Ben Rothlisberger (Allegations, Suspension, etc.)

[Roy Hobbs]

good move by the NFL. 

6 games, can be reduced to 4, he loses about 3 million if he sits the full 6 games.

it raises a scary precedent about false accusations (say, a week before the superbowl if someone wanted to try and get a player to potentially be suspended), but I am fine dealing with future situations in the future, Ben deserved this.

Regarding false accusations, I get the feeling that the NFL said "you get one free one".  After Big Ben didn't learn his lesson after the first lawsuit, and at the very least showed very irresponsible behavior, I think Goodell had enough.

A $3 million hit, plus a loss of some sponsors, ought to at least send a message. 

[Fafnir]

Whether or not its 4 or 6 I'm happy with it. That's a very serious penalty.

[Chris]

good move by the NFL. 

6 games, can be reduced to 4, he loses about 3 million if he sits the full 6 games.

it raises a scary precedent about false accusations (say, a week before the superbowl if someone wanted to try and get a player to potentially be suspended), but I am fine dealing with future situations in the future, Ben deserved this.

Yeah, I think they can get around the false accusations problem by pointing out (rightfully so), that the problem wasn't the accusation so much, it is the position he put himself (and the league) in...particularly after having issues in the past.

Ben is representing the league, and his team.  Therefore, he should not be putting himself in potentially dangerous or embarrasing situations...like locking himself in a bathroom with a drunk 20 year old girl.  

Whether anything happened in there or not, with his history, he crossed the line by being in that position.

It is like Telfair, when he got caught with those guns in the middle of the night in NY.  The problem wasn't whether it was illegal or not, the problem was that he had already had his warning (actually, twice), and yet he decided to put himself in the position again to embarrass his employers (or worse).

[Fafnir]

Plus the Steelers lose their QB for at least 4 games, that's a big hit to their season.

[Lucky17]

I hope the NFL players' union doesn't try to appeal this.

[MattG12]

Whether or not its 4 or 6 I'm happy with it. That's a very serious penalty.

Not serious enough... that guy is scum.

[Cman]

good move by the NFL. 

6 games, can be reduced to 4, he loses about 3 million if he sits the full 6 games.

it raises a scary precedent about false accusations (say, a week before the superbowl if someone wanted to try and get a player to potentially be suspended), but I am fine dealing with future situations in the future, Ben deserved this.

Point taken, but the league wouldn't act that quickly, and would probably tack the suspensions on at the beginning of the next year.

BTW, kind of reminds me of the accusations about Moss before the Super Bowl.

[Roy Hobbs]

Whether or not its 4 or 6 I'm happy with it. That's a very serious penalty.

Not serious enough... that guy is scum.

Well, not serious enough for the crime of rape, absolutely.  However, Goodell can't really assume a rape occurred.  Rather, he can punish Roethisberger for putting himself in a bad situation, and making the league look bad.  For that, I think a suspension of a minimum of 25% of the season is fair.

In the NBA, of course, there wouldn't have been any sort of discipline.

[looseball]

Whether or not its 4 or 6 I'm happy with it. That's a very serious penalty.

Not serious enough... that guy is scum.

Well, not serious enough for the crime of rape, absolutely.  However, Goodell can't really assume a rape occurred.  Rather, he can punish Roethisberger for putting himself in a bad situation, and making the league look bad.  For that, I think a suspension of a minimum of 25% of the season is fair.

In the NBA, of course, there wouldn't have been any sort of discipline.

...unless he hit her with an elbow.

[Donoghus]

Whether or not its 4 or 6 I'm happy with it. That's a very serious penalty.

Not serious enough... that guy is scum.

Well, not serious enough for the crime of rape, absolutely.  However, Goodell can't really assume a rape occurred.  Rather, he can punish Roethisberger for putting himself in a bad situation, and making the league look bad.  For that, I think a suspension of a minimum of 25% of the season is fair.

In the NBA, of course, there wouldn't have been any sort of discipline.

...unless he hit her with an elbow.

Touche.

[JSD]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5094224

Wow. dragged her to the bathroom by the hair and set up his bodyguards outside.

I never wish Ill on people, but it's REAL tough in Ben's case not to wish for his career to go down the toilet, at the very least.

That's just terrible. I'm glad RG stuck it to him in a way our justice system couldn't.

[Rondo2287]

Anybody else impressed with the letter that goodell sent to Big Ben.  Seems like a commish that does the right thing, and also actually cares about the players.

[mkogav]

Shawne Merriman got caught using steroids and it cost him 4 games.

Rothlisburger is caught sexually assaulting a 21 y/o girl and it only cost him 6 or more likely 4 games.

This just doesn't sit well with me.

Mk

[MattG12]

Anybody else impressed with the letter that goodell sent to Big Ben.  Seems like a commish that does the right thing, and also actually cares about the players.

I think Roger Goodell is the best commissioner in any of the major sports leagues.

[Roy Hobbs]

Shawne Merriman got caught using steroids and it cost him 4 games.

Rothlisburger is caught sexually assaulting a 21 y/o girl and it only cost him 6 or more likely 4 games.

This just doesn't sit well with me.

Mk

The problem is, he wasn't "caught sexually assaulting a 21 y/o girl".  Rather, those were the allegations, which the prosecution admitted that it couldn't prove due to 1) a lack of physical evidence, and 2) the only complaining witness being extremely intoxicated.

Trust me, if he was convicted, Goodell would have come down on him a lot worse than he did.  To contrast commissioners, David Stern gave Kobe a suspension of exactly *zero* games after he was actually arrested for, and charged with, rape.