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 Granted that it was his choice as Pennsylvania repealed the mandatory helmet law, but he could've used a little common sense knowing that he was getting paid obscene amounts of money to be in top form.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)))

Kudos to Big Ben

It was announced yesterday that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, through his attorney, has rejected a proposed settlement offer from Andrea McNulty, a former casino worker who has accused the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback of sexual assault. Thank Heaven there is SOMEONE out there willing to stand up to these women who give all of us of the female persuasion a bad name.

The settlement proposal asked for Big Ben to admit the charges, apologize, and donate $100,000 to a Reno-based charity that assists women who are victims of domestic violence. While, on the surface, the offer seems noble, my gut tells me there's more to this.

A lot of people will argue that McNulty must be telling the truth because she doesn't want any money for herself. Not so fast there, lefties. While she wants the money donated to charity, $100,000 could potentially be a drop in the financial bucket. Ms. McNulty, in my theory, may be looking at the big picture. Could you imagine the money she could stand to make in a book deal? She would forever be known as the woman who fought a superstar athlete and won. The left just LOVES that! At the very least, her exposure in the media would garner her a sum that would be nothing to sneeze at. I can picture her crying on Oprah's couch right now.

Think about this. Ben could cut a personal check for the money and not blink an eye. Hell, he may even spend that much a month on clothes. Who knows? The one thing Ben is not willing to sacrifice is his reputation. He, evidently, holds that much higher than the money. It may cost him more to defend his honor in the long run, but I get the feeling that he won't mind a bit.

We will never know exactly what happened on the night in question, but I have a sinking feeling that this is a case of someone looking for their fifteen minutes of fame.

I wonder if Ms. McNulty is originally from Cleveland or Baltimore...

Big Ben: Let's Not Jump to Conclusions

Image via Wikipedia

We are fast approaching the third holiest season of the year behind Easter and Christmas: Steeler football season. As a lifelong, die-hard Steeler fan (the tattoo in my profile pic is real), I'd be remiss in putting my two cents in about the recent allegations in civil court that have been leveled against Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

An employee of Harrah's in Las Vegas has accused the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl of rape. The alleged incident occurred last year while Roethlisberger was attending a celebrity golf tournament in Sin City. While Big Ben vehemently denies the allegations and vows to fight, a couple of questions need to be asked.

If this woman was raped, why not file a police report and open a criminal investigation immediately? I know there are those who say that rape victims are too ashamed to admit that they were violated, but she had no problem telling other employees according to her affidavit.

Why file in civil instead of criminal court? One reason: money. In civil court, a unanimous jury verdict is not required, and punitive damages can reach the stratosphere. Big Ben was just signed after last season to a FAT (and may I add "phat") multi-year contract.

This incident reminds me of the rape allegations that were leveled against Mike Tyson at the pinnacle of his career. I've always believed and will always believe that he was railroaded. If a man asks you to go to his hotel room at 2 a.m., it's normally not to play checkers. A little common sense and forethought to not put yourself in that situation is in order.

That being said, I do NOT believe that rape victims "ask for it". Rape is a horrible crime that can scar a person for life. Those who commit these crimes are animals. In today's society, unfortunately, there are those who are always looking for fast money, and they will ruin the reputation of anyone who has the big bucks without any remorse. In my eyes, that is a form of rape.

We'll see in coming weeks just how this is going to play out. The LVPD has already said that they are not going to open an investigation. If he's truly guilty, he needs to have the book thrown at him.

Whether you love the Steelers or hate them, you have to admit that something about this just doesn't make sense.

Do you think she could be a Baltimore fan?