Will Roethlisberger Be Suspended This Season? (1 Viewer)

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't get this. He's a single guy partying with women. If he forced somebody to have sex with him, that's a crime, and I would like to see him in prison. But there is no evidence that this ever happened. Therefore, any suspension seems unfair to me. And I also don't know why we're condemning him.

that's not true. There just isnt enough in the opinion of the DA to get a conviction.My opinion is that this was basically a classic date rape situation. You have an intoxicated girl who says she doesnt know whether they had sex or not. Evidence shows that she did have sex (laceration, brusing, and bleeding in the genital area along with DNA being found, albeit not enough to ID the other party). If you had sex, but cant remember if you did or not, it sounds like there probably wasnt consent. Tough to prove in court, but evidence of wrong doing nonetheless.

I think the NFL suspends him 1-2 games and then the Steelers tack on an additional game or other punishment as well.

 

[LittlePhatty]

And I thought Super Bowl championships used to mean something. Not to mention small things like proof and evidence. Or things like "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

This is hilarious.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't get this. He's a single guy partying with women. If he forced somebody to have sex with him, that's a crime, and I would like to see him in prison. But there is no evidence that this ever happened. Therefore, any suspension seems unfair to me. And I also don't know why we're condemning him.

that's not true. There just isnt enough in the opinion of the DA to get a conviction.My opinion is that this was basically a classic date rape situation. You have an intoxicated girl who says she doesnt know whether they had sex or not. Evidence shows that she did have sex (laceration, brusing, and bleeding in the genital area along with DNA being found, albeit not enough to ID the other party). If you had sex, but cant remember if you did or not, it sounds like there probably wasnt consent. Tough to prove in court, but evidence of wrong doing nonetheless.

I think the NFL suspends him 1-2 games and then the Steelers tack on an additional game or other punishment as well.

you're kidding....I mean....fishing right...?

 

[Stinkin Ref]

How about if it was your daughter, still no problem?

I get a similar question sometimes when I get into heated discussions about the death penalty. Therefore, I will give you the same answer I give then:If it were my daughter, I would certainly look at the situation far more emotionally. Most likely my abilities to use reason and logic would be impaired. Thankfully, however, it is not my daughter and I am able to look at things with hopefully a little more objectivity.

I have a 21 year old daughter and obviously I would be ready to kill any guy that would take advantage of her. I absolutely would hold him accountable. I would also be plenty pissed at my daughter for putting herself in the situation.

which is all that people can get really pissed at Ben about in this situation as well.....so why is it different for him...?....does your daughter get slammed in the "court of public opinion" and would she get suspended by her boss for having sex in a bathroom......

Depends on the job I guess. It's a free country if Ben doesn't want a job where he can be put into the "court of public opinion" he is free to go find one where no one cares.

like I said....if having sex in a public bathroom gets you suspended from work, many of us would be unemployed......waiting for that check box to be added to job applications.....

 

[ninerfan]

Voted two games. However, now that there's a potential third victim, Rooney may just take Ben out behind the stadium and shoot him.

 

[B-Deep]

like I said....if having sex in a public bathroom gets you suspended from work, many of us would be unemployed......waiting for that check box to be added to job applications.....

i think if i was accused of rape twice in a year there's a good chance i would be unemployedif my employer found out that in the second of these cases i bought liquor for an under aged girl, got her so drunk that she could not remember what happened, then had sex with her then i am 100% certain I would be without a job.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't get this. He's a single guy partying with women. If he forced somebody to have sex with him, that's a crime, and I would like to see him in prison. But there is no evidence that this ever happened. Therefore, any suspension seems unfair to me. And I also don't know why we're condemning him.

that's not true. There just isnt enough in the opinion of the DA to get a conviction.My opinion is that this was basically a classic date rape situation. You have an intoxicated girl who says she doesnt know whether they had sex or not. Evidence shows that she did have sex (laceration, brusing, and bleeding in the genital area along with DNA being found, albeit not enough to ID the other party). If you had sex, but cant remember if you did or not, it sounds like there probably wasnt consent. Tough to prove in court, but evidence of wrong doing nonetheless.

I think the NFL suspends him 1-2 games and then the Steelers tack on an additional game or other punishment as well.

you're kidding....I mean....fishing right...?

So you think somebody who doesnt recall what happened 10 minutes prior had the capacity to consent?

 

[Shutout]

With the pattern that Ben has demonstrated, and seeing what has happened to Chris Henry, Pacman, Marshawn, Marshall. Take all that and add to the fact that if the commish doesn't get him, Mr. Rooney WILL, I would say a 4 game suspension, possibly repealed to 2 but I wouldn't be surprised at all if it were as much as 8 games. Sounds extreme, I know, but this is just one UGLY string of incidents (and that's the key; we're talking multiples here).

 

[Mello]

How about if it was your daughter, still no problem?

