Roethlisberger Won't Appeal

[mavskidd02]

Six games, could be cut to four. I think it's steep either way. He says today he won't appeal, which I found strange, due to the extremity of the suspension.

Thoughts on how this effects Pittsburgh?

[bryce]

Wow--I live in the burgh and this has been plastered and beaten up to no end by the media...

I think this kills Pittsburgh in the sense that it is a huge distraction. It is hard to build any type of continuity with a QB out for 4-6 games. I think this mentally will play on the Pittsburgh team as well. Put it this way you are coming into a brand new season--your two time Super Bowl QB on the shelf because of the allegations and behavior. Your best receiver IMO has gone to the Jets. 40% of your offense is gone from the year before...OK 30-40 percent in terms of yardage. You look to Dixon-Batch or Leftwich to carry this team through the first 4-6 weeks. I don't know IMO it looks pretty scary for the Steeler faithful. I think in the first 4-6 weeks Tomlin will be playing RUN RUN RUN the ball and hoping his defense can deliver in a huge way.

[bryce]

Mavs-I don't think he is appealing just to show that he is sorry---that he wants this behind him etc type of thing. He knows he is on his last leg with the Steelers and to keep this thing going and in the news is not in his best interest.....

[harold_bush]

As a fan of the Falcons, who travel to Pitt in week 1, I say yipee!

I've always felt Ben was a piece of shit glory whore, and I'm not shedding a tear for him. Even before his propensity to manhandle women came up I couldn't stand this guy.

With that said, I think this is totally the smart and obvious call. You can argue about the severity of hte penalty, but as mentioned, he has to accept this to move on. If he appeals the suspension he will definitely be potrayed as not being sincerely sorry for what happened and people will think he didn't learn his lesson. This is an absolute no brainer move from him. Short term loss, long term gain. This is the total right move from a big picture perspective.

[mavskidd02]

Mavs-I don't think he is appealing just to show that he is sorry---that he wants this behind him etc type of thing. He knows he is on his last leg with the Steelers and to keep this thing going and in the news is not in his best interest.....

I agree 100%. And if it were a 2-4 game suspension, then definitely, no appeal. But 6 games is huge for a team to lose a Pro Bowl QB. That's why I'm surprised he's keeping his mouth shut and taking the punishment.

[mavskidd02]

First 6 games:

Atlanta
@ Tennessee
@ Tampa Bay
Baltimore
Cleveland
@ Miami

If Roethlisberger does have to serve 6. I say 3-3 at best for the Steelers.

[frankb03]

Six games, could be cut to four. I think it's steep either way. He says today he won't appeal, which I found strange, due to the extremity of the suspension.

Thoughts on how this effects Pittsburgh?

Too steep? The guy should be in jail for rape. If he was the average Joe he would. He has a history of sexual assault. Other reports have surfaced in addition to the Lake Tahoe lawsuit.

Also, he's not well liked by some fans and merchants in Pittsburgh. He's very condescending.

[frankb03]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...16101ben1.html

[wayne1218]

First 6 games:

Atlanta
@ Tennessee
@ Tampa Bay
Baltimore
Cleveland
@ Miami

If Roethlisberger does have to serve 6. I say 3-3 at best for the Steelers.

That is not the toughest 6 game stretch by any means. With defense and a qb that doesn't turn the ball over, (3-3) should be worst case scenario imo. Probably (4-2)

[harold_bush]

I agree 100%. And if it were a 2-4 game suspension, then definitely, no appeal. But 6 games is huge for a team to lose a Pro Bowl QB. That's why I'm surprised he's keeping his mouth shut and taking the punishment.

He is only going to be suspended for four games, you can mark that down. If what I heard was correct then this is like Vick's indefinite suspension, if certain requirements are met the suspension will be reduced. I'm sure "off the record" he has been told it will be four games if he complies w/ his orders.

[harold_bush]

Too steep? The guy should be in jail for rape. If he was the average Joe he would. He has a history of sexual assault. Other reports have surfaced in addition to the Lake Tahoe lawsuit.

Also, he's not well liked by some fans and merchants in Pittsburgh. He's very condescending.

I agree Frank, this guy is an absolute piece of shit and should be put in jail. Too much smoke for there not to be fire. It sounds like the ONLY reason he isn't being prosecuted is b/c the victim and her family have decided they don't want to be dragged through the mud by the media. As much as I'd want vengence I can understand this b/c it is a lock that this would be an absolute circus for the victim. This is not that uncommon in legitimate rape cases where the victim doesn't want to essentially be victimized again by having to stand up in court in front of anyone off the street and rehash what happened. B/c of who Ben is the attention would be magnified a million times over and would be extremely difficult for her and her family to go through.

Karma is a bitch and I will be the first to cheer when that piece of shit has something like a career ending injury happen to him.

[jcindaville]

I am a big Steeler fan, seeing all of this go on with Ben is very disturbing to say the least. I am not one to pass judgement on him as a rapist, using poor judgement yes but rape no, just because some web site says something doesnt make it fact.

Maybe he did rape them, I will never know that, if he did, then I hope Karma gets him as Harold said.

