Thursday, April 22, 2010

The B***h is Back!!!




After a hiatus that has lasted entirely TOO long, I'm back to wreak havoc on the blogosphere. I don't want my brain to melt right away, so I'm coming back with something that is of much interest here in da 'burgh. That's right, the Ben Roethlisberger situation.

The 28-year-old quarterback, who has two Super Bowl rings, dodged a bullet earlier when it was announced that a second allegation of inappropriate sexual behavior would not be prosecuted. The first occurred when a hostess at Harrah's in Las Vegas accused Big Ben of sexual assault. Now, word has it that the Rooney family isn't about to let Ben have a third crack at facing legal trouble.

While I gave Ben the benefit of the doubt during the first accusation of sexual misconduct, he's not getting off (pardon the pun) so easily with this diehard Steeler fan. A disturbing pattern seems to be emerging, and the Rooney family is right to distance themselves from having the reputation of being the owners of a team riddled with criminals. It's about maintaining a certain level of standards. After all, it's their family name and reputation on the line. And we here in da 'burgh know that The Chief (left) would not stand for this crap.

Ben, at first, seemed to be the all-American squeaky-clean kid next door when he first arrived in the only city that can boast SIX Vince Lombardi trophies. Very quickly after a meteor ride to stardom, the young man from a small Ohio college grabbed headlines after foolishly riding and crashing his motorcycle while not wearing a helmet. Granted that it was his choice as Pennsylvania repealed the mandatory helmet law, but he could've used a little common sense knowing that he was getting paid obscene amounts of money to be in top form. The "I'm Ben Roethlisberger" mentality was born.

During his first battle with the law concerning the hostess at Harrah's, I was willing to say that this could have been a 'He said/She said' incident with no one really knowing the truth. The dust settled, and the Steeler nation was relieved.

Then came the second and most recent allegations involving a woman in a bar restroom claiming that Ben sexually assaulted her (doesn't THAT scream romance!). While prosecutors have decided not to pursue criminal action, the Steeler nation is starting to jump off of the "Ben's the Best" bandwagon.

We are sick and tired of the arrogant entitlement mentality of those who think the world exists only for their desires, and the Rooney family knows that we Steeler fans spend A LOT of money on merchandise. Being business savvy, what do you think they're going to do? If you said "Keep Ben", you don't know the Rooney family.

The latest news tonight is that Ben could potentially be traded after signing a multi-million dollar contract just a few years ago. Fueling the speculation is the fact that Byron Leftwich was brought back to Pittsburgh from Tampa. Why would the team need a fourth quarterback?? Hmmmm??? It does make for interesting debate.

It's going to be extremely interesting to see what the next move is going to be in this chess game. The stakes are high, but the Rooney family never tolerated arrogance and flashiness (except for Frenchy Fuqua) within their organization. They have tried to maintain a level of comfort for each and every fan so that anyone could imagine themselves going into the local beer joint and buying a round for the players. Ben's seemingly repetitive behavior will not tarnish that reputation for the Rooney family.

Maybe Ben is a long lost son of Ted Kennedy. He sure acts like it.

*Special message for all of you: Thanks to everyone who has offered prayers and words of encouragement during a very difficult time in my life. The journey isn't over, but I'm moving full steam ahead with life. And for yinz to still lend a kind word or an ear to listen, that makes me extremely blessed. I hope to one day return the kindness. (((hugs)))

10 comments:

The Right Guy said...

The first clue was riding a motorcycle without a helmet. I believe there is a helmet law in Pennsylvania. On top of it, he almost got killed in an accident because of this. Obviously his thinking processes aren't working very well.

This is nothing new. Football players aren't theoretical physicists. They don't have to be. All players take the Wonderlic test. It's an intelligence test. Dan marino got a 14 out of 50 I think. That's borderline moron, but he could throw a ball. Generally the offensive line scores the highest, with averages in the 28-30 range. Only one person got a 50, and he was a punter that went to Harvard. For the record, The Right Guy got a 50. It's not that hard of a test. Football players must be really dumb.

The other side of this is that a lot of these guys get their ass kissed all their lives for being about to do that one thing well. That in itself breeds the entitlement, and the lack of critical thinking leads to even worse behavior.

Timeshare Jake said...

Can you say Oakland?

blackandgoldfan said...

Hey RG! Glad to see you again!

In Pennsylvania, the mandatory helmet law was repealed in favor of allowing riders to choose whether or not to wear a helmet. Ben's accident occurred very shortly after the law went into effect, so that's why he didn't get any citations for not wearing a helmet.

I'll have to look at this test. I'd be interested to see how I would do. New game show: Are You Smarter Than a Football Player?

The entitlement mentality has spread over recent generations like the plague. It's time we make sure that it comes to a screeching halt. Only then will there be hope once again for future generations.

blackandgoldfan said...

BB: At least you didn't say 'Cleveland'! ;)

The Right Guy said...

I think the entitlement has existed to some extent in years past except there probably was a lot of payoffs and what not. With new media today, it's more difficult for governments and other entities to control information. Drudge ruined it for them.

While I don't support mandatory helmet laws, I think it's darwin's test whether or not someone wears one. Ben didn't and considering the low speeds involved, he would not have had the injuries he did have if he had been wearing one.

I do wear a helmet.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back, Denise! I see you have a new blog makeover and the chick with shades looks pretty hot. A bit of a Chrissy Hynde rocker look ;)
You sound good dear. Hope things are evening out for you.

Best regards,
Will

blackandgoldfan said...

Dearest William: I've so missed my blogger buddies!!! Things here are evening out and looking up. I feel good about life. Scared? Yeah. A bit. But I'm leaving it in the hands of the Big Guy upstairs.

Thank you for the compliment. I never saw myself as a potential Chrissy Hynde, but I LOVE the edgy look. Makes me feel pretty!!!

The Right Guy said...

Dye your hair red and may be Christina Hendricks?

blackandgoldfan said...

RG: After seeing Christina Hendricks, there is absolutely NO WAY I could ever pass for her. Let's just say that Victoria's Secret couldn't help me that much!

Amusing Bunni said...

Hi B & G! I hope your Steelers play well and win, that would be good, since you like them so much.

I hope you have a nice weekend, and I'm happy to offer encouragement. It's sad you have to go thru such trying times, but I know you'll come out on top.
God will guide you, and your life will be much better in the coming days. Take care, TTYL.