You really think that's a fair and unbiased criteria to use to judge someone's actions? Laws and the criteria we use to judge people should created from a standpoint of an impartial observer. That's because love and personal relationships involve irrational emotions which cloud our judgment on how right or wrong something is. I'd want to seriously hurt a guy that cheated on my daughter or treated her badly. That doesn't mean those actions should be illegal or that I think that person should be fired/suspended from his job. Actually, there are laws in place to specifically keep me from acting on my emotions.

He's the public face of a lucrative business and he is creating a lot of problems for said business. He is going to get a slap on the wrist. If he doesn't get a lot smarter about his actions soon his employer will likely give him something more than a slap on the wrist.This isn't about the law, it's about running a business. Right now his ability is trumping the damage to the Steelers image, but from what I know of the Rooneys he is treading a very fine line.

I would love to see the financial impact of all this. You could be right, I just don't think that there will be much financial impact. Seats will still be sold out, concessions will be sold, I'm sure Ben's jersey will sell less but I believe those sales will simply be replaced by another jersey, TV ratings may actually rise early in the season due to the media coverage, I don't think players are going to refuse to sign with the Steelers because of this. The Rooneys or Goodell are well within their rights to suspend Ben. I'll just disagree with their choice when they do and not understand people that believe a guy that throws a football around should be held to their standards off the field.

 

[Ruffrodys05]

Voted: Yes - 4 games or more.................I think it will be more. Pure, unadulterated, speculation on my part.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't get this. He's a single guy partying with women. If he forced somebody to have sex with him, that's a crime, and I would like to see him in prison. But there is no evidence that this ever happened. Therefore, any suspension seems unfair to me. And I also don't know why we're condemning him.

that's not true. There just isnt enough in the opinion of the DA to get a conviction.My opinion is that this was basically a classic date rape situation. You have an intoxicated girl who says she doesnt know whether they had sex or not. Evidence shows that she did have sex (laceration, brusing, and bleeding in the genital area along with DNA being found, albeit not enough to ID the other party). If you had sex, but cant remember if you did or not, it sounds like there probably wasnt consent. Tough to prove in court, but evidence of wrong doing nonetheless.

I think the NFL suspends him 1-2 games and then the Steelers tack on an additional game or other punishment as well.

you're kidding....I mean....fishing right...?

What is he wrong about? Obviously there is some evidence of wrong doing or it never would have even gone to the DA. There isn't enough to convict of course, but that doesn't mean everything was on the up and up. Sure there's specualtion/opion but is that opinion so implausbile that it rises to a fishing trip?

 

[Godsbrother]

For those saying 4 games or more keep in mind that if the penalty is too stiff the players union will get involved. The last thing the NFL wants is for this to be contested and stay in the news.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't get this. He's a single guy partying with women. If he forced somebody to have sex with him, that's a crime, and I would like to see him in prison. But there is no evidence that this ever happened. Therefore, any suspension seems unfair to me. And I also don't know why we're condemning him.

that's not true. There just isnt enough in the opinion of the DA to get a conviction.My opinion is that this was basically a classic date rape situation. You have an intoxicated girl who says she doesnt know whether they had sex or not. Evidence shows that she did have sex (laceration, brusing, and bleeding in the genital area along with DNA being found, albeit not enough to ID the other party). If you had sex, but cant remember if you did or not, it sounds like there probably wasnt consent. Tough to prove in court, but evidence of wrong doing nonetheless.

I think the NFL suspends him 1-2 games and then the Steelers tack on an additional game or other punishment as well.

you're kidding....I mean....fishing right...?

So you think somebody who doesnt recall what happened 10 minutes prior had the capacity to consent?

the drunk/consent is has been discussed in the other thread....let's break down what you posted.....

1. date rape....pretty strong accusation....never accused of rape

2. says she doesn't know if she had sex or not 10 minutes ago.....yet she immediately goes to the police...if she doesn't even know if anything happened....what reason does she have to go to the po-po....?...this basically tells us she has no idea if anything even happened or not.....Ben came out and admitted contact, but that could be from very minor to very major.....he never denied contact

3. evidence says she did have sex....ok....but we have no idea who with....could she have had sex earlier in the evening before she went clubbing....?....with someone else earlier in a bathroom somewhere else....

4. first you say she doesn't even know if they had sex or not....now it's she didn't consent...I would imagine if you are so drunk to where you don't even know if you even had sex, you probably wouldn't remember if you consented or not......but it's not like we really sign a consent form or officially announce " I consent to doing this" before we get our freak on.....

5. when you said wrong doing.....does that mean they did it wrong....or it just didn't go the way it should of....

if you want to come out and accuse him of something fine.....but there may be just as good of a chance that he did nothing wrong as there is that he did something wrong.....we don't know why she is not continuing to pursue this at this time...the bottom line is that one of the reasons very well could be that Ben did nothing wrong....until that is eliminated, everything else is just speculation.....

