Ben Roethlisberger Accused of Sexual Assault

[CougarQuest]

I vote to just castrate him and move on......

[AmishBengalFan]

If the chick backs out because she was waaay over the limit and waaay underage, it'll just empower Bath to get even younger girls even more drunk.

[Jamie_B]

[quote name='Bengals1181' date='25 March 2010 - 12:58 PM' timestamp='1269536280' post='872982']
true. My thinking is that the tapes showed their bartenders not carding an underage patron, and the bar taped over it to protect themselves from serving an underaged guest.
[/quote]


If thats the case and I'm the authorities, I'm asking where Bill Belichick was on the night in question.




[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' date='25 March 2010 - 02:16 PM' timestamp='1269540960' post='873018']
i keeps me one of deez

[img]http://toilet-net.up.seesaa.net/image/Toiletcam-3689-61x91-poster__7828233_0-thumbnail2.jpg[/img]
[/quote]



Note to self, dont ever use the restrooms at the melting pot.

[BengalRep85-9]

[b][size="5"]Bathroom entry was guarded[/size][/b]

The manager of the club where Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is accused of having sexually assaulted a 20-year-old Georgia woman said Thursday one of the woman's friends told him a bodyguard of Roethlisberger's had denied her entrance to the area leading to the bathroom where she believed the accuser and Roethlisberger were that night.

The accuser told police later that night Roethlisberger had assaulted her in the club's bathroom.


Rocky Duncan, the manager of Capital City bar in Milledgeville, Ga., said Roethlisberger and his entourage of "about nine" people, not including the accuser or her friends, had arrived at the bar at approximately 1:10 a.m. Duncan said a member of Roethlisberger's group had asked for VIP seating in a private section of the club and a bouncer from the club to be stationed outside the area. Duncan said Roethlisberger's friend said, "We want the girls [to be allowed back into that section]."

Duncan said he escorted Rothlisberger and his group to the back room, sealed off by a curtain, that serves as the VIP area. Duncan said the bouncer, stationed outside the curtain, allowed women into the VIP area throughout the night.

Later in the evening, according to Duncan, most of Roethlisberger's group had wandered from the VIP area to a larger room that opens up off it -- a room also closed to the general public. Duncan said there were about 25 people in that area, called "the stage room."

Duncan said he saw Roethlisberger standing and talking with what appeared to be a woman sitting on a stool a few feet from the bathroom door, which was separated from the stage room by a 4-foot divider. Roethlisberger's frame blocked Duncan from seeing the woman. But Duncan added he had never seen the accuser and did not know what she looked like. Duncan said a member of Roethlisberger's entourage, whom he called "the ringleader," was sitting on a stool about a foot away from the door that led to the area where Roethlisberger and the woman had been talking.

Approximately 30 seconds after he saw Roethlisberger talking to the woman, Duncan said one of the accuser's friends approached Duncan and said, "I think my friend is in the bathroom with Ben, but the door [leading to the bathroom area] is locked, and I'm trying to get back there, and this guy [one of Roethlisberger's friends] wouldn't let me through." Duncan said she also told him, "I think my friend may be drunk."

Duncan said the accuser's friend "did not seem frantic, it was someone just looking for her friend." He said he told the woman she could either try to hop over the divider that separated the stage room from the bathroom area or "go around to the back and go through the backside entrance, because that door doesn't have a handle to it and you can go in that way." Duncan said he didn't know if the woman tried to get back into the bathroom area.

When asked if he thought there was anything alarming about a member of Roethlisberger's group was standing outside a locked door, prohibiting someone from going into that area, Duncan said, "No, not really. Those guys had been protective of Ben all night. You wouldn't want someone taking a snapshot of Ben using the toilet."

There are seven cameras inside Capital City, according to Duncan. There are no cameras in the VIP area or in the "stage room" because those areas were added during a renovation. From camera footage that records the entrance and the main dance floor area, Duncan said he believes he saw the accuser and her friends -- which included the woman who had approached him earlier -- leave the bar around 1:45 a.m.

