Roethlisberger the new Kobe?!?

[Moranis]

At first I thought she just wanted money, but after seeing him it looked like he was trying to hide something and he sounded really guilty.

I thought he came off well.  I think he had sex with her and didn't want to admit it to make him seem bad, which is where some of the oddness arose from.

[Moranis]

ESPN almost never reports strictly civil matters until there are verdicts, settlements, or criminal charges.  On occassion they do, but I recall a number of times ESPN did not, like Eddy Curry's case from last year. 

[yall hate]

At first I thought she just wanted money, but after seeing him it looked like he was trying to hide something and he sounded really guilty.

I thought he came off well.  I think he had sex with her and didn't want to admit it to make him seem bad, which is where some of the oddness arose from.

Since he didnt come out and say he didnt have sex with her (which would have been the logical thing to do), I think it is safe assumption that they had sex.

I think it was odd because he was trying to be a parrot and repeat what his attorney told him to say.

[yall hate]

ESPN almost never reports strictly civil matters until there are verdicts, settlements, or criminal charges.  On occassion they do, but I recall a number of times ESPN did not, like Eddy Curry's case from last year. 

and you keep quoting one instance where they didnt, but I have given (in the other thread) 5 instances where they did, including a civil suit by a FORMER NFL player, involving a rape charge, that was posted on the same day that they DIDNT report Ben's.

[yall hate]

For those who outright believe she is lying based on not filing criminal charges or waiting a year to file the civil suit, this article is a pretty good (quick) read. It doesnt even need to change your mind about the decisions, but it at least attempts to explain her potential reasoning (some of which seems plausible, some of which doesnt)

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/07/25/a-closer-look-at-the-one-year-delay-in-the-roethlisberger-case/

[Fan from VT]

Rape Culture, and the unhealthy assumption that the victim is lying:

http://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/this-is-what-rape-culture-looks-like/



Possible reasons to opt for civil suits over criminal ones:

http://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/why-the-charges-are-civil-and-why-that-doesnt-mean-shes-a-lying-golddigger/



Kobe was found Not Guilty in a court, which, unfortunately especially in cases of sexual misconduct, has little to do with his innocence:

Direct quote from Kobe:

   First, I want to apologize directly to the young woman involved in this incident. I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year. Although this year has been incredibly difficult for me personally, I can only imagine the pain she has had to endure. I also want to apologize to her parents and family members, and to my family and friends and supporters, and to the citizens of Eagle, Colo.

I also want to make it clear that I do not question the motives of this young woman. No money has been paid to this woman. She has agreed that this statement will not be used against me in the civil case. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.

I issue this statement today fully aware that while one part of this case ends today, another remains. I understand that the civil case against me will go forward. That part of this case will be decided by and between the parties directly involved in the incident and will no longer be a financial or emotional drain on the citizens of the state of Colorado.

Really, it's very hard for me to understand how there can be confusion around consent. It's pretty easy to find out if someone is consenting or not...if you care. That's part of the "Yes means Yes" blog theory: that the saying "No means No" implies that men should just push until they hear "No." Then, obviously, there's all this stuff about "I didn't hear 'no'", etc, and the extremely difficult cases of coercion. However, if there's a cultural shift to "yes means yes," you wait until you hear a yes, then go forward. Big difference, less rape.

[Fan from VT]

I will also point out that Rape is not about sex. It's a sexual crime that is about power and the abuse of power. This part of rape's insidious nature. Think about this:

-Rape is about power. It's easy to take advantage of and exploit people with emotional difficulties; it's an exercise in power abuse. However, once on trial, the mental status of the victim, WHICH MADE THEM A VULNERABLE AND MORE LIKELY TARGET IN THE FIRST PLACE, is then used as a doubt for the validity of a rape charge. So the very thing which increased their likelihood of being chosen as a target by a rapist also decreases the chances that the victim will be believed in trial. Rapists know this, and that fact itself contributes to choosing unstable people as victims; you get to rape them further by taking advantage of their mental instability by turning public opinion and the courts against them, abusing more power.