I dont know how much i believe of any of this, if he raped that girl in that bathroom, and i mean raped her, really, she isnt going to press charges?? Come on, yes she would, if she had bruising and his DNA pouring out of her his ass would be arrested, going to trial and then she would sue if he didnt go to jail. I dont buy that mess about being embarrased, if you were REALLY raped, you would stop at nothing to make whoever did pay for his crime.

You see what happened to Ben when he wasnt even charged with anything, imagine if they had physical evidence of rape, shit he would be kicked out of the league and go to jail. Dont believe me, see Michael Vick, he fought dogs and killed some of them, Big Ben raping a 20 year old and he would get away with it, bull shit. Poor judgement, yes, is he a pig, yes he is, is he an asshole, probably. But to throw out the rape word, come on now, that is carrying it a bit far.

JMO

[wayne1218]

JC, Chances are, her little lawyer would have no shot vs Ben's million $ lawyers if she did go through with it. She was drunk by her own admission and the details and memory are somewhat sketchy. Ben has all the off duty officers and bodyguards who guarded the door speaking on his behalf and a trial would do nothing but drag her and her name through the mud. She would really have nothing to gain by going through with it and she would very likely lose anyway. The prosecution cannot file a charge on Ben if she is the main witness and refuses to testify so they had to drop it. She was in a 18 and over club and she was not 21. Ben knew that because the 18-20 year olds have bracelets put on their wrist so people know they are not of drinking age. Ben fed her drinks all night anyway. She, of course, became drunk. With nothing to gain and everything to lose, a trial is somewhat useless to her at this point.

What's the next best thing? If you know you basically have no chance at a guilty verdict in a trial, you make him pay for what he did in a civil suit. The key here is that you CAN NOT file a civil suit if there are criminal charges pending. Well, since there are no criminal charges pending because of her unwillingness to go forward with it, it opens the door for a civil suit and she has a GREAT chance to get rewarded some money if that happens. Ben would want to end that one quickly and quietly and in the end, she would get finacial justice for what happened that night and Ben moves on.

[harold_bush]

I am a big Steeler fan, seeing all of this go on with Ben is very disturbing to say the least. I am not one to pass judgement on him as a rapist, using poor judgement yes but rape no, just because some web site says something doesnt make it fact.

Maybe he did rape them, I will never know that, if he did, then I hope Karma gets him as Harold said.

I dont know how much i believe of any of this, if he raped that girl in that bathroom, and i mean raped her, really, she isnt going to press charges?? Come on, yes she would, if she had bruising and his DNA pouring out of her his ass would be arrested, going to trial and then she would sue if he didnt go to jail. I dont buy that mess about being embarrased, if you were REALLY raped, you would stop at nothing to make whoever did pay for his crime.

You see what happened to Ben when he wasnt even charged with anything, imagine if they had physical evidence of rape, shit he would be kicked out of the league and go to jail. Dont believe me, see Michael Vick, he fought dogs and killed some of them, Big Ben raping a 20 year old and he would get away with it, bull shit. Poor judgement, yes, is he a pig, yes he is, is he an asshole, probably. But to throw out the rape word, come on now, that is carrying it a bit far.

JMO

JC, I used to think this exact same way, but when you get beyond this surface reaction I can tell you things aare a million times more difficult than you would imagine. I hope that nobody you ever know has to go through anything like this, but I can tell you the decision is MUCH more difficult than you think. Until someone you know is in this situation it is hard to say how you react. As I mentioned earlier, rape victims often times would rather put this behind them then to have to drag it out for a year or so in the legal system. It is much harder than it would seem on the surface to tell your devastating story in front of a bunch of strangers. It would be very difficult to get up in front of strangers and talk about such a life altering and personal event.

Now, when you are dealing with a celebrity as your attacker, this is all a million times more difficult. If she were to press charges she would have TMZ, Enquirer, etc camping out in her town. Interviewing her friends, old boyfriends, coworkers, old teachers, etc. You entire life becomes public record and the other side will do everything in their power to smear herr name. Remember that one night you made a mistake and had a one night stand? Well, that comes out and she is portrayed as a whore. You were drinking on the night in question? Well, that means you are drunk and you don't remember really what happened. Oh wait, she is just making this us up to sue him and make some easy money. I mean the list goes on and on and it just constantly keeps victimizing the victim even further.

While obviously I can't say for sure Ben is a rapist (I am certainly entitled to my opinion, and my opinion is that he is a sexual predator), please don't confuse her lack of pushing this case to mean nothing happened. Let me ask you this, let's say she never pursues a civil case, what would be her incentive to be making this up?

[mavskidd02]

Too steep? The guy should be in jail for rape. If he was the average Joe he would. He has a history of sexual assault. Other reports have surfaced in addition to the Lake Tahoe lawsuit.

Also, he's not well liked by some fans and merchants in Pittsburgh. He's very condescending.

He probably is guilty, and used money to buy himself out. But the NFL isn't the police. People have done and been convicted of a lot things that the NFL has turned a blind eye to. So to suspend someone for 6 games who by our legal system's standards is "innocent", I think is a little much.