View Full Version : Starkey: Steelers' image in tatters
Dee Dub
03-10-2010, 06:31 PM
What??? If this is true then Ben is a real idiot. In light of his pending civil suit and for him to go into a club and put himself in this position is hard to stomach. Again if this is true...then in my opinion Ben has a real big problem.
So it may have been a hug and Ben is a criminal in your mind?
JAR, is that what you really think he meant by sexual contact? I didn't think so. We'll wait and see, maybe it was only a hug, but I think Hawaiian 's emoticon is probably more accurate.
An unwanted hug could be considered sexual assault, as could a simple pat on the butt. We don't know what happened and the people condemning Ben before any fact has even surfaced is just BS. Should Ben be in jail for playing tonsil hockey in a bar?
I would never condemn anybody...but I have a right to be upset and see a possible problem here with Ben. How and why would he ever put himself in this place a second time??
Lebsteel
03-10-2010, 06:33 PM
What??? If this is true then Ben is a real idiot. In light of his pending civil suit and for him to go into a club and put himself in this position is hard to stomach. Again if this is true...then in my opinion Ben has a real big problem.
So it may have been a hug and Ben is a criminal in your mind?
JAR, is that what you really think he meant by sexual contact? I didn't think so. We'll wait and see, maybe it was only a hug, but I think Hawaiian 's emoticon is probably more accurate.
An unwanted hug could be considered sexual assault, as could a simple pat on the butt. We don't know what happened and the people condemning Ben before any fact has even surfaced is just BS. Should Ben be in jail for playing tonsil hockey in a bar?
That is funny...tonsil hockey! OK, I am not that much of a "prude" that I can laugh at that. No way he should be in jail, only if poor judgement and lack of common sense are a crime.
This business about her hitting her head is, for me, the most concerning thing so far.
there aren't too many other reasons for going to a bar other than drinking.
Dee Dub
03-10-2010, 06:36 PM
Two of Ben's body guards with him that night were police officers.
http://kdka.com/steelers/Ben.Roethlisbe ... 49219.html (http://kdka.com/steelers/Ben.Roethlisberger.Bodyguards.2.1549219.html)
One is a police officer from Coraopolis and the other is a Pennsylvania State Trooper stationed at the Washington County barracks.
Lebsteel
03-10-2010, 06:36 PM
This business about her hitting her head is, for me, the most concerning thing so far.
there aren't too many other reasons for going to a bar other than drinking.
Apparently there ARE other reasons!!
snarky
03-10-2010, 06:37 PM
This business about her hitting her head is, for me, the most concerning thing so far.
there aren't too many other reasons for going to a bar other than drinking.
True, but my point is that if she is claiming assault, then the fact that she apparently has evidence of an injury to the head is not a good thing.
This business about her hitting her head is, for me, the most concerning thing so far.
there aren't too many other reasons for going to a bar other than drinking.
Apparently there ARE other reasons!!
Yes, looking for a star 100 million dollar QB to extort. :)
sd steel
03-10-2010, 06:40 PM
So Ben is admitting that he had sexual contact with her and she had a head injury during this time. Both things can be proven, but I bet she is going to say she was being forced and that is how she received the injury, and he is saying she slipped and fell.
If what ben is saying is true, why would she be saying it was sexual assault? Sounds like the old locker room saying when someone gets beat down, and someone else says they slipped on a bar of soap.
Not a very convincing explanation from Ben imo.
http://kdka.com/video/?id=70082@kdka.dayport.com
Eddie Spaghetti
03-10-2010, 06:42 PM
the no intercourse is great news for ben if it's true.
jerking the photos surely means she was drinking.
the no intercourse is great news for ben if it's true.
jerking the photos surely means she was drinking.
and or pictures of her hanging all over other guys.
sd steel
03-10-2010, 06:50 PM
http://kdka.com/video/?id=70082@kdka.dayport.com
After watching the vid I think its pretty clear that Ben was messing around with the girl, she said no I'm not going to have sex with you here, he got pissed and smacked her and she fell and hit her head or something. They want DNA from Ben to see if he left any knuckle marks or blood from his knuckles in her wound when he hit her.
This is just like an episode of Quincy!
