“Ben Roethlisberger Charged With Assault” is getting to be the new “Sarah Palin Does/Says Something Stupid.”
It’s a headline you can count on.
The press let Roethlisberger get off relatively easy after he was sued for sexual assault by Andrea McNulty in Nevada last year, but the two-time Super Bowl champ might have gone and done it this time.
As Fred Sanford used to say, “This is the big one!” SportsChat doesn’t think it’s a false alarm either. Big Ben isn’t going to be able to sweep these allegations under the rug.
Here is a wrap up of the facts, opinions and gossip regarding Roethlisberger’s legal woes:
The Hollywood Gossip: Ben Roethlisberger accuser described as “hysterical”:
“She was extremely emotional and looked like she had been crying for hours. The woman’s identity is being withheld, which is protocol with alleged sex offenses.”
“But the police source said for whatever it’s worth, Ben’s accuser “did not look like” a girl who was making it up. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.”
Roethlisberger hires attorney who defended Ray Lewis:
“More than a decade ago, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was accused of murder in Georgia. He hired Ed Garland to handle the case. Eventually, the worst of the charges against Lewis were dropped, and he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.
Now, Garland will be asked to help another high-profile NFL player.
Per a league source, Garland has been hired to represent the interests of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the sexual assault investigation that is still unfolding in Milledgeville, Georgia. Roethlisberger has not yet been charged.”
NY Daily News: Giants Better off Without Big Ben:
Ben Roethlisberger may lead Eli Manning 2-1 in Super Bowl rings, but the argument is forever closed whether the Giants would have been better off with Big Ben.
At the very least, Roethlisberger is an immature knucklehead who puts himself in bad situations and continually humiliates the Steelers, one of the NFL‘s cornerstone franchises.
Bleacher Report sees double standard in Roethlisberger reporting:
I am surprised at the relatively quiet press coverage for Roethlisberger. He’s a pretty high-profiled guy with 2 Super Bowl victories already at age 28 and now have 2 sexual assault trials to boot. Interesting, the way the media is treating this issue is almost like Roethlisberger is some third string quarterback for the Detroit Lions.
There were a lot of brouhahas and bullying when Kobe Bryant was accused of sexual assault with endless press coverage, every minor details about his trip to Eagle, Colorado, and the notion of he was somehow “guilty before proven innocent”. Yet, Roethlisberger has 2 sexual assault cases in less than a year and the press doesn’t even seem to care. There were more coverage when Iverson was accused of threatening 2 men when he was looking for his wife. They have more coverage about A.I. getting a divorce than Roethlisberger’s rape case and no one is speculating whether he would be suspended under the “personal conduct policy” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell introduced.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Milledgeville Residents withhold judgement:
“Since purchasing his summer vacation home at Reynolds Plantation, an upscale community near Greensboro, Ga., Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has cultivated a reputation similar to the one he has in Ohio and Pittsburgh, the two other places where he has lived.
Those who encounter him say he is friendly, but not necessarily outgoing. He is generous with his time and money, posing for photographs and donating to charity.
But some people grumble that he can be curt if he doesn’t want to be bothered and there are members of the service industry who share stories of his walking out on checks or losing his temper over poor service.”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazetter; Spotlight on Milledgeville:
“Thursday nights tend to be party nights around the tiny campus of Georgia College & State University. Few of the 6,000 students have Friday classes, and many of them go back to their parents’ homes for the weekends.
Even though the legal age for drinking is 21, underage students also head for the half-dozen bars and clubs located within two blocks of the campus to listen to music and socialize. The establishments have bouncers who check identifications at the door, and wristbands are placed on those 21 and older so the bartenders know which customers can be served.”
BleacherReport.com raises particularly troubling points. Why do the fans, media and NFL let Big Ben slide so easily when we jump all over guys accused of equal, or even lesser, crimes? Violence against women seems to be as prevalent in sports as steroid use.
But you won’t ever see Congress asking any questions about that.
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