Written by Chris O’Dell
Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended six games Wednesday for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. With NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision, the league showed that it will not put up with its players putting the NFL in a negative light.
The six-game suspension sent a powerful message to the Steelers’ star quarterback, to the rest of the NFL and to all fans around the country. Roethlisberger was held in the same regard as any other player who has violated the same policy. Adam “Pacman” Jones experienced it. Donte Stallworth experienced it. Former Razorback Matt Jones experienced it, and any player that breaks the rules will experience the same thing.
However, Roethlisberger should be held in even higher regard than the above-mentioned players. The Steelers quarterback is one of the biggest stars in the league, and far more people look up to “Big Ben” than Pacman, Stallworth or Jones. In fact, Roesthlisberger might be one of the 10 or 15 most recognizable faces in the entire league.
Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls on one of the most prominent teams in league history. The NFL had plans to market the star quarterback, who at 28-years-old has been to more Super Bowls than Brett Favre, Dan Marino and Peyton Manning.
If this were one isolated incident then Roethlisberger probably would have gotten a slap on the wrist and moved right on with his career. However, this makes multiple occasions where he has put himself and his team in a negative light. He has time and time again put the league he works for in a tough situation. A combination of alcohol, poor judgment and a mysterious bathroom encounter with a 20-year-old woman was the last straw for Roethlisberger. He is now on close watch by Goodell and the rest of the league for any negative behavior.
The league has demanded that the Steelers’ quarterback undergo a major behavioral evaluation. And don’t think that just because the Georgia police decided not to file charges against Roethlisberger, that he is innocent of any wrongdoing. In fact, Roethlisberger had no business walking into that club and will most likely regret ever having gone into the place.
In addition to the Milledgeville incident, there has been a sexual assault damages lawsuit filed in Reno, Nev., by a hotel concierge who says Roethlisberger lured her to his room and raped her in July 2008. Roethlisberger has also rejected any advice former Steeler Terry Bradshaw gave to the young quarterback and wound up paying for it.
Bradshaw reportedly told Roethlisberger to give up his motorcycle years ago and the 28-year-old was angered at Bradshaw for giving him advice. Roethlisberger later crashed his motorcycle and suffered serious injuries that could have affected his career. Luckily for Roethlisberger, the injuries were not career-threatening, and he returned to football the next season.
However, Roesthlisberger is threatening his career in more than one way now. If he does not straighten his life out soon, he might soon be purged from any football memory. He might soon become the next Adam Jones, Donte Stallworth or Matt Jones — all players with talent who have suffered extreme setbacks since making a bad decision. Roethlisberger might be headed down the same path.
After looking at past situations in Roethlisberger’s short career, it is easy to see why Goodell gave the quarterback a six-game suspension. And after examining his past mistakes, it is more than fair for the Steelers’ quarterback to sit out six weeks and reflect on the kind of person he wants to be in life.