"They just walked out together," he said, "like you see any other time."

Duncan said he learned someone had made an accusation against Roethlisberger when "I got a call from Sergeant [Jerry] Blash, and he said a young woman approached him and said Ben assaulted her. He asked if they [Roethlisberger's group] were still at the club, and I said, 'Yes.' "

Duncan said police came to the club and spoke "briefly" with Roethlisberger and his group, in what Duncan described as an informal way. Duncan said he talked with police March 5, the day the allegations were made.

When he was asked if Roethlisberger had seemed inebriated that night, Duncan said, "You see a lot at a bar. Was he the drunkest person I ever met? No. Did he have a buzz? Probably."

On March 8, three days after the alleged incident, Duncan said police reviewed video footage of the night at his office in the club. The police were called away suddenly because of a murder in the area. Shortly afterwards, Duncan said, his "tech guy" tried to make a copy of the camera outputs to give to the police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which was assisting on the case, but encountered problems. Duncan said they had trouble accessing the video again, and he was later informed by the GBI that there was nothing on the recordings.

The GBI said it has spoken with every member of Roethlisberger's group, except Roethlisberger. The GBI's initial request for a sample of Roethlisberger's DNA was rescinded more than a week ago, but its request to speak with Roethlisberger is still outstanding. Despite recently published reports to the contrary, the accuser "is still actively cooperating with the GBI's investigation," a source with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday.

ESPN phoned two women who were listed in the police incident report as being with the accuser that night, to ask for comment or corroboration. One said, "I can't comment on any of this, I'm sorry;" the other woman hung up.

Roethlisberger's attorney, Ed Garland, was not immediately available for comment.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5028720

[Dautcom08]

[quote name='BengalRep85-9' date='26 March 2010 - 12:29 AM' timestamp='1269577784' post='873187']
[b][size="5"]Bathroom entry was guarded[/size][/b]

[b]Duncan said he saw Roethlisberger standing and talking with what appeared to be a woman[/b]

ESPN phoned two women who were listed in the police incident report as being with the accuser that night, to ask for comment or corroboration. One said, "I can't comment on any of this, I'm sorry;" the other woman hung up.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5028720
[/quote]

Chick's a dude. Again...

[Jeb]

[quote]March 26, 2010

Goodell's slippery Roethlisberger slope
Why hasn't he acted against Big Ben when he moved so quickly on Vick and Pacman?

Hill By Jemele Hill
ESPN.com
Archive | Contact

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said this week at the NFL owners meeting in Orlando that he'll meet with Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is currently under investigation for sexual assault, at the "appropriate time."

What's he waiting for? Nightly updates from Nancy Grace's show?

Certainly, I'm not making light of Roethlisberger's situation or the complicated position that Goodell finds himself in now that the quarterback for one of the NFL's most storied franchises is facing a sexual assault accusation for the second time in less than a year.

Goodell's first public comments about Roethlisberger indicate the NFL is watching the developments in the case closely. But the commissioner's words weren't as strong as they need to be. Instead of bringing the Roethlisberger controversy down to a simmer, it remains at a boil.

[+] EnlargeRoger Goodell
Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesRoger Goodell set a precedent when he suspended Pacman Jones and Michael Vick.

In truth, Goodell should already have met with Roethlisberger, even though the investigation into whether Roethlisberger should be charged with sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar remains ongoing. And once he and Big Ben are in a room alone together, Goodell should absolutely castigate the two-time Super Bowl winner for bringing such bad publicity to his lucrative league.

I'm aware Roethlisberger hasn't been charged with any crime and -- everyone say it with me -- is innocent until proven guilty. He has the right to defend himself against his accusers. We have no idea what Georgia investigators will uncover, or what will become of the civil suit filed against him last summer by a Lake Tahoe woman who accused him of raping her in 2008.