SteelCrazy
03-10-2010, 06:50 PM
I hope to Zeus that there are witnesses to the head injury besides Ben...
Maybe Ben wants to be the Wilt Chamberlain of the NFL. It's his prerogative. :)
Lebsteel
03-10-2010, 06:56 PM
I hope to Zeus that there are witnesses to the head injury besides Ben...
Yes, otherwise Ben is going to be in some trouble.
http://kdka.com/video/?id=70082@kdka.dayport.com
After watching the vid I think its pretty clear that Ben was messing around with the girl, she said no I'm not going to have sex with you here, he got pissed and smacked her and she fell and hit her head or something. They want DNA from Ben to see if he left any knuckle marks or blood from his knuckles in her wound when he hit her.
This is just like an episode of Quincy!
Or maybe they were making out, Ben didn't want it to go further, said no, she ran off crying and fell an hit her head because she was drunk....
Eddie Spaghetti
03-10-2010, 07:00 PM
could he haved pushed her away after she was done polishing little ben? then she falls and gets pissed?
i am thinking bens checkbook can solve this.
Lebsteel
03-10-2010, 07:04 PM
could he haved pushed her away after she was done polishing little ben? then she falls and gets pissed?
i am thinking bens checkbook can solve this.
Sadly, it is a very plausible scenario.
Chadman
03-10-2010, 07:05 PM
The accusation is SEXUAL ASSAULT, not ASSAULT.
So, unless he 'forced' her and in the process she hurt her head, the bump on the head should be incidental.
So, let's say she has a bump or scratch on her head (Ben's got to think along those lines if he claims she fell), how do you prove that the wound is a result of the sexual assault?
Ben's lawyers comments about 'sexual manipulation' makes more sense here-
Ben most likely recieved a BJ from said unnamed accuser. If Ben had repeatedly supplied her with drinks, can that be 'sexual manipulation'? Or did he promise her a life less ordinary? If no blood alcohol test was performed on her (remember Woodrow Blue said he had no idea if it had), can they prove she was drunk? Probably not. If Ben offered her the world in exchange for 'relations', can that be proven?
Starting to wonder now if she just never consented to swallowing... :D
steelblood
03-10-2010, 07:14 PM
Given his current legal entanglement and the allegations against him, Ben should not be having sexual contact with strange women in public. Bad judgment.
If I were to take off my Steeler colored glasses, I'd say his story is odd and sounds fabricated. Why not point out that she was drunk (if she indeed was)? That might make the falling down more plausible and would call into question her version of the events. If she was sober, I really don't like Ben's story.
Putting my glasses back on, I'll wait for more information (and keep my fingers crossed).
NW Steeler
03-10-2010, 07:16 PM
The accusation is SEXUAL ASSAULT, not ASSAULT.
So, unless he 'forced' her and in the process she hurt her head, the bump on the head should be incidental.
So, let's say she has a bump or scratch on her head (Ben's got to think along those lines if he claims she fell), how do you prove that the wound is a result of the sexual assault?
Ben's lawyers comments about 'sexual manipulation' makes more sense here-
Ben most likely recieved a BJ from said unnamed accuser. If Ben had repeatedly supplied her with drinks, can that be 'sexual manipulation'? Or did he promise her a life less ordinary? If no blood alcohol test was performed on her (remember Woodrow Blue said he had no idea if it had), can they prove she was drunk? Probably not. If Ben offered her the world in exchange for 'relations', can that be proven?
Starting to wonder now if she just never consented to swallowing... :D
I think that is a very plausible scenario given the "sexual manipulation" thing. She gives him a blowie in the bathroom and gets her feelings hurt somehow, and now she screams foul. I like that scenario much better than Ben being a borderline rapist.
SteelCrazy
03-10-2010, 07:22 PM
There is also the question...who supplied the booze to her if she was drunk...Ben Or the bar?
Shawn
03-10-2010, 07:26 PM
This business about her hitting her head is, for me, the most concerning thing so far.
there aren't too many other reasons for going to a bar other than drinking.
True, but my point is that if she is claiming assault, then the fact that she apparently has evidence of an injury to the head is not a good thing.
I agree with this sentiment. No marks = good. Contusions need explanations...then need people to believe the explanation. I do not like marks...I don't like it at all.
