Cutting Samson's hair

[aggiebones]

This story of Steeler lore has the feeling of cutting Samson's hair.
They are going to make Ben heel like a dog. He is a reckless player as we all know and thus maybe a bit reckless in life. But I have a bad feeling that as he becomes a better behaved person in the near future, his mind will not be right for football.
It will be sad to see Ben's ability wain on the field, but I think it has come. He is a beaten man.
But I have a bad feeling that as his career winds down in another town he may still rise up again one last time. And thus bring down our Steeler Temple upon us for our hypocrisy, possibly smiting us late in the playoffs with some lesser team. I may not be rooting against him.

[Shawn]

I see this as the opposite. Ben will do what Ben does...thrive under pressure.

[Steel Life]

Think about this...if they trade him, how is the team going to handle celebrating the recent Super Bowl teams in the future? There's only so many QBs that have multiple Super Bowls.

[flippy]

If he sticks around and wins another SuperBowl it will be like the Prodigal Son.

[RuthlessBurgher]

You had me worried that Troy Polamalu visited the barber! :shock:

[SteelAbility]

A lot of gloom there aggie. We're all emotional. Rumors are swirling. Hearts are uncertain. I believe the Ben trade talk (that allegedly originated from within the Steeler organization) is a bunch of posing/attempt at gauging teams so that REAL trade scenarios can be more effective. If so, give the Rooneys credit for making some positive out of a total negative.

[aggiebones]

They've been trying to figure a way to make Troy cut his hair for sure. The big boys tire of seeing all the fake dreadlocks, but they can't make them remove their hair til they make Troy cut his. I say outlaw all fake hair. If you want to grow it fine.

And who cares if Ben doesn't come to SB celebrations. Terry doesn't come without a big fee either. And for that matter neither does Montana.

[proudpittsburgher]

Look, I really don't think Ben is the Jeffrey Dahmer-like figure that people are making him out to be. He needs to grow up. Yes. He needs to use better judgement. Yes. He needs to show a little more respect for the Steelers organization and his position in it. yes. But I think this is starting to take on a llife of its own, and people really need to see this as what it is, Ben got drunk, sorority girls got drunk, ben tried to get his schwerve on.
Was it in poor taste? Sure it was, but Ben's doesn't appear to be a horrible person. If things work out like I want them to, Ben will grow as a person, and continue to do what he does on the field.

[aggiebones]

Anyone that has spent any time in bars at college know the types of girls hanging with Ben. That's why though irritated with him for being stupid, don't see Ben's real actions as waaay out there. I bet that bathroom has had about 500 people score in it.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Samson never wore his hair as ugly as that mullet of Ben's was...

[LouSteel]

Anyone that has spent any time in bars at college know the types of girls hanging with Ben. That's why though irritated with him for being stupid, don't see Ben's real actions as waaay out there. I bet that bathroom has had about 500 people score in it.

I agree, but at the same time, I also understand that if Ben lets "little Ben" do the thinking again, we might be in this same situation for the third time. And if that happens, there isn't going to be any talk of "two first round picks" or "the Raiders breaking the bank"...

The Rooneys know Ben best. If anyone knows if he can truly shape up, it's them. And if the Rooneys believe that Ben can't shape up, they are being smart by trying to get some value before the inevitable happens.

Look at Stonio -- sure, I hated the trade in the beginning... but after thinking about it, I realized that he was very likely cruising towards a year-long suspension, and it wasn't a matter of "if" but of "when". Maybe the Rooneys see the same thing happening with Ben.

[RuthlessBurgher]

They've been trying to figure a way to make Troy cut his hair for sure. The big boys tire of seeing all the fake dreadlocks, but they can't make them remove their hair til they make Troy cut his. I say outlaw all fake hair. If you want to grow it fine.

And who cares if Ben doesn't come to SB celebrations. Terry doesn't come without a big fee either. And for that matter neither does Montana.

I realize that the ladies wear hair extensions (and acrylic fingernails, and silicone breast implants, etc.), but who are these guys wearing fake dreadlocks?

[Steel Life]

Here's the rub with Ben, the media & now Goodell continue to spew on about the girl & how Ben behaved - but what about her behavior? For example, I went to a convention recently & afterward one of my vendors takes everyone out to dinner at a club in downtown Orlando where it is wall-to-wall with girls of all ages. Aside from the fact I wanted to marry our waitress, there were girls of all ages there drinking away, dressed or barely dressed, obviously everyone got stiff necks from all the craning but in the end, everyone had a good time.

But what came next is why I feel for Ben...the same vendor had set-up a VIP area for us at one of the "sexier" clubs - Mako - & I'm not talking strip club. This is one of those places where the girls are barely dressed, they're swinging from the ceiling & they get people to drink from all sorts of compromising positions. The girls that were working were all super-fine as you'd expect, but most of the patrons were just as good. Now aside from the absurdly loud music, eye-candy & drinking, this is the one thing that struck us we looked down on the dance floor from the VIP area - all the girls were dancing like they were being "taken" from behind, just grinding away, most drunk off their a$$. Now I'm 42, but no aged puritan, far from it in fact & I was astonished at the behavior in there - it was like a "Girls Gone Wild" video. One of my guys who knew I was a Steelers fan came over at one point & said that it was a "Ben-Trap". Of course I reminded him that Ben is only 28, a multi-millionaire & single - so he'd be just like most every other guy in there. But it made us all think...where is line nowadays? Joe Namath would've been drummed out of the league before he had a chance to play a single down.

[Shawn]

I think you have some good points SL. The line is certainly gray. I think maturity comes when you realize that participating in activities of inherent higher risk might not be in your best interest. I am not a saint either but I have tried to wean out childish things from my life. When I say childish...I say things that can endanger my family, my profession, and reputation within the community. I don't go to strip clubs...bars...reciprocate flirting from a young lady looking for financial security etc. This came with time, lessons and some pain. I learned way too many lessons the way Ben is learning them. I no longer want to pay the price for education.

[Steel Life]

I think you have some good points SL. The line is certainly gray. I think maturity comes when you realize that participating in activities of inherent higher risk might not be in your best interest. I am not a saint either but I have tried to wean out childish things from my life. When I say childish...I say things that can endanger my family, my profession, and reputation within the community. I don't go to strip clubs...bars...reciprocate flirting from a young lady looking for financial security etc. This came with time, lessons and some pain. I learned way too many lessons the way Ben is learning them. I no longer want to pay the price for education.
You & me both brother! :Cheers