In a perfect world, there would be no pressure for the commissioner to act until Roethlisberger's situation plays out completely. But in the real world, perception is what matters.

And surely the commissioner has noticed that Roethlisberger's case is becoming a racial litmus test. Fair or not, the perception is that Goodell has been eager to punish black athletes regardless of the status of their criminal investigations; and now that a white superstar quarterback is under police investigation, a lot of people -- especially African-Americans -- are noting how patiently Goodell is behaving.

Certainly there were factors with Adam "Pacman" Jones and Michael Vick -- the most high-profile measuring sticks of how the NFL can enforce its code of conduct -- that prompted the commissioner to dole out punishments before they were convicted in a court of law. For openers, Jones had a long history of previous arrests and other run-ins and Vick had already been indicted in his dogfighting case; Roethlisberger hasn't been charged yet. But the only factor that matters to those African-Americans keeping close tabs on the Roethlisberger case is this: The commissioner didn't wait to meet with Jones and Vick when they had criminal investigations hanging over their heads. Every time a prominent black athlete is involved in a legal situation, it seems as if the long, lawful arm of Goodell is ready to react.

The commissioner announced Jones' season-long suspension in 2007 less than two months after he was allegedly involved in an altercation and shooting outside of a Las Vegas strip club -- which was two months before Jones was officially charged by Vegas police and a week after Goodell brought Jones into his office for one of his infamous sit-downs. Jones accepted a plea deal for the Vegas incident in November 2007, which resulted in a suspended one-year prison sentence, probation and community service.

Ben Roethlisberger
AP Photo/Gene J. PuskarHasn't Ben Roethlisberger embarrassed the NFL, too?

The commissioner wasn't wrong for punishing Jones before he had his day in court. Given Jones' extensive brushes with the law and the seriousness of the Las Vegas incident, Jones' one-year suspension was entirely appropriate. There was little doubt his reckless behavior was undermining the league's credibility and its reputation.

Goodell, though, officially set a precedent with Jones. For the commissioner, the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.

When Goodell suspended Jones, he wrote a letter to the troubled player that stated: "Your conduct has brought embarrassment and ridicule upon yourself, your club, and the NFL, and has damaged the reputation of players throughout the league. You have put in jeopardy an otherwise promising NFL career, and have risked both your own safety and the safety of others through your off-field actions. In each of these respects, you have engaged in conduct detrimental to the NFL and failed to live up to the standards expected of NFL players. Taken as a whole, this conduct warrants significant sanction."

Roethlisberger might not have the same track record as Jones, but being accused of sexual assault twice in less than a year is an embarrassment not only to the Steelers, but to the entire NFL. No matter what happens with the criminal investigation or the civil case, these accusations will follow Roethlisberger forever and be used to judge the character of other NFL players.

In the past, Goodell has made it clear that protecting the NFL's brand is his foremost concern. When Goodell barred Vick from training camp while dogfighting charges were pending against him, he wrote this to Vick: "While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy."

Given that stern position, Goodell should not only already have met with Roethlisberger, but he should already have come to the conclusion that no matter how this investigation turns out, Roethlisberger should be suspended.

When Goodell sat Jones down for a year, he wanted to send a message that irresponsible behavior could cost an NFL player his livelihood. If Goodell doesn't schedule a meeting with Roethlisberger immediately, it feeds the perception that white NFL stars under criminal investigation are treated differently and will receive more benefit of the doubt than their black counterparts.[/quote]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=hill/100326

[Oldcat]

Apparently Roger is waiting for Ben to be traded to the Titans before taking action.

