Roethlisberger Thoughts

The Steelers are off to a predictably slow start in the 2010 free agency period that started on Friday. Predictable because the Steelers are always off to a slow start in free agency. Friday was also the beginning of the new NFL year and was supposed to be the release of my Steelers offseason preview column and my start as the imaginary Director of Football Operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then early Friday news leaked that the franchise quarterback was involved in another sexual assault case. That sure did not make for the right time to address the offseason plans of the hometown football club. So before we dive into the Steelers’ offseason, let’s tackle the monster elephant in the room first, Ben Roethlisberger.

I will not speculate on what happened in the Georgia nightclub or the Reno hotel room two years ago. The only people that really know what happened are the people that were there, namely Roethlisberger and his accusers. I also will not speculate on what kind of human being Big Ben is, as I do not know him personally. I, like many others, have heard stories as it pertains to his character, and my sources are probably better than most peoples’, but without knowing somebody personally it is impossible to properly make an opinion on their character.

What I do know is that Ben is a 28-year-old Super Bowl winning quarterback for one of, if not the most, popular franchises in the country and worth tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars. He should absolutely reap the rewards that go along with this status. He will also have to deal with the drawbacks such as media scrutiny, unruly fans, lack of privacy and so on. Going out, partying, meeting women, getting special treatment in VIP sections, etc. etc. is most certainly within his rights and is what many 28 year-old guys would do. Those saying that he needs to be smarter and not be in places like that need to get with reality. Ben should not be forced into isolation or some kind of self-imposed house arrest. Like I said, he’s 28, he’s young, he’s rich, he should do want he wants. What is at the core of this to me, however, is his respect, or lack thereof, and treatment of others, notably women. Whether he crossed the legal definition of sexual assault or whether these accusers are just out for money, there is no question that Roethlisberger must have done something to make these women feel terrible about themselves and/or Ben.

My guess is that Ben will not face criminal charges or that if he does, he will not see a jail cell. I also do not know if this will end up costing him millions in settlements, lost endorsements or whatever the fallout from these accusations will be. What I do know, and that I do hope, is that Ben learns one thing from all of this; that women must be treated with respect, no matter if you are Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Fan from Pittsburgh.