 

[Dr. Octopus]

For those saying 4 games or more keep in mind that if the penalty is too stiff the players union will get involved. The last thing the NFL wants is for this to be contested and stay in the news.

If the commisioner casts the suspencion the player union has no power to get involved - they can ask for an appeal but guess who hears the appeal?If the Steelers issue the suspencion, it's another story - in that case an independant arbitraitor gets involved if there's an appeal.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't get this. He's a single guy partying with women. If he forced somebody to have sex with him, that's a crime, and I would like to see him in prison. But there is no evidence that this ever happened. Therefore, any suspension seems unfair to me. And I also don't know why we're condemning him.

that's not true. There just isnt enough in the opinion of the DA to get a conviction.My opinion is that this was basically a classic date rape situation. You have an intoxicated girl who says she doesnt know whether they had sex or not. Evidence shows that she did have sex (laceration, brusing, and bleeding in the genital area along with DNA being found, albeit not enough to ID the other party). If you had sex, but cant remember if you did or not, it sounds like there probably wasnt consent. Tough to prove in court, but evidence of wrong doing nonetheless.

I think the NFL suspends him 1-2 games and then the Steelers tack on an additional game or other punishment as well.

you're kidding....I mean....fishing right...?

What is he wrong about? Obviously there is some evidence of wrong doing or it never would have even gone to the DA. There isn't enough to convict of course, but that doesn't mean everything was on the up and up. Sure there's specualtion/opion but is that opinion so implausbile that it rises to a fishing trip?

please state what the evidence of wrong doing is....?

 

[Stinkin Ref]

For those saying 4 games or more keep in mind that if the penalty is too stiff the players union will get involved. The last thing the NFL wants is for this to be contested and stay in the news.

If the commisioner casts the suspencion the player union has no power to get involved - they can ask for an appeal but guess who hears the appeal?If the Steelers issue the suspencion, it's another story - in that case an independant arbitraitor gets involved if there's an appeal.

yes, but he has been known to reduce his own suspensions.... which never made a ton of sense to me to begin with....

 

[phthalatemagic]

it should of....

This is always funny to me.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't get this. He's a single guy partying with women. If he forced somebody to have sex with him, that's a crime, and I would like to see him in prison. But there is no evidence that this ever happened. Therefore, any suspension seems unfair to me. And I also don't know why we're condemning him.

that's not true. There just isnt enough in the opinion of the DA to get a conviction.My opinion is that this was basically a classic date rape situation. You have an intoxicated girl who says she doesnt know whether they had sex or not. Evidence shows that she did have sex (laceration, brusing, and bleeding in the genital area along with DNA being found, albeit not enough to ID the other party). If you had sex, but cant remember if you did or not, it sounds like there probably wasnt consent. Tough to prove in court, but evidence of wrong doing nonetheless.

I think the NFL suspends him 1-2 games and then the Steelers tack on an additional game or other punishment as well.

you're kidding....I mean....fishing right...?

So you think somebody who doesnt recall what happened 10 minutes prior had the capacity to consent?

the drunk/consent is has been discussed in the other thread....let's break down what you posted.....

1. date rape....pretty strong accusation....never accused of rape according to the DA that is exactly what he was accused of

2. says she doesn't know if she had sex or not 10 minutes ago.....yet she immediately goes to the police...if she doesn't even know if anything happened....what reason does she have to go to the po-po....?...this basically tells us she has no idea if anything even happened or not.....Ben came out and admitted contact, but that could be from very minor to very major.....he never denied contact What you're saying here makes little sense. She didnt know if she had sex. He friends were concerned she was raped, so they did the rape kit.

3. evidence says she did have sex....ok....but we have no idea who with....could she have had sex earlier in the evening before she went clubbing....?....with someone else earlier in a bathroom somewhere else.... again, not sure what you're saying here, other than not using common sense to what happened in the bathroom. This is grasping at straws a la Kobe

4. first you say she doesn't even know if they had sex or not....now it's she didn't consent...I would imagine if you are so drunk to where you don't even know if you even had sex, you probably wouldn't remember if you consented or not......but it's not like we really sign a consent form or officially announce " I consent to doing this" before we get our freak on..... I said she didnt have the capacity to consent. Which was obvious based on a failure to even recollect what happened.