[|High School Harry|]

[quote name='oldschooler' date='25 March 2010 - 10:09 AM' timestamp='1269526195' post='872913']
[b][size="5"]Steelers need to take charge with their quarterback gone wild[/size][/b]

[/quote]

[center][url=http://www.motifake.com/priceless-steelers-big-ben-demotivational-poster-95885.html][img]http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/1003/priceless-steelers-big-ben-demotivational-poster-1269657697.jpg[/img][/url][/center]

[oldschooler]

[b][url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton"][color="#0a0501"]JohnThornton[/color][/url][/b] [url=""] [/url] Is it bad that I'm in Hines Ward club in the burgh? Cheap drinks, good music. But plastic cups [url="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23collegedays"][color="#0a0501"]#collegedays[/color][/url]
[url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton/status/11175713657"]about 8 hours ago [/url]via [url="http://ubertwitter.com/"]UberTwitter[/url]




[b][url="http://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk"][color="#0a0501"]ProFootballTalk[/color][/url][/b] [url=""] [/url] @[url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton"][color="#0a0501"]JohnThornton[/color][/url] . . . I hear that the booze at Hines Ward's club hits you when you aren't looking.
[url="http://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/11175870999"]about 8 hours ago [/url]via web [url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton/status/11175713657"]in reply to JohnThornton[/url]



[b][url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton"][color="#0a0501"]JohnThornton[/color][/url][/b] [url=""] [/url] There's a guy here wearing a #7 jersey blocking the mens bathroom.... [url="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23bengalfanjoke"][color="#0a0501"]#bengalfanjoke[/color][/url]
[url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton/status/11176642408"]about 8 hours ago [/url]via [url="http://ubertwitter.com/"]UberTwitter[/url]

[oldschooler]

[b][size="5"]Ohio towns still have lots of love for Big Ben[/size][/b]
By [email="rcohn@tribweb.com"]Bob Cohn[/email], PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, March 28, 201


OXFORD, Ohio — One day last July in Lake Tahoe, Nev., Ned Stephenson could tell something was awry with Ben Roethlisberger.Stephenson, the owner of the Bagel and Deli Shop here in this quintessential college town, the home of Miami University, was attending a celebrity golf tournament, and Roethlisberger was playing in it.

A snapshot of the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and former Miami star sticks to the wall of Stephenson's restaurant, an Oxford institution for nearly 37 years on High Street, the busy main drag. The two have known each other since Roethlisberger arrived on campus in 2000, and Stephenson wanted to say hello.

"I could tell by Ben's demeanor that he didn't want to talk to anybody," he said.

Stephenson said that was the day the public learned of a civil lawsuit filed against Roethlisberger by a hotel worker, who claims he raped her during the same event a year earlier in Lake Tahoe. An emotional Roethlisberger denied the allegation at a news conference.

The lawsuit marked the beginning of Roethlisberger's legal problems as well as the erosion of his public image. That image took another hit this month when a 20 year-old college student claimed Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her in the dingy restroom of a Milledgeville, Ga., nightclub. Law enforcement is investigating the allegation, which the quarterback's attorney has denied.

The sordid nature of the allegations has troubled the Steelers organization, fans and those who watched Roethlisberger grow up.

Growing up in Findlay, Ohio and then moving to Oxford, Roethlisberger, 28, by all accounts avoided trouble. Now he faces potential criminal charges, suspension by the NFL and ridicule from the national media. In recent weeks, the two-time Super Bowl champion has been the butt of jokes on Jay Leno and a mocking episode of "South Park."

Jon Wauford, a former Miami assistant who recruited Roethlisberger, said that based on his knowledge of Roethlisberger as a young man, what he has been hearing is "not in character" for him.

"He was in our backyard, in our kitchen," said Tim Brudgeman of Findlay, director of the Hancock Parks District. "Our daughter double-dated with him. What a gentleman. There are crazy kids out there doing stupid things. He wasn't like that."

Some believe Roethlisberger is the victim in these allegations of sexual assault.

"We feel he's probably being taken advantage of financially, and he's being targeted," Brugeman said.

Oxford attorney Daniel Haughey, said: "Guys that are high-profile are often lightning rods for these things to happen."

In the decade since he advanced from high school star to elite NFL quarterback, the image and perception of Roethlisberger has changed -- and not all for the better. He remains beloved in his hometown, where he visits and sponsors a charity basketball game, but the stories about him have caused some distress.

