Blog #11: Ben Roethlisberger Might As Well Be On Jerry Springer

Jeff Schwartz

Blog #11: Ben Roethlisberger Might As Well Be On Jerry Springer

July 13, 2010

I’m an angry Cleveland Browns fan. I don’t hide it. When you as a diehard fan have to go through the last eleven seasons for a combined record of 59-117, I think I have the right to be very, very angry. I’ve managed to transform that anger, however. That rage and anger has evolved into the hatred of our biggest rival, The Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 2004, The Cleveland Browns have defeated The Steelers once. I went through five and a half years of college and did not see win number one against the hated Steelers. I’m not writing this article to talk about rivalries or my hatred of all things Pittsburgh. I’m not even writing this article about my self-imposed ban on even visiting or driving through the city of Pittsburgh. This blog is being written to tear down and accurately depict Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as someone who fits in on the set of Jerry Springer far better than he does in a society of civilized people.

Does this guy go to the barber and ask for the sexual predator haircut? He’s been accused of rape as a professional, just as many times as he’s won a Superbowl, TWICE. Once, maybe it’s because he’s famous and has the ability to play the “do you know who I am card.” But twice, that’s a pattern, and nobody has mentioned his variety of incidents as a student at the University of Miami (Ohio). Lest we forget, it was Big Ben who hopped aboard a motorcycle while not wearing a helmet, and not owning a Pennsylvania motorcycle license when he flew over the handlebars and put his head through the windshield of a car. He’s more of a sideshow freak than Quarterback. Multiple jaw fractures and a nine inch cut on the back of the head as well as teeth knocked out from the incident led to Roethlisberger looking more like a carnie than would fit in with his behavior.

While car accidents are one thing, and certainly can be written off if not for his pattern of behavior, being accused of sexual assault is a whole new ball game that Number 7 can’t even compete in. The very first incident as a professional occurred in Lake Tahoe, NV. Andrea McNulty accused Roethlisberger of raping her as she came to fix his television in his room. As she allegedly attempted to leave the room, seeing that Ben had lied about the television problems he stood in front of the door. Since this is a family blog, I’ll just say that one thing led to another and this story broke to the media. A lawsuit filed accuses Roethlisberger of causing the victim to have depression and require medical care from the attack. As of now, the lawsuit is still pending and no criminal charges have been filed.

The second accusation of sexual assault against Ben Roethlisberger spurned from an incident at a college bar in Milledgeville, GA. Let’s back track before I provide details. This incident occurred at a COLLEGE BAR. Ben Roethlisberger has played in the NFL since 2004. That means it’s been six years since he’s been in college. There is no need for him to be in a college bar at that time, especially with his reputation. This incident occurred in the women's bathroom at the Capitol City Nightclub. A 20 year old college student, who was drunk, accused Roethlisberger of forcing himself on her at inside the women's restroom. Re-read the last sentence, why was the Steelers Quarterback in the women’s restroom? What is his excuse this time? No charges were filed for either incident, so of course Big Ben is innocent until proven guilty. However, this pattern of behavior speaks for itself. This is the kind of nonsense that a scripted character on Jerry Springer does.

A motorcycle crash (a GIANT contract violation), TWO accusations of rape/sexual assault, and most recently, Profootballtalk.com (an amazing website), reported Ben Roethlisberger was caught urinating on a golf course. Now granted, drinking beer and trying to stay hydrated in the summer on the golf course can lead to many a person having to pee on the course, but with Roethlisberger’s reputation not needing anymore hits, he probably should have held it until he could find a port-a-potty.

Big Ben is currently serving a six game suspension from the NFL for his downright pathetic conduct as an adult. He is scheduled to go through a league mandated behavior evaluation by a professional. He must also receive counseling and treatment recommended by a professional. As a Browns fan, I love seeing Big Ben suffer, but I don’t love seeing him suffer off of the field. He should learn to act like an adult and represent himself and his organization in a far more professional manner. I just have to wonder how much of his behavior is based upon the plethora of concussions he’s suffered on the field behind his shoddy at best offensive line. I would hope that after his suspension his behavior will have improved and he’ll have matured as a person. If that’s the case, The Cleveland Browns defense will gladly send him off the field on a stretcher.