Something else people might be missing is if she fell and hit her head because she was drunk. Was she too drunk to give sexual consent?
tomco09
03-10-2010, 07:33 PM
Maybe he released the horses when she wasn't ready and jumped back hit her head and drooled on herself because hey, not all girls swallow and most don't like when you don't pre-warn when the horses are ready to gallop ( wink wink) and all this while Ben laughed and therefore she went to the hospital with her lumped up head and DNA drool stained shirt and hurt ego, because let's face it, she's too classy to SWALLOW when she's taste testing the disco stick in the bathroom of a club, she's not that kind of woman...just saying
Eddie Spaghetti
03-10-2010, 07:34 PM
i'm glad there were two sober cops there. they can clear up how drunk this girl was.
i'm guessing ben provided the booze, but did he know she was underage? wristbands can be removed.
Maybe he released the horses when she wasn't ready and jumped back hit her head and drooled on herself because hey, not all girls swallow and most don't like when you don't pre-warn when the horses are ready to gallop ( wink wink) and all this while Ben laughed and therefore she went to the hospital with her lumped up head and DNA drool stained shirt and hurt ego, because let's face it, she's too classy to SWALLOW when she's taste testing the disco stick in the bathroom of a club, she's not that kind of woman...just saying
:lol:
i'm glad there were two sober cops there. they can clear up how drunk this girl was.
i'm guessing ben provided the booze, but did he know she was underage? wristbands can be removed.
How would Ben supply the booze? If she's in the club all he has to do is buy her a drink, it's the bartenders responsibility to know she's of legal drinking age before he serves her. Unless he was buying her drinks and sneaking them to her.
snarky
03-10-2010, 07:43 PM
Unless he was buying her drinks and sneaking them to her.
That sort of stuff happens a lot in clubs where folks who aren't of drinking age are allowed in. When i was in college a buddy and I would go to DC to see shows. I was a few months older than him and was grandfathered in for the 18+ for beer law that was changed in 1985/86. I would just go up to the bar, order two beers and then go back into the crowd and hand him his. Very easy.
And if this is what Ben was doing then it would compound his problems, I'm guessing.
Eddie Spaghetti
03-10-2010, 07:47 PM
VIP room.
bottles can be sent in.
Mister Pittsburgh
03-10-2010, 07:51 PM
they should subpoena her and her witnesses cell phone records to see if they texted each other and were searching stuff out on the internet about Ben...could come up with a scenario where they came up with the whole thing through texting.
hawaiiansteel
03-11-2010, 02:57 AM
Starkey: Steelers' image in tatters
By Joe Starkey, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, March 11, 2010
It's easy to find the face of the Steelers' storied franchise. Just click on TMZ.com.
There you will see Ben Roethlisberger clad in a black Satan T-shirt — that's Satan, not satin — apparently posing for photos with co-eds the night he was accused of sexual assault in a small Georgia college town.
I'm guessing none of the shots will make the cover of the Steelers' media guide.
Though bar-hopper Ben might well be innocent, team president Art Rooney II must be more than a little alarmed that his $102 million quarterback has as many sexual assault allegations as Super Bowl rings.
But let's be honest: The Steelers' carefully cultivated image isn't resting on Roethlisberger's innocence.
That image has long since crumbled.
The so-called Steeler Way is dead.
Don't get me wrong. The Steelers do most things better than nearly everybody. They draft better players, hire better coaches, win more championships.
But could we please stop pretending that they do so from elevated moral ground?
Rooney is not granting interviews, so there is no way to gauge his feelings on this latest legal headache. One wonders if he is ashamed of the Steelers' deteriorating image under his watch. Does he know that his players' off-field antics have made the franchise every bit as much a punch line as the Cincinnati Bengals?
Some people still buy the myth. That was obvious when rumors surfaced last summer of the Steelers having interest in disgraced quarterback Michael Vick.
The Steelers? They would never bring in a guy like that. That's not the Steeler Way.
At face value, such assertions were valid. The Steelers had no history of signing troubled, high-profile free agents and weren't going to sign Vick. But the implication that they only employ players of the strongest moral fiber should have insulted any reasonable person's intelligence.
