What Should the Steelers Do About Ben Roethlisberger?

What will it be, Ben?


As a life-long Steeler fan, I am deeply troubled by the saga of Ben Roethlisberger. Not since the days of Terry Bradsshaw have the Steelers had a quarterback of his talent and ability to win. In his short career, he has taken them to two Super Bowls, both of which they have won. Yet his life off the field is raising eyebrows. First, he nearly lost his life in a motorcycle crash in which he wasn't wearing a helmet. A few years later, he found himself facing a civil charge of raping a woman in Nevada (the woman never filed a criminal report.) Now, a woman in Milledgeville, Georgia, where Roethlisberger lives, is claiming he committed some sort of a sexual assault against her in a bar. (He has not been charged as yet.) In both cases, Roethlisberger is denying guilt and no criminal charges have been proven, let alone filed. Yet, this disturbing pattern of behavior raises doubts as to whether Roethlisberger will enjoy a full career in football, at least with the Steelers.

Under the ownership of the Rooney family, which began the franchise in 1933, the Steelers have been more than just another football franchise like say, the Oakland Raiders. The have been a local institution that rose from decades of being the league doormats to arguably the greatest-winning franchise in league history. Along the way, they have maintained a tradition of integrity for bringing in players who were also quality citizen-people who would not sully the reputation of the team and be a burden upon the community. There have been exceptions, of course, but overall, the Steelers have made it clear that bad behavior would amount to a one-way ticket out of town. Few, if any teams can match that record.

Now comes Roethlisberger, who assuming he is innocent of the charges, clearly has some growing up to do. It's one thing to love the bright lights and enjoy the adulation of the ladies. It's quite another to engage in any form of sexual assault. Of course, it is not known if Roethlisberger is guilty of these two accusations, and I hope he isn't and can resume his career. But if he is, then my law and order attitude dictates that he should suffer the consequences.

In that case, the Steelers and their fans must also suffer the consequences and start the search for another quarterback. That is a decision they may have to face as early as this year's draft in which most thought their greatest needs were on both lines and the defensive backfield. Personally, if the worst comes out, I would rather see the team bite the bullet even at the cost of a few losing seasons and maintain their hard-earned reputation as a city treasure that still cares about what kind of citizens they import into the city of Pittsburgh. They have proven that over time, players with character will make a better team than a team full of talented jerks.