"He always handled himself so well that I thought something like this could never happen to him," said veteran Findlay Courier sportswriter Dave Hanneman, who wrote extensively of Roethlisberger during his prep career. "Even in high school. He did everything the right way. That's what baffles me most of all. He's damaging his career and his reputation."

In Oxford, where Roethlisberger and his entourage visit a couple of times a year, he seems to have alienated some in a community that once adored him. And it has nothing to do with the allegations of the two women..

"It's kind of sad what's happened to him," said Josh Hernandez, a bartender at the Smokin' Ox barbeque restaurant. "He lost his reputation in town even before the first allegation."

Dean Horn, who lives nearby in West College Corner, Ind., claims Roethlisberger cursed at his girlfriend in front of his young daughter after he was asked to sign a couple of helmets after playing golf.

"He normally has a reputation of coming to town and being a jackass to everyone," Horn said. "He won't sign autographs. He's rude. He's just too big for the fans."

Jake Korineck, a bartender at Mac and Joes's, has heard the negative comments and rejects them. Korineck said part of that perception results from the attention Roethlisberger gets when he visits.

"I know when he's in town, it's the biggest deal in Oxford," said Korineck, a Miami ball boy during Roethlisberger's record-setting junior year. "I think he's getting a bad name. Being a superstar, sometimes it gets old. There have been times where he's eating and people still ask him for autographs. I can see how anybody would be annoyed by that.

"This town is small. If you get a negative perception, it just spreads. But I think it's kind of (expletive) that people perceive him like that. We're not in his shoes. . . .But he's still young. He's still single. Why not go out and party? He might be a little crazy, but he's living the life."

Miami University, known as the "Cradle of Coaches," experienced a football revival under Roethlisberger, posting its best record ever in 2003. The following spring, the Steelers took Roethlisberger with the 11th pick in the NFL draft.

"We're mainly a (Cincinnati) Bengals city, but a lot of Steelers' jerseys have come out," Haughey said. "People are disappointed to hear his name brought up this way. But at the same time, they want to give him the benefit of the doubt."

According to court records and those familiar with how things work in Oxford, there is no evidence of off-field problems with Roethlisberger during his time here. Likewise, in Findlay, Roethlisberger appears to have been the model citizen.

"Ben was generally thought of in a very positive light," said Haughey, a county judge and adjunct professor at Miami whose firm handles cases involving athletes. "I never heard any negatives, and it's hard to keep skeletons in a closet here."

Stephenson said Roethlisberger was seen out and about in town during his first two years, but after he got more serious about developing his football abilities, "you never saw him."

According to Haughey, where some universities often hide athletes' off-field transgressions or make them mysteriously disappear, Miami does not afford special treatment.

"Football players are not the gods of High Street," he said. "They're not gonna be afforded any breaks."






[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_673733.html"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_673733.html[/url]

[scharm]

[quote name='oldschooler' date='28 March 2010 - 07:17 AM' timestamp='1269775063' post='873511']
[b][url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton"][color="#0a0501"]JohnThornton[/color][/url][/b] [url=""] [/url] Is it bad that I'm in Hines Ward club in the burgh? Cheap drinks, good music. But plastic cups [url="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23collegedays"][color="#0a0501"]#collegedays[/color][/url]
[url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton/status/11175713657"]about 8 hours ago [/url]via [url="http://ubertwitter.com/"]UberTwitter[/url]




[b][url="http://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk"][color="#0a0501"]ProFootballTalk[/color][/url][/b] [url=""] [/url] @[url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton"][color="#0a0501"]JohnThornton[/color][/url] . . . I hear that the booze at Hines Ward's club hits you when you aren't looking.
[url="http://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/11175870999"]about 8 hours ago [/url]via web [url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton/status/11175713657"]in reply to JohnThornton[/url]