-Rape is about power. Power is the aphrodisiac. What better way to get off on your own power than knowing that if you are famous and you rape someone, thousands of citizens will insult the victim you chose, declaring her a Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline., telling her she was asking for it and instantly assuming that she is doing it for the money, just by virtue of the rapist being famous. So someone who is already wealthy and powerful gets to twice rape a victim: with the first physical act, then by further exploiting the power differential.


In most of these cases, I really don't see how we can sit here and say who we believe, but especially how we could sit and make judgments about a woman who has come forward and willingly put her own self on public trial, knowingly exposing herself to disgusting public vitriol.  However, the above information, as well as knowing what I know about the exceedingly low rate of false rape accusations, as well as knowing about the depressingly high rates of rape, are why I if I am forced to choose whom I will believe, I will choose the victim.

[celts55]

not to be mean, or imply that this has anything at all to do with the truth or falsity of the claims, but WOOF

http://photos.tmz.com/galleries/andrea_mcnulty#47438

You say not to be mean, but lets face it, it was mean. I don't know if there is any other reason you would post a picture of someone and write Woof. That being said, looks very rarely have anything to do with a sexual assult. It's about control and power.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Here's an update:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/steelers/2009-08-07-ben-roethlisberger-case_N.htm

More and more it looks like this chick is nuts.

[Eja117]

Roethlisberger the new Kobe?!? 

Yeah.  Like Kobe, he's innocent and being harrassed by an ambulance chaser and a gold digger.

Yeah. Top athletes never rape anyone.

Yeah. And nobody ever falsely accuses them for money, either

[Eja117]

i just seen on the news that woman is alleging the Steelers starting QB to have sexually assaulted her last July.

So she waited a year? That's a long time. It seems this will be very difficult to prove then

[Eja117]

Rape Culture, and the unhealthy assumption that the victim is lying:

http://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/this-is-what-rape-culture-looks-like/



Possible reasons to opt for civil suits over criminal ones:

http://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/why-the-charges-are-civil-and-why-that-doesnt-mean-shes-a-lying-golddigger/



Kobe was found Not Guilty in a court, which, unfortunately especially in cases of sexual misconduct, has little to do with his innocence:

Direct quote from Kobe:

   First, I want to apologize directly to the young woman involved in this incident. I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year. Although this year has been incredibly difficult for me personally, I can only imagine the pain she has had to endure. I also want to apologize to her parents and family members, and to my family and friends and supporters, and to the citizens of Eagle, Colo.

I also want to make it clear that I do not question the motives of this young woman. No money has been paid to this woman. She has agreed that this statement will not be used against me in the civil case. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.

I issue this statement today fully aware that while one part of this case ends today, another remains. I understand that the civil case against me will go forward. That part of this case will be decided by and between the parties directly involved in the incident and will no longer be a financial or emotional drain on the citizens of the state of Colorado.

Really, it's very hard for me to understand how there can be confusion around consent. It's pretty easy to find out if someone is consenting or not...if you care. That's part of the "Yes means Yes" blog theory: that the saying "No means No" implies that men should just push until they hear "No." Then, obviously, there's all this stuff about "I didn't hear 'no'", etc, and the extremely difficult cases of coercion. However, if there's a cultural shift to "yes means yes," you wait until you hear a yes, then go forward. Big difference, less rape.

While Kobe states that the civil suit will be directly decided between them he doesn't say what that will entail.

His lawyers might have pulled a Mr. Burns and written the number zero and said "this is how much we offer you", upon which her lawyers might have said "I think we should take it"

Or might have been planning to at the time anyway

[ToppersBsktball10]

I don't think Big Ben did it. Kobe on the other hand... who knows.

[Finkelskyhook]

Possible reasons to opt for civil suits over criminal ones:

-MONEY

.....Especially a year later.

[oldmanspeaks]

Anyone who still thinks big Ben is guilty should read the affidavit from the woman who heard the accuser brag about the encounter and how she hoped she had his baby and how she planned to seek him out. Also her previous bogus claims about other relationships, etc. I thought Kobe might be guilty, but I have severe reservations about the Ben accuser.

new story:
Woman's affidavit supports Roethlisberger's denial of sexual assault
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09220/989640-100.stm