Rape allegation against Ben

[SteelCrazy]

I was watching Big Ben's Dick's Sporting Goods commercial and all I could focus on was what this season is going to be like because of this allegation. Ben was just coming around the corner of getting respect, in the media and by other teams fans. I know that really is insignificant, but entertaining none the less. I was really excited about this season but i can tell this is going to linger all season...guilty or not guilty....

Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited but this definitely will put a slight damper on anything we do this season.

Guilty or not, other teams fans will forever call him a rapist on any discussion involving him. The only way he will be fully vindicated is if there is proof of no wrong doing or she retracts her allegation. Only Ben, Andrea McNulty, and God know what really went down that night. For both of their sakes, I hope it was consensual sex.

What I'm really thinking is a lot more in depth then what I wrote here, but I'm not a writer.....thanks for the forum and letting me speak out, sorta.

[SteelHead]

This is the 1st time I've posted since the story broke. I've spent much of the last few days hoping this whole debacle would just vanish into thin air. Obviously that's not going to happen. This is BAD for Ben , very bad. Guilty or not.

I'm not so much worried about what other fans or analysts think of the guy but more so worried about the impact this will have on Ben himself. Ben is the "cool" guy , aloof but on when the money is on the line. He is supremely confident and feeds off of the attention that is put on him to bolster that confidence. I may not care what someone thinks of him but you know he does. None of this is meant to be a bad thing by the way , I love most of these qualitites in Ben , IMO it makes him what he is , a stellar QB. Unfortunately there is a chance this whole saga really shakes him to the core. If that confidence in himself and that drive he gets from others having confidence in him is taken away , you could be looking at a shell of his former self moving forward. I don't take Ben as the type of guy to use this to "drive" him to focus more or prove people wrong , IMO , to him this situation does nothing but make people wonder about him , and for his type of personality , that it not good.

This is all of course just the doom and gloom side of things that run through the mind of an obsessed Steeler fan whose favorite player happens to be Roethlisberger. That being said I just don't see this being put behind him in a nice neat fashion. This will be a permanent stain on his career and legacy. Short of this woman admitting she lied , this story and everyone's thoughts in the media , in the public and in the locker room will loom large over Big Ben's head.

In closing , I DON'T think he did it. But not as much as I HOPE he didn't. Precisely that sentiment is what the problem is, and will be, for our beloved Big Ben Roethlisberger.

Sad.

[RuthlessBurgher]

If this is proven to be untrue, as I suspect it will, I do not think that it will have any lasting effect on Ben whatsoever. Ben is very close to Jerome Bettis, and Bettis went through very similar circumstances regarding unsubstantiated allegations from a woman whose sole aim was a money grab. When you think of Bettis' career, does the allegations of sexual misconduct even enter your mind when you think of him? At all? Nope. The Bus got through all of this unscathed, and I'm sure he can help ease Ben's mind through this process.

[Ozey74]

I really think this will go away sooner than later. I'm confident these high $$ defense attorneys can get this matter dropped or dismissed quickly.

[SteelCrazy]

This is the 1st time I've posted since the story broke. I've spent much of the last few days hoping this whole debacle would just vanish into thin air. Obviously that's not going to happen. This is BAD for Ben , very bad. Guilty or not.

I'm not so much worried about what other fans or analysts think of the guy but more so worried about the impact this will have on Ben himself. Ben is the "cool" guy , aloof but on when the money is on the line. He is supremely confident and feeds off of the attention that is put on him to bolster that confidence. I may not care what someone thinks of him but you know he does. None of this is meant to be a bad thing by the way , I love most of these qualitites in Ben , IMO it makes him what he is , a stellar QB. Unfortunately there is a chance this whole saga really shakes him to the core. If that confidence in himself and that drive he gets from others having confidence in him is taken away , you could be looking at a shell of his former self moving forward. I don't take Ben as the type of guy to use this to "drive" him to focus more or prove people wrong , IMO , to him this situation does nothing but make people wonder about him , and for his type of personality , that it not good.

This is all of course just the doom and gloom side of things that run through the mind of an obsessed Steeler fan whose favorite player happens to be Roethlisberger. That being said I just don't see this being put behind him in a nice neat fashion. This will be a permanent stain on his career and legacy. Short of this woman admitting she lied , this story and everyone's thoughts in the media , in the public and in the locker room will loom large over Big Ben's head.

In closing , I DON'T think he did it. But not as much as I HOPE he didn't. Precisely that sentiment is what the problem is, and will be, for our beloved Big Ben Roethlisberger.

Sad.


Like you, I really dont care what others think, but I am worried Ben does and that could totally change his life and game. I'm a diehard Steelers fan and have been for over 30 years now. Ben was and still is on his way to a magical career, but this could be the begining of the end for him and that makes me a very sad Steelers fan. The whole thing really pisses me off!