Let's consider just some of the trouble we've seen since Super Bowl XL.
Where would you like to start — offense, defense or special teams?
Let's go with receiver Santonio Holmes, who was arrested twice within 25 days of the Steelers drafting him. A disorderly conduct charge out of Miami was dropped. Holmes later was charged with domestic violence and assault against the mother of one of his children.
In a police affidavit, the woman alleged that Holmes was "choking (her), throwing her to the ground ... and slamming her into a door." Charges were dismissed when Holmes' lawyers assured a Ohio judge that Holmes was participating in counseling through the NFL.
This past year, Holmes escaped a misdemeanor drug charge when his attorney successfully argued that a traffic stop violated the player's rights.
Another receiver, Cedrick Wilson, allegedly walked into a bar two years ago and punched his ex-girlfriend in the face. The Steelers, upon cutting Wilson, released a sanctimonious statement saying they hoped the roster move would "send a message that we will not tolerate this type of conduct."
That was before star linebacker James Harrison, who was arrested for striking the mother of his son around the same time as the Wilson incident, was signed to a $51.5 million contract. Charges were dropped, but Harrison had to undergo anger-management counseling — and in his autobiography, it was verified that Harrison struck the woman in the face.
We could go on. We could talk about the kicker's run-ins with a towel dispenser and policemen, the offensive line coach who accidentally forwarded a pornographic e-mail to league offices, the tight end who allegedly urinated in a parking lot near Heinz Field and even one of the team mascots who was arrested for DUI.
No need.
Let's just be truthful: All NFL franchises deal with trouble. All have been known to sacrifice ethics for the sake of winning. That's the point. The Steelers are no different than the rest, though they're having a pretty rough run at the moment.
You can read all about it on TMZ.com.
Discipline of Steel
03-11-2010, 07:42 AM
I cant believe this guy write for the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW. I would expect this from a Boston columnist. He's not writing a fact, its an opinion and he should keep it to himself. He is not doing HIS city any good with this negativity, just jumping on the anti-Steeler bandwagon. Art 2 should be all over the paper for letting one of their writers take advantage of Bens crisis to dredge up all the dirty laundry from years past in one fell swoop. There is no need for it.
SteelAbility
03-11-2010, 09:06 AM
I cant believe this guy write for the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW. I would expect this from a Boston columnist. He's not writing a fact, its an opinion and he should keep it to himself. He is not doing HIS city any good with this negativity, just jumping on the anti-Steeler bandwagon. Art 2 should be all over the paper for letting one of their writers take advantage of Bens crisis to dredge up all the dirty laundry from years past in one fell swoop. There is no need for it.
You know sweeping germs and dirt under the carpet only makes it fester and wax worse. I'm not saying the guy wrote a good article or that he was well-intentioned. I'm saying sometimes a sobering jolt is just what a person/city/organization/whatever/etc/etc. needs to wake up and clean a house which will eventually give off a stench if nothing is done.
BradshawsHairdresser
03-11-2010, 10:16 AM
Starkey's right.
We've sanctimoniously made fun of the Ravens and the Bengals, and asserted that our Steelers stood on some kind of morally higher ground.
Now it seems that every few months, I have to explain to my young son why one of our players is in trouble with the law.
It's obvious what image Ben wants to project. That t-shirt he was wearing says it all.
If that is the image the team wants to project now, so be it. There won't be any more of their tickets or merchandise bought by this family.
Djfan
03-11-2010, 10:30 AM
Fortunately this story is not over and Rooney can still act on it. Give it time before you leave the fold.
D Rock
03-11-2010, 10:38 AM
Its true. Take off the homer-shades and look at the facts.
The Steelers do not care if their players are moral saints, so long as they are good players. Now the players that aren't good players....they need to be moral saints or they'll be cut to promote a view of the Steelers that was never based in truth to begin with.
Oviedo
03-11-2010, 10:50 AM
Ben reputation is in the dumpster not the organization.
Was the organization's reputation in the dumpster when Ernie Holmes was playing sniper with the State Police? Was the organization's reputaion in the dumpster when revelations of steroid use came about? The answer is NO!!!
Like I have paraphrased before: The name of the front of the jersey (or symbol on the side of the helmet in this case) is more importnat than the name on the back of the jersey."