5. when you said wrong doing.....does that mean they did it wrong....or it just didn't go the way it should of.... it means he took advantage of somebody. sometimes that can be criminal

if you want to come out and accuse him of something fine.....but there may be just as good of a chance that he did nothing wrong as there is that he did something wrong.....we don't know why she is not continuing to pursue this at this time...the bottom line is that one of the reasons very well could be that Ben did nothing wrong....until that is eliminated, everything else is just speculation..... i'm accusing him of banging a chick who probably was resisting, but not forcefully and likely wasnt aware of what was going on. That is a common intoxicated date rape scenario. The circumstances surrounding such instances, however, are also why they often are not prosecuted or lead to a conviction

p.s. I'm even a Steelers fan and I'm not blinded to what's going on.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

is it possible that Ben did nothing wrong...?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't get this. He's a single guy partying with women. If he forced somebody to have sex with him, that's a crime, and I would like to see him in prison. But there is no evidence that this ever happened. Therefore, any suspension seems unfair to me. And I also don't know why we're condemning him.

that's not true. There just isnt enough in the opinion of the DA to get a conviction.My opinion is that this was basically a classic date rape situation. You have an intoxicated girl who says she doesnt know whether they had sex or not. Evidence shows that she did have sex (laceration, brusing, and bleeding in the genital area along with DNA being found, albeit not enough to ID the other party). If you had sex, but cant remember if you did or not, it sounds like there probably wasnt consent. Tough to prove in court, but evidence of wrong doing nonetheless.

I think the NFL suspends him 1-2 games and then the Steelers tack on an additional game or other punishment as well.

you're kidding....I mean....fishing right...?

What is he wrong about? Obviously there is some evidence of wrong doing or it never would have even gone to the DA. There isn't enough to convict of course, but that doesn't mean everything was on the up and up. Sure there's specualtion/opion but is that opinion so implausbile that it rises to a fishing trip?

please state what the evidence of wrong doing is....?

For one, the acusation is evidence of wrong doing. Whether it's strong evidence or not comes down the credibility.Then there's also circumstantial evidence (which has at times convicted people despite the notion by some of the general public that it's meaningless), such as:

- ######l tear and male DNA (shows there was likely a sexual encounter at the very least);

- plying an underaged girl with alcohol (maybe he knew maybe he didn't and generally nothing worng with getting a girl drunk, but in context yes it can be evidence of the eventual crime);

- using a bodyguard to escort a potential lover to a dark bathroom and then stand guard (could even be viewed as a means to keep her at bay - not saying it was but once again in context...)

- sorority sisters freaking out and worried about a rape - shows the girls isn't typically a bar slut (the fact that they were concerned is evidence that this was not a common practice for this girl)

Like I said the case did go to the DA because there was some evidence - whether you think it's strong evidence or that it could be easily countered or refuted is irrlevant. There are some indications that there could have been wrong doing.

You seem to be railing against anyone that feels there may have been some shenanigans while taking the other extreme. You keep bringing up going to jail ot getting fired just for having sex in the bathroom as if that's all that happened and it was completely innocent.

Personally I don't know what happened and neither do you - so to act as if Ben got rail-roaded is just as disingenuous as those that call him Rapistburger. The truth probably lies somehwere in between, but like I said who knows?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

is it possible that Ben did nothing wrong...?

Of course, it's very possible. I don't think its so crazy for people to think something fishy was going on though either.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

1. I thought it was sexual assault...not rape...sorry if I was wrong.

2. So her friends made her go to the police...okay.

3. Common sense tells me to go with what I know and what everybody else knows except the two of them, which is "I don't know what happened". If you have some inside knowledge as to what happened based on your common sense, maybe you should go to the DA and get this bad boy reopened.

4. We are agreeing here.....

5. you have no idea whether he took advantage of her or not.....this could all be made up....maybe she took advantage of him and was hoping to take even more advantage of him...

look...I am totally playing devils advocate here....I can make assumptions just like everybody else, but sometimes that's not fair.....there is the possibility that nothing happened and until that possibility goes away....maybe a civil suit or something, then you have to give him the benefit of the doubt....this young lady could have been trying to take advantage of a situation.....just like you think Ben was doing.....and let's not forget, he is filing a countersuit on the first one to try and clear his name.....

I liken it a little to all these guys that were accused of doing steroids and had their image tarnished, yet they never filed a defamation or counter suit or something against their accuser.....at least Ben so far has tried to clear his name from the first incident by taking legal action back at his accuser.....

 

[Stinkin Ref]

is it possible that Ben did nothing wrong...?

Of course, it's very possible. I don't think its so crazy for people to think something fishy was going on though either.

octo...thats been my point all along......thanks for summing it up in one sentence.....so if it's VERY possible....should he be suspended.....?

 

[Kenny Powers]

Those numbers Godsbrother threw out and some people agreed with about 80% of Steeler fans being okay if they got rid of Ben, and 50% being happy if they would, I think are WAY off.

People were/are in an uproar they got rid of Holmes for a 5th round pick. If they released/traded Roethlisberger, who knows what would happen. Maybe the first riot in Pittsburgh.

If as many as 50% of fans actually want him gone and would be happy if that happened, Id say 90% of those same fans would be the ones calling in to talkshows for Tomlin, Rooney, or whoevers head because the Steelers are 2-6 to start the year

 

[Dr. Octopus]

is it possible that Ben did nothing wrong...?

Of course, it's very possible. I don't think its so crazy for people to think something fishy was going on though either.

octo...thats been my point all along......thanks for summing it up in one sentence.....so if it's VERY possible....should he be suspended.....?