[b][url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton"][color="#0a0501"]JohnThornton[/color][/url][/b] [url=""] [/url] There's a guy here wearing a #7 jersey blocking the mens bathroom.... [url="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23bengalfanjoke"][color="#0a0501"]#bengalfanjoke[/color][/url]
[url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton/status/11176642408"]about 8 hours ago [/url]via [url="http://ubertwitter.com/"]UberTwitter[/url]






[/quote]

hilarious

[oldschooler]

[size="5"][b]Goodell's slippery Roethlisberger slope[/b]
[/size]
[b][size="4"]Why hasn't he acted against Big Ben when he moved so quickly on Vick and Pacman?[/size][/b]
By Jemele Hill
ESPN.com


NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said this week at the NFL owners meeting in Orlando, Fla., that he'll meet with Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is currently under investigation for sexual assault, at the "appropriate time."

What's he waiting for? Nightly updates from Nancy Grace's show?

Certainly, I'm not making light of Roethlisberger's situation or the complicated position that Goodell finds himself in now that the quarterback for one of the NFL's most storied franchises is facing a sexual assault accusation for the second time in less than a year.

Goodell's first public comments about Roethlisberger indicate the NFL is watching the developments in the case closely. But the commissioner's words weren't as strong as they need to be. Instead of bringing the Roethlisberger controversy down to a simmer, it remains at a boil.

In truth, Goodell should already have met with Roethlisberger, even though the investigation into whether Roethlisberger should be charged with sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar remains ongoing. And once he and Big Ben are in a room alone together, Goodell should absolutely castigate the two-time Super Bowl winner for bringing such bad publicity to his lucrative league.

I'm aware Roethlisberger hasn't been charged with any crime and -- everyone say it with me -- is innocent until proven guilty. He has the right to defend himself against his accusers. We have no idea what Georgia investigators will uncover, or what will become of the civil suit filed against him last summer by a Lake Tahoe woman who accused him of raping her in 2008.

In a perfect world, there would be no pressure for the commissioner to act until Roethlisberger's situation plays out completely. But in the real world, perception is what matters.

And surely the commissioner has noticed that Roethlisberger's case is becoming a racial litmus test. Fair or not, the perception is that Goodell has been eager to punish black athletes regardless of the status of their criminal investigations; and now that a white superstar quarterback is under police investigation, a lot of people -- especially African-Americans -- are noting how patiently Goodell is behaving.

Certainly there were factors with Adam "Pacman" Jones and Michael Vick -- the most high-profile measuring sticks of how the NFL can enforce its code of conduct -- that prompted the commissioner to dole out punishments before they were convicted in a court of law. For openers, Jones had a long history of previous arrests and other run-ins and Vick had already been indicted in his dogfighting case; Roethlisberger hasn't been charged yet. But the only factor that matters to those African-Americans keeping close tabs on the Roethlisberger case is this: The commissioner didn't wait to meet with Jones and Vick when they had criminal investigations hanging over their heads. Every time a prominent black athlete is involved in a legal situation, it seems as if the long, lawful arm of Goodell is ready to react.

The commissioner announced Jones' season-long suspension in 2007 less than two months after he was allegedly involved in an altercation and shooting outside of a Las Vegas strip club -- which was two months [i]before[/i] Jones was officially charged by Vegas police and a week after Goodell brought Jones into his office for one of his infamous sit-downs. Jones accepted a plea deal for the Vegas incident in November 2007, which resulted in a suspended one-year prison sentence, probation and community service.

The commissioner wasn't wrong for punishing Jones before he had his day in court. Given Jones' extensive brushes with the law and the seriousness of the Las Vegas incident, Jones' one-year suspension was entirely appropriate. There was little doubt his reckless behavior was undermining the league's credibility and its reputation.

Goodell, though, officially set a precedent with Jones. For the commissioner, the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.