Ben is a temporary occupant of a roster spot. We will go through a rough patch but the organization will survive.
steelfin
03-11-2010, 11:39 AM
Some people just can't handle the truth....
feltdizz
03-11-2010, 12:04 PM
Some people just can't handle the truth....
:Agree They say it hurts...
cruzer8
03-11-2010, 02:09 PM
Starkey's right.
We've sanctimoniously made fun of the Ravens and the Bengals, and asserted that our Steelers stood on some kind of morally higher ground.
Now it seems that every few months, I have to explain to my young son why one of our players is in trouble with the law.
It's obvious what image Ben wants to project. That t-shirt he was wearing says it all.
If that is the image the team wants to project now, so be it. There won't be any more of their tickets or merchandise bought by this family.
The fans are the ones that project this morality and superiority. But not all fans. I don't do that because I know it's just a matter of time before it comes back to haunt you.
As for his shirt, it's just a fscking shirt.
BradshawsHairdresser
03-11-2010, 02:30 PM
Starkey's right.
We've sanctimoniously made fun of the Ravens and the Bengals, and asserted that our Steelers stood on some kind of morally higher ground.
Now it seems that every few months, I have to explain to my young son why one of our players is in trouble with the law.
It's obvious what image Ben wants to project. That t-shirt he was wearing says it all.
If that is the image the team wants to project now, so be it. There won't be any more of their tickets or merchandise bought by this family.
The fans are the ones that project this morality and superiority. But not all fans. I don't do that because I know it's just a matter of time before it comes back to haunt you.
??????
I don't claim to be perfect, by any means. But I'm trying to raise kids...I certainly don't want my son to get the idea that it's OK to vandalize convenience store bathrooms, or
slap women around, or commit anything that comes close to sexual assault. I will do my part to teach him right from wrong, but at the same time, I recognize the powerful influence of his sports heroes.
As for his shirt, it's just a fscking shirt.
C'mon...it wasn't Halloween...or some kind of costume party. What you choose to wear in public makes a statement about how you want to represent yourself.
cruzer8
03-11-2010, 03:54 PM
Starkey's right.
We've sanctimoniously made fun of the Ravens and the Bengals, and asserted that our Steelers stood on some kind of morally higher ground.
Now it seems that every few months, I have to explain to my young son why one of our players is in trouble with the law.
It's obvious what image Ben wants to project. That t-shirt he was wearing says it all.
If that is the image the team wants to project now, so be it. There won't be any more of their tickets or merchandise bought by this family.
The fans are the ones that project this morality and superiority. But not all fans. I don't do that because I know it's just a matter of time before it comes back to haunt you.
??????
I don't claim to be perfect, by any means. But I'm trying to raise kids...I certainly don't want my son to get the idea that it's OK to vandalize convenience store bathrooms, or
slap women around, or commit anything that comes close to sexual assault. I will do my part to teach him right from wrong, but at the same time, I recognize the powerful influence of his sports heroes.
As for his shirt, it's just a fscking shirt.
C'mon...it wasn't Halloween...or some kind of costume party. What you choose to wear in public makes a statement about how you want to represent yourself.
Tell your kid that people aren't perfect.
And it's just a fscking shirt.
D Rock
03-11-2010, 06:13 PM
I personally would think a 100 million dollar man would wear something a bit nicer than a t-shirt and ball cap out for his birthday.
But really, why does it matter what picture was on the shirt? It wasn't depicting nudity or flashing curse words.
Would people care if it had a picture of the loch ness monster on it? I doubt it. Neither image is real, so get over it.
BradshawsHairdresser
03-11-2010, 06:20 PM
I personally would think a 100 million dollar man would wear something a bit nicer than a t-shirt and ball cap out for his birthday.
But really, why does it matter what picture was on the shirt? It wasn't depicting nudity or flashing curse words.
Would people care if it had a picture of the loch ness monster on it? I doubt it. Neither image is real, so get over it.
The Loch Ness Monster isn't associated with evil like the devil is.
If the "100 million dollar man" finds himself out of a job with the Steelers pretty soon, HE'S the one who's going to have to "get over it." And I have an idea many of you Steelers fans will be having to "get over it", too.
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