sent to jail, but question whether a guy who has not been charged with ANYTHING should be on your team anymore? It’s clear that Ben is 1 million times better than Vick at QB. He’s given you 2 Superbowls. That is a legitimate question. Why am I in the same boat as BlueEyes? At least I’ve backed up my comment with facts. Why can’t I be critical about my team? Just because I don’t get on here and defend guys from the organization, just because of the colors they wear, doesn’t mean that I hate them. But if this move is made, I will have lost a ton of respect for the Black and Gold. If Ben is found guilty of a crime, then he deserves to be punished. If he is not charged, then what’s the issue, other than, watch your ass when you are out???Finally, I have been to Pittsburgh. I went to College there. It’s a wonderful City.
The only way they cut ben is if he is in a jail cell!!!!!!!They remember what the Tommy Maddox,Kordell Stewart and the Neil (last name is a bad word in Pittsburgh) days and they know if they get rid of ben they would get that and prob worse this season
I remember a while ago we were promised only one roethlisberger post unless new news developed what ever happend to that???????
the pepster
He didn’t even have a motorcycle license in PA. He had a permit and it had expired. He exercised bad judgement and a lack of responsibility. Cowher specifically told him not to ride without a helmet. Nice listening skills Ben.
These other two incidences, ok, I will give in. I am sure he is guilty as much, if not more, than the people on this board that believe he is innocent. That is our right to state our opinions no matter how mad others get. Frankly I don’t care how mad they get. When guilt it is proven, he needs help and to be accountable for his actions. He should have a jail sentence, register, and be required to visit doctors and AWAY from football.
steeelfann seems to have inadvertantly wandered away from from FoxNews.com.
Feel free to keep your political rants out of a sports blog.
We’ll see when Ben meets with the Commish if the atty is there or not. That collective bargaining agreement is STRONG and supercedes the courts in many cases. If Ben appears with his atty with the Commish, that’s going to be another nail in the coffin. Although if I was the girl’s atty, I would subpoena Roger him for information. Hmm. Maybe Ben will go and meet with him with his atty present, if possible, and say nothing. Hmm. This meeting will be quite interesting because Roger will ask him point blank as he did Vick, did you do it? “I will exercise my right under the 5th amendment.” LOL Wonder what the Commish will do then? He will meet with Ben at some point because the media, local and otherwise, is not letting this story just go away. Talk radio in Pitt is running with this ball.
If Ben doesn’t answer Roger’s questions to his satisfaction, he can suspend Ben based on the Conduct Policy. It really doesn’t matter then if charges are filed or not.
This is going to be very interesting. Again, Roger will meet with him. It’s only a matter of time. There are two things here, the bargaining agreement and the justice system. One doesn’t really have anything to do with the other normally. The entire meeting will be of interest to the prosecution because Roger will ask him what happened and ask him if he did it. Ben is an employee of the NFL via the Steelers. He must comply with the company’s policies.
He’ll get a pass and charges dropped. Number #3 is just around the corner at the local bar waiting for him.
The crap will hit the fan then, really can’t make any excuses at that point.
I think RebaT is either Andrea McNutty, the Georgia chick, or chapnasty2…
Double standards exist for very good reason.
If something has higher value/upside — rational persons will be willing to accept an increased level of cost/risk/downside to acquire the benefit. Of course, the opposite is equally true – as are all of the correlative shades of gray.
It’s a simply understood truism, so to get all pious and repeatedly try to cast the Steelers as a rogue entity of sorts is basically absurd.
To Mr. Florio: if you came across an e-mail where an administrative assistant railed on you, the guess here is you’d come down a bit harder on him/her than your most valued trial attorney on the eve of trial involving one of your most valued clients.
It’s not a diabolical way to think – so why present the Steelers in such a fashion? It’s rational behavior. Kind of falls squarely in the “No shit, Sherlock” category.
To the Steeler apologists:
Yes, employees of different calibers are treated differently by companies. We all know James Harrison is a valuable Steeler. I can do, however, without the sanctimonious crap from the Rooneys whenever they try to justify their actions. For example, upon Cedric Wilson’s release, they issued the following statement:
“We’re extremely disappointed with this incident,” team chairman Dan Rooney said. “The Steelers do not condone violence of any kind, especially against women.”
And I strongly question the lot of Steeler fans who, without hesitation, bring up issues such as law-breaking Bengals players, Ray Lewis (he’s not a murderer you dopes), et al and conveniently forget (or rationalize) cases like Holmes, Harrison, Davenport and Roethlisberger.
People don’t hate the Steelers. They hate the idiotic Steeler fans.
BlueEyeDevil-
How exactly is karma a “biatch” in this situation? You are the only one that gives a shit what color Ben is with regards to this. So karma is not a “biatch”, because no one else cares. We get it, you’re pissed they put a fellow African away for killing dogs, now you’re feeling good about yourself because a white person is in trouble. Well guess what, both Vick and Ben are turds. No one cares about your racist opinion.
Now get back to scrubbing those toilets.
I know this has probably already been said but: “Though they remain one of the top organizations in all of sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers display from time to time a trait common to every level of every form of athletics.”
According to whom?
Florio,
You are incredibly naive if you believe the Steelers will be releasing Roethlisberger any time soon. Not only is he a 2-time Super Bowl Champion in the prime of his career, but it’s near-certain guarantee that he will add to that number before it’s all said and done. Quarterbacks of this kind are extremely rare and as a result, Big Ben will be given a very wide latitude.
Dan
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, want ad section.
Wanted
Able-bodied men and women for outdoor work. Must work well in a team environment. Must be available to start immediately. Sturdy shoes and clothing are required as well as job tools (pitchforks, branch/rag torches, etc.)
Job objective. Lynch mob.
No resume required. Salary commensurate with experience. Inquire Pittsburgh Steelers football club. 412-XXX-XXXX
We also have positions available for degreed individuals in our executive-level, fast-track Haters department. Resume required. Inquire as above.
The Pittsburgh Steelers football club is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
@Dan Olsen: The things you say about Roethlisberger are probably the same things they were saying in Green Bay in the late ’90s about Brett Favre.
Fifteen years later, Favre is still looking for his next Super Bowl apprearance.
Super Bowls are fleeting moments and shouldn’t be taken for granted. There are no guarantees of ever returning, regardless of the quarterback.
Ask Dan Marino.
You Steelers fans are just kidding yourselves if you THINK for one minute that Ben’s not on his way out the door. He’s gone, better start getting used to it. The organization looks to be done with him, majority of the fans are done with him, that only leaves the Commish. He’s out! Deal with it and move on………
Oh noes! A double standard!! Those dirty Steelers blah blah blah. Of course he would get a free pass (if one is even needed, this case is a bunch of hooey). He’s Big F’n Ben. He deserves all of the perks that comes with being a winning NFL quarterback. Sorry that a lot of you don’t have one of those.
The Ravens were very patient about waiting for RayRay to get his exoneration, and it’s a good thing they were because he’s still a beast on the field, how many years later? What if the Ravens would’ve stuck by that ficticious “moral obligation” and cut Ray before he was even charged? Fortunately, Ray was also given the preferential treatment that is afforded the elite that he RIGHTFULLY deserved, and went on to have one heck of a career.
With apologies to Gary Anderson, Jeff Reed is the best placekicker in Steelers history.
Reed has won more than a couple games for Roethlis … er, I mean the Steelers over the years.
If goddell is serious 3-5 years suspension and a $10M fine. SH@t or get off the pot roger.