When Goodell suspended Jones, he wrote a letter to the troubled player that stated: "Your conduct has brought embarrassment and ridicule upon yourself, your club, and the NFL, and has damaged the reputation of players throughout the league. You have put in jeopardy an otherwise promising NFL career, and have risked both your own safety and the safety of others through your off-field actions. In each of these respects, you have engaged in conduct detrimental to the NFL and failed to live up to the standards expected of NFL players. Taken as a whole, this conduct warrants significant sanction."

Roethlisberger might not have the same track record as Jones, but being accused of sexual assault twice in less than a year is an embarrassment not only to the Steelers, but to the entire NFL. No matter what happens with the criminal investigation or the civil case, these accusations will follow Roethlisberger forever and be used to judge the character of other NFL players.

In the past, Goodell has made it clear that protecting the NFL's brand is his foremost concern. When Goodell barred Vick from training camp while dogfighting charges were pending against him, he wrote this to Vick: "While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy."

Given that stern position, Goodell should not only already have met with Roethlisberger, but he should already have come to the conclusion that no matter how this investigation turns out, Roethlisberger should be suspended.

When Goodell sat Jones down for a year, he wanted to send a message that irresponsible behavior could cost an NFL player his livelihood. If Goodell doesn't schedule a meeting with Roethlisberger immediately, it feeds the perception that white NFL stars under criminal investigation are treated differently and will receive more benefit of the doubt than their black counterparts.







[url="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=hill/100326"]http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=hill/100326[/url]

[Rick]

When Goodell barred Vick from training camp while dogfighting charges were pending against him, he wrote this to Vick: "While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your [color="#FF0000"]guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy[/color]."

Given that stern position, Goodell should not only already have met with Roethlisberger, but he should already have come to the conclusion that no matter how this investigation turns out, [color="#FF0000"]Roethlisberger should be suspended.[/color]

[size="7"]Roger Goodell is just like a congressman![/size]

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='Rick' date='28 March 2010 - 11:12 AM' timestamp='1269789161' post='873545']


[size="7"]Roger Goodell is just like a congressman![/size]
[/quote]

You mean someone that shifts their position on an issue to suit the perception of the day?

[|Lucid|]

[quote name='Rick' date='28 March 2010 - 11:12 AM' timestamp='1269789161' post='873545']
When Goodell barred Vick from training camp while dogfighting charges were pending against him, he wrote this to Vick: "While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your [color="#FF0000"]guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy[/color]."

Given that stern position, Goodell should not only already have met with Roethlisberger, but he should already have come to the conclusion that no matter how this investigation turns out, [color="#FF0000"]Roethlisberger should be suspended.[/color]

[size="7"]Roger Goodell is just like a congressman![/size]
[/quote]

He is the son of a senator.

[Rick]

[quote name='Lucid' date='28 March 2010 - 11:53 AM' timestamp='1269791580' post='873552']
He is the son of a senator.
[/quote]
There you go, like father like son. God protect our country from the congressmen and congresswomen.

[|Elflocko|]

[quote name='oldschooler' date='28 March 2010 - 04:17 AM' timestamp='1269775063' post='873511']
[b][url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton"][color="#0a0501"]JohnThornton[/color][/url][/b] [url=""] [/url] [b]Is it bad that I'm in Hines Ward club in the burgh? [/b]Cheap drinks, good music. But plastic cups [url="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23collegedays"][color="#0a0501"]#collegedays[/color][/url]
[url="http://twitter.com/JohnThornton/status/11175713657"]about 8 hours ago [/url]via [url="http://ubertwitter.com/"]UberTwitter[/url]





[/quote]


What is JT doing in a gay bar?

[ccartman2]

[quote name='Elflocko' date='28 March 2010 - 12:02 PM' timestamp='1269792155' post='873556']
What is JT doing in a gay bar?
[/quote]

cheap drinks?