It depends on whether the commisioner feels it is conduct detrimental to the image of the league and a violation of NFL policy. That's not a criminal standard last I checked. I think it's possible that he did not commit a criminal act (although I think it's a very blurry line on the "consentual" nature of the act), but that's not the only issue here. Ben has done a few slimy things (in the public eye what you or I feel is not relevant).The NFL has a right to set conduct policies just as every private corporation does. If they feel a suspencion is warranted, then it is.Is it illegal for me to have two beers with my lunch on a Tuesday afternoon? No, of course not. But guess what? It is a fireable offense under the business conduct guideline set by my company. Is that outrageous or unfair? Perhaps, but it's the reality.See the difference?

 

[ICON211]

is it possible that Ben did nothing wrong...?

The DA seemed to go out of his way to make it seem like even though he could not prove it beyond a reasonable doubt something wrong took place. I was surprised how much information was given.

 

[Kenny Powers]

This just in, Roethlisberger was seen walking into his meeting with Goodell with a haircut

 

[Mark Wimer]

I'm in the 2-games-reduced-by-one-for-good-behavior/taking counseling- camp

 

[Stinkin Ref]

is it possible that Ben did nothing wrong...?

Of course, it's very possible. I don't think its so crazy for people to think something fishy was going on though either.

octo...thats been my point all along......thanks for summing it up in one sentence.....so if it's VERY possible....should he be suspended.....?

It depends on whether the commisioner feels it is conduct detrimental to the image of the league and a violation of NFL policy. That's not a criminal standard last I checked. I think it's possible that he did not commit a criminal act (although I think it's a very blurry line on the "consentual" nature of the act), but that's not the only issue here. Ben has done a few slimy things (in the public eye what you or I feel is not relevant).The NFL has a right to set conduct policies just as every private corporation does. If they feel a suspencion is warranted, then it is.Is it illegal for me to have two beers with my lunch on a Tuesday afternoon? No, of course not. But guess what? It is a fireable offense under the business conduct guideline set by my company. Is that outrageous or unfair? Perhaps, but it's the reality.See the difference?

if it's very possible that he did nothing wrong and the "outcome" of the alleged incident supports that....then no matter what business I am running I will be very careful about punishing someone for something that they may not have done just because I personally believe he may have done something wrong.....most of us would be on the phone with our attorneys in a second if that happened to us....I understand your beer/lunch example....if it is against policy and you still chose to do it, then you suffer the consequences....but lumping this sitation under the "conduct determined to be detrimental to the league" umbrella is very shaky if it has not been proven that he did anything wrong....

 

[Stinkin Ref]

This just in, Roethlisberger was seen walking into his meeting with Goodell with a haircut

he could get suspended for this if the haircut is determined to be detrimental to the image of the league......

 

[fatness]

Sources have told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Steelers are considering a suspension of their 28-year-old quarterback -- if National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell does not beat them to the punch -- even though prosecutors in Georgia announced the investigation and case against him have been dropped.

Steelers President Art Rooney II was described as "furious" by some after watching a news conference from Milledgeville, Ga., Monday afternoon that detailed in graphic terms some of Mr. Roethlisberger's escapades with a drunken 20-year-old woman. Mr. Rooney later issued a statement that the organization will consider the "next steps in this process" after consulting with Mr. Goodell. Mr. Rooney said the commissioner will meet with Mr. Roethlisberger in the next few days.

Steelers Ponder Suspension of RoethlisbergerI voted '4 games'.

 

[B-Deep]

is it possible that Ben did nothing wrong...?

Of course, it's very possible. I don't think its so crazy for people to think something fishy was going on though either.

octo...thats been my point all along......thanks for summing it up in one sentence.....so if it's VERY possible....should he be suspended.....?

It depends on whether the commisioner feels it is conduct detrimental to the image of the league and a violation of NFL policy. That's not a criminal standard last I checked. I think it's possible that he did not commit a criminal act (although I think it's a very blurry line on the "consentual" nature of the act), but that's not the only issue here. Ben has done a few slimy things (in the public eye what you or I feel is not relevant).The NFL has a right to set conduct policies just as every private corporation does. If they feel a suspencion is warranted, then it is.Is it illegal for me to have two beers with my lunch on a Tuesday afternoon? No, of course not. But guess what? It is a fireable offense under the business conduct guideline set by my company. Is that outrageous or unfair? Perhaps, but it's the reality.See the difference?

if it's very possible that he did nothing wrong and the "outcome" of the alleged incident supports that....then no matter what business I am running I will be very careful about punishing someone for something that they may not have done just because I personally believe he may have done something wrong.....most of us would be on the phone with our attorneys in a second if that happened to us....I understand your beer/lunch example....if it is against policy and you still chose to do it, then you suffer the consequences....but lumping this sitation under the "conduct determined to be detrimental to the league" umbrella is very shaky if it has not been proven that he did anything wrong....