[Bleeds Orange]

[quote]In truth, Goodell should already have met with Roethlisberger, even though the investigation into whether Roethlisberger should be charged with sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar remains ongoing. And once he and Big Ben are in a room alone together,[color="#ff0000"] a situation that is familiar to both of them[/color], Goodell should absolutely castigate the two-time Super Bowl winner for bringing such bad publicity to his [color="#ff0000"][s]lucrative league[/s] favorite team[/color].[/quote]

Hey, I want in on the Ben-bashing fun.

[oldschooler]

[b][url="http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter"][color="#0a0501"]Adam_Schefter[/color][/url][/b] [url=""] [/url] Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will not attend start of Pittsburgh's off-season conditioning program Monday. [url="http://is.gd/b4iWX"][color="#0a0501"]http://is.gd/b4iWX[/color][/url]
[url="http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter/status/11222184915"]half a minute ago [/url]via web

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='oldschooler' date='28 March 2010 - 08:56 PM' timestamp='1269824160' post='873609']
[b][url="http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter"][color="#0a0501"]Adam_Schefter[/color][/url][/b] Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will not attend start of Pittsburgh's off-season conditioning program Monday. [url="http://is.gd/b4iWX"][color="#0a0501"]http://is.gd/b4iWX[/color][/url]
[url="http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter/status/11222184915"]half a minute ago [/url]via web
[/quote]

Oh, he'll be conditioning all right...with his defense attorney.

"Lie, one two three, LIE, one two three, LIE four five six..."

[AmishBengalFan]

[quote name='oldschooler' date='28 March 2010 - 08:17 AM' timestamp='1269778623' post='873519']
[size="5"][b]Goodell's slippery Roethlisberger slope[/b]
[/size]
[b][size="4"]Why hasn't he acted against Big Ben when he moved so quickly on Vick and Pacman?[/size][/b]
By Jemele Hill
ESPN.com[/quote]

Called it!
[quote name='AmishBengalFan' date='10 March 2010 - 11:32 PM' timestamp='1268278322' post='869500']
Why hasn't Washington & Jefferson alum Roger Goodell called Roethlisberger to New York yet? When Michael Vick was ALLEGED to have been involved with dog fighting, Goodell had him there lickity-split. Pittsburgh's white starting QB allegedly sexually assaults a woman, admitting to consensual contact, and the Commish is mum.

Washington & Jefferson College - location:
[img]http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/22/washingtonpa.jpg[/img][/quote]

[PutWittyNameHere]

[quote name='AmishBengalFan' date='29 March 2010 - 09:00 AM' timestamp='1269867657' post='873667']
Called it!
[/quote]

I think that just about every article I've ever read by Jamelle Hill has primarily consisted of her trying attempting to cram her racial agenda into every situation possible.

Calling something racist, then using one of her articles as support just isn't very convincing.

EDIT:
Hell, she invalidates her own argument:

[quote]
Certainly there were factors with Adam "Pacman" Jones and Michael Vick -- the most high-profile measuring sticks of how the NFL can enforce its code of conduct -- that prompted the commissioner to dole out punishments before they were convicted in a court of law. For openers, Jones had a long history of previous arrests and other run-ins and Vick had already been indicted in his dogfighting case; Roethlisberger hasn't been charged yet. [/quote]

If she openly admits that the circumstances were different, why is she even writing this garbage?

[AmishBengalFan]

I don't know or give a fudge who Jamelle Hill is, except that she (?) writes for ESPN and the 4-letter network is standing behind her editorial that openly questions why Vick was called to New York but Roethlisberger was not.

I asked the same question 3 weeks ago.

Delete the "white" and "black" comments if you'd like. I contend that Goodell has not acted in good faith by treating a player from the Steelers more favorably than a player from another team... again.

[BengalRep85-9]

Didn't dictator roger grow up around pittsburgh and is very close friends with whichever one of the 238 rooney kids is the owner?

It's obvious he has bias towards the stealers, he can deny it all he wants but it exists.

If i was commissioner one day I would have a bias towards the Bengals, it's inevitable.
You can't just stop rooting for or favoring your favorite team since you were little, the heart won't allow it.