Basing what we know off of the people who investigated the case:he bought drinks for a 20 year old and had sexual contact with her while she was too intoxicated to recall what happened. He did this months after being accused of rape in nevada. Being twice accused of rape and having a DA basically tell the world he thinks you did somehting wrong but cannot prosecute is detrimental to the leaguethis conduct would get many people fired, or put them on the #### list at their employer so they were fired the next time they screwed up in the leastnot being charged does not mean he did nothing wrong, and the league is not held to only what the law says he is guilty of. If you don't think this last year ben's actions have been detrimental to the league then I do not know what to say. I disagree, i think the comish will, it is clear the rooneys do, and I think even most steeler fans do. You would be in a very clear minority if you did not think he has done things detrimental to the league.

 

[Sweet Love]

Those numbers Godsbrother threw out and some people agreed with about 80% of Steeler fans being okay if they got rid of Ben, and 50% being happy if they would, I think are WAY off.

People were/are in an uproar they got rid of Holmes for a 5th round pick. If they released/traded Roethlisberger, who knows what would happen. Maybe the first riot in Pittsburgh.

If as many as 50% of fans actually want him gone and would be happy if that happened, Id say 90% of those same fans would be the ones calling in to talkshows for Tomlin, Rooney, or whoevers head because the Steelers are 2-6 to start the year

I think they are in an uproar, because the whole thing was a farce. I don't buy the "we traded Holmes as a warning to Roth" one bit. I do think it was a lame message to the league/fans, that "we will not tolerate delinquents", so that when Roth skates by with a 2 game suspension and the team gets crap for it, they can in turn point to the Holmes situation to that they do deal with inproper behavior.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Those numbers Godsbrother threw out and some people agreed with about 80% of Steeler fans being okay if they got rid of Ben, and 50% being happy if they would, I think are WAY off.

People were/are in an uproar they got rid of Holmes for a 5th round pick. If they released/traded Roethlisberger, who knows what would happen. Maybe the first riot in Pittsburgh.

If as many as 50% of fans actually want him gone and would be happy if that happened, Id say 90% of those same fans would be the ones calling in to talkshows for Tomlin, Rooney, or whoevers head because the Steelers are 2-6 to start the year

I think they are in an uproar, because the whole thing was a farce. I don't buy the "we traded Holmes as a warning to Roth" one bit. I do think it was a lame message to the league/fans, that "we will not tolerate delinquents", so that when Roth skates by with a 2 game suspension and the team gets crap for it, they can in turn point to the Holmes situation to that they do deal with inproper behavior.

There isnt any explanation for the Holmes deal besides stupid.Which I think the same could be said for the Rooneys if they suspend Roeth if in fact Goodell doesnt suspend him. The only reason they would suspend him would be for what you just said. It will piss off the fans who dont think Roeth deserves a suspension since he wasnt charged, and it wont appease the fans who are disgusted with Roeth.

 

[Godsbrother]

Those numbers Godsbrother threw out and some people agreed with about 80% of Steeler fans being okay if they got rid of Ben, and 50% being happy if they would, I think are WAY off.People were/are in an uproar they got rid of Holmes for a 5th round pick. If they released/traded Roethlisberger, who knows what would happen. Maybe the first riot in Pittsburgh.If as many as 50% of fans actually want him gone and would be happy if that happened, Id say 90% of those same fans would be the ones calling in to talkshows for Tomlin, Rooney, or whoevers head because the Steelers are 2-6 to start the year

I think you are underestimating how upset people are at Roethlisberger & Holmes. These guys are giving an organization I care about very much a bad name. I think the Steelers are capable of winning with players that don't continually have brush-ins with the law.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Gekko...sad but true.....well said

any form of punishment by Goddell or the Steelers means they support the fact that he did something wrong....even though he really may not have in any of these incidents......they may very well be "within their rights" to suspend him based on hurting the "image"....but once that can gets opened it could get ugly.....no employer wants bad press to be brought to their organization.....but some also might say that if you were innocent, you might hope that your employer would stand by you even if the press was bad.....Ben has done a few good things for the Steelers/league.....I think his overall attitude in general is killing him here.....things would be completely different if Peyton was accused of something like this.......

 

[Jeremy]

is it possible that Ben did nothing wrong...?

The DA seemed to go out of his way to make it seem like even though he could not prove it beyond a reasonable doubt something wrong took place. I was surprised how much information was given.

ESPN had one of their legal experts on this morning on Mike and Mike and he said it was very clear to him that the D.A. believed the young lady's story, but that she was just too drunk to give credible testimony. He even said he was suprised at the amount of detail the DA went into.

 

[E_Smith]

Gekko...sad but true.....well saidany form of punishment by Goddell or the Steelers means they support the fact that he did something wrong....even though he really may not have in any of these incidents......they may very well be "within their rights" to suspend him based on hurting the "image"....but once that can gets opened it could get ugly.....no employer wants bad press to be brought to their organization.....but some also might say that if you were innocent, you might hope that your employer would stand by you even if the press was bad.....Ben has done a few good things for the Steelers/league.....I think his overall attitude in general is killing him here.....things would be completely different if Peyton was accused of something like this.......

Did Kobe get suspended? Because the level of evidence against him was far greater, he was actually charged, and he then even apologized to the victim as part of an agreement and admitted that she didn't consent to the sex (or that he believed that she didn't consent, even though he thought at the time that she did).

 

[Godsbrother]

is it possible that Ben did nothing wrong...?

The DA seemed to go out of his way to make it seem like even though he could not prove it beyond a reasonable doubt something wrong took place. I was surprised how much information was given.

ESPN had one of their legal experts on this morning on Mike and Mike and he said it was very clear to him that the D.A. believed the young lady's story, but that she was just too drunk to give credible testimony. He even said he was suprised at the amount of detail the DA went into.

Which story was that? She told conflicting stories. I don't think the DA necessarily believed her story but he did think that Roethlisberger's behavior was immoral and felt there was a possibility that he did assualt her though it could not be proven.

 

[Mile High]

Gekko...sad but true.....well saidany form of punishment by Goddell or the Steelers means they support the fact that he did something wrong....even though he really may not have in any of these incidents......they may very well be "within their rights" to suspend him based on hurting the "image"....but once that can gets opened it could get ugly.....no employer wants bad press to be brought to their organization.....but some also might say that if you were innocent, you might hope that your employer would stand by you even if the press was bad.....Ben has done a few good things for the Steelers/league.....I think his overall attitude in general is killing him here.....things would be completely different if Peyton was accused of something like this.......

Did Kobe get suspended? Because the level of evidence against him was far greater, he was actually charged, and he then even apologized to the victim as part of an agreement and admitted that she didn't consent to the sex (or that he believed that she didn't consent, even though he thought at the time that she did).

Kobe doesn't play in the NFL. If he did he would have been suspended.

 

[The Man with the Plan]

Gekko...sad but true.....well said

any form of punishment by Goddell or the Steelers means they support the fact that he did something wrong....even though he really may not have in any of these incidents......they may very well be "within their rights" to suspend him based on hurting the "image"....but once that can gets opened it could get ugly.....no employer wants bad press to be brought to their organization.....but some also might say that if you were innocent, you might hope that your employer would stand by you even if the press was bad.....Ben has done a few good things for the Steelers/league.....I think his overall attitude in general is killing him here.....things would be completely different if Peyton was accused of something like this.......

Did Kobe get suspended? Because the level of evidence against him was far greater, he was actually charged, and he then even apologized to the victim as part of an agreement and admitted that she didn't consent to the sex (or that he believed that she didn't consent, even though he thought at the time that she did).

Nope.

 

[Kevrunner]

I voted 4 games suspension, 2 by the NFL and 2 by the Steelers and during this time off Bib Ben will enroll in a sex addiction facility.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Those numbers Godsbrother threw out and some people agreed with about 80% of Steeler fans being okay if they got rid of Ben, and 50% being happy if they would, I think are WAY off.

People were/are in an uproar they got rid of Holmes for a 5th round pick. If they released/traded Roethlisberger, who knows what would happen. Maybe the first riot in Pittsburgh.

If as many as 50% of fans actually want him gone and would be happy if that happened, Id say 90% of those same fans would be the ones calling in to talkshows for Tomlin, Rooney, or whoevers head because the Steelers are 2-6 to start the year

I think you are underestimating how upset people are at Roethlisberger & Holmes. These guys are giving an organization I care about very much a bad name. I think the Steelers are capable of winning with players that don't continually have brush-ins with the law.

Maybe so, although I think that most of these people are overreacting at the same time. Im as big of a sports fan as anybody, and Pittsburgh teams especially when it comes to NFL/NHL/MLB, but I judge players based on their ability on the field, not their character off the field. That doesnt mean what Roethlisberger or Holmes have been accused of, charged with, etc doesnt impact how I feel about them, but based on their actions up to this point, I still want them on my team. Or at least wouldnt get rid of them unless the price is right.Maybe thats just me, but Im amazed at all these fans who probably couldnt name a dozen players on the Steelers roster yet are reacting with such strong negative feelings and emotions towards Roeth (not saying youre one of these people). If Zach Duke was accused of raping someone, I dont think too many people would care because the Pirates are terrible, yet fans are increasingly sick of guys like Roethlisberger & Holmes all of a sudden who IMO without them, Steelers still wouldnt have a Super Bowl win since the 70's.

Sports is cutthroat, athletes shouldnt be role models, and every player isnt someone you'd want to date your sister. I can understand why people dont like how these players actions have tarnished the Steelers brand, but Id rather have Ben Roethlisberger as my QB than christ reborn Tim Tebow.

 

[CrossEyed]

I voted 4 games suspension, 2 by the NFL and 2 by the Steelers and during this time off Bib Ben will enroll in a sex addiction facility.

This is what I'm thinking also.

 

[E_Smith]

I voted 4 games suspension, 2 by the NFL and 2 by the Steelers and during this time off Bib Ben will enroll in a sex addiction facility.

This is what I'm thinking also.

I think that is unlikely. If the league suspends him 2 games, then I think the Steelers stand pat with that. If the league doesn't suspend him, I think the Steelers at most suspend him 1 game. What do the Steelers really have to gain by suspending him? To show the fans they won't put up with his behavior? I think just as many fans want to win games.

In the end, I don't know if I even agree with suspending him over this...because the evidence just wasn't there. If we take this out of the realm of sex and drinking, and suppose Ben was accused by a grocery store of shoplifting, but they didn't charge him because the evidence wasn't there, is it right for his employer to suspend him and dock his pay?

 

[Kenny Powers]

In the end, I don't know if I even agree with suspending him over this...because the evidence just wasn't there. If we take this out of the realm of sex and drinking, and suppose Ben was accused by a grocery store of shoplifting, but they didn't charge him because the evidence wasn't there, is it right for his employer to suspend him and dock his pay?

Probably not the best analogy, guy

 

[FantasyMan]

Those numbers Godsbrother threw out and some people agreed with about 80% of Steeler fans being okay if they got rid of Ben, and 50% being happy if they would, I think are WAY off.

People were/are in an uproar they got rid of Holmes for a 5th round pick. If they released/traded Roethlisberger, who knows what would happen. Maybe the first riot in Pittsburgh.

If as many as 50% of fans actually want him gone and would be happy if that happened, Id say 90% of those same fans would be the ones calling in to talkshows for Tomlin, Rooney, or whoevers head because the Steelers are 2-6 to start the year

I think you are underestimating how upset people are at Roethlisberger & Holmes. These guys are giving an organization I care about very much a bad name. I think the Steelers are capable of winning with players that don't continually have brush-ins with the law.

Maybe so, although I think most of these people are overreacting at the same time. Im as big of a sports fan as anybody, and Pittsburgh teams especially, but I judge players based on their ability on the field, not their character off the field. That doesnt mean was Roethlisberger or Holmes have been accused of, charged with, etc doesnt impact how I feel about them, but based on their actions up to this point, I still want them on my team.Maybe thats just me, but Im amazed at all these fans who probably couldnt name a dozen players on the Steelers yet are reacting with such strong negative feelings and emotions towards Roeth (not saying youre one of these people). If Zach Duke was accused of raping someone, I dont think too many people would care because the Pirates are terrible, yet fans are increasingly sick of guys like Roethlisberger & Holmes all of a sudden who IMO without the Steelers still wouldnt have a Super Bowl win since the 70's.

Sports is cutthroat, athletes, shouldnt be role models, and every player isnt someone you'd want to date your sister. I can understand why people dont like how these players actions have tarnished the Steelers brand, but Id rather have Ben Roethlisberger as my QB than christ reborn Tim Tebow.

Whether or not you believe that athletes should be role models is irrelevant. They are role models, like it or not. On top of that, both Ben and Santonio KNEW that how they conduct themselves off the field matters - to most fans and, more importantly, to the league. Goodell has been commissioner long enough that every NFL player knows what will happen to them if they get into trouble off the field.The problem is that both Ben and Santonio either didn't care about the repercussions and what that would mean to the team or are too dumb to fully understand that what they were doing is wrong in the eyes of the league. There is no third option here. It's one or the other - they either didn't care about their team or they are idiots. Either way, I wouldn't want either of them on my team for this reason.

 

[E_Smith]

In the end, I don't know if I even agree with suspending him over this...because the evidence just wasn't there. If we take this out of the realm of sex and drinking, and suppose Ben was accused by a grocery store of shoplifting, but they didn't charge him because the evidence wasn't there, is it right for his employer to suspend him and dock his pay?

Probably not the best analogy, guy

it was just a subliminal Jerry McGuire reference.

 

[Comer]

I voted 4 games suspension, 2 by the NFL and 2 by the Steelers and during this time off Bib Ben will enroll in a sex addiction facility.

Every guy has sex addition,that is the new hotness going around.

 

[Gopher State]

Former NFL player Amani Toomer said he's watching closely and advocated a half-season suspension for Roethlisberger. He told ESPN Radio (via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review):

"I'm interested to see what's going to happen with Roger Goodell, because there's precedent in this situation with Pacman Jones. He never got convicted of anything, but he got arrested a lot of times. What is (Goodell) going to do?

"Ben Roethlisberger ... the NFL is running away from this like the plague. ... He should be suspended for at least eight games."

I always liked Amani