NFL Season 2010

[pk500]

Plus Goodell doesn't need to follow the rule of courtroom law to run his league. He can suspend a player in almost any way he sees fit under the auspices of the "personal conduct" clause. Even if Roethlisberger didn't commit a crime, it's clear that he showed poor judgment for the third time, if you include the two alleged assaults and the motorcycle accident. That wasn't enough for a court to convict, but it was enough for Goodell to act. He has that right, just as your employer has the right to suspend you if you post pictures on your Facebook page of doing beer bongs with 19-year-old coeds.

I don't really disagree with anything you said, pk, but I do dislike how Goodell has set himself up as judge, jury and executioner. Why did Ben get 4 games, and Favre got nothing? We'll likely never know.

Roethlisberger is a repeat offender of bad judgment. Plus there's a difference between allegations of sexual assault and sending a picture of your c*ck on an iPhone.

[XXXIV]

What did Ray Lewis get away with? I forgot.

Warren Moon the wife beater into the HoF without even a sniff of a Super Bowl. Being a worthless piece of crap really hurt him didnt it?

The NFL could care less about any of this s***. They have Irvin on on sundays. Nuff said.

[pk500]

Barkley wasn't talking about committing a crime.

He was talking about getting into an altercation at a public venue where he threw some guy who challenged him through a window.

And didn't he utter that line as part of some commercial?

Yes, he did. For Nike, as I stated.

But Roethlisberger never faced criminal charges for his alleged indiscretions, let alone a conviction. That's what separates him from Ron Mexico, who also could afford good lawyers.

You can think what you want about Roethlisberger. I think he's a bit slimy and did a dance in the pocket to avoid a sack by the legal system. But the facts are that he was not charged for sexual assault in either instance.

[XXXIV]

Roethlisberger is a repeat offender of bad judgment. Plus there's a difference between allegations of sexual assault and sending a picture of your c*ck on an iPhone.

I am far from agreeing with anything Goodell does but he got the Ben thing right. He has started down that zero tolerance path for repeaters and he stuck to it.

Ben got off easy.

[JRod]

Just as there's injustice in nearly every business. I'm not happy when Bank of America executives get huge bonuses after participating in predatory lending practices and then accepting taxpayer bailout cash. But it happened.

The world is full of flaws and cracks. Sports are no exception. I think Roethlisberger is a scumbag who is playing the redemption role to the hilt. But he's a football player; he's not raising my kids. So in the grand scheme, much like DB, I don't give a f*ck about his morality.

No the world is full of flaws and cracks because we accept it that way. Linking BoA to harassment is not the same.

And no one is questioning Roethlisberger's morality. We accept Ben's actions because that's the only way a rational person can justify rooting for Ben/Steelers. Had this been about morality and not money, Ben would be sitting in a courtroom not at the Super Bowl. And it's this fact that people consistently separate out action from performance is the reason why the powerful feel invincible. Because they know, the NFL will give them a slap on the rest because money is more powerful than morality. And why, because we told, oh well Ben did some bad things but it doesn't matter because what a player does off the field isn't the same as on the field.

[pk500]

PK : that's good but some kids don't have 2 parents or even 1 parent to be a role model to them. In these type of situations, the kids look to media figures/entertainers/sports athletes as fill in role models. So some of these athletes are role models even if they don't want to be.

That's fine. But it's not the responsibility for athletes to be role models for any youth, even those without two-parent households. If they choose that mantle, it's fine and honorable. But it's not a job requirement.

[Lancer]

What did Ray Lewis get away with? I forgot.

Warren Moon the wife beater into the HoF without even a sniff of a Super Bowl. Being a worthless piece of crap really hurt him didnt it?

The NFL could care less about any of this s***. They have Irvin on on sundays. Nuff said.

LOL, yes, good point about Irvin.

I don't know what occurred in the Ray Lewis situation. I don't think he was ever charged with anything. The guys that were charged were acquitted of murder.

Another thing that bugs me are these serial child makers. Ya its none of my biz, but guys like Cromartie having 8 diff kids w/ 9 diff women is something I can't respect. It's just irresponsible. Ya, it doesn't mean a hoot when he's making an INT for the Jets, but there is a human aspect where I feel like come on man, grow up, be responsible.

[pk500]

No the world is full of flaws and cracks because we accept it that way. Linking BoA to harassment is not the same.

Why the hell not? BoA possibly bilked some dim-witted people from their hard-earned money and ruined their financial standing. That has a pretty heavy impact on someone's life, too.

We accept Ben's actions because that's the only way a rational person can justify rooting for Ben/Steelers.

That's absolutely ridiculous. Someone can root for the Steelers because they admire their execution and skill as a football team. That's more than enough of a reason.

Mike Tyson was a reprehensible human being during his boxing career, but that doesn't prevent me from watching his old fights with awe, and it won't prevent me from being in Canastota this June when he is enshrined into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He never was a role model for me, but he entertained me greatly as a fighter.

Had this been about morality and not money, Ben would be sitting in a courtroom not at the Super Bowl. And it's this fact that people consistently separate out action from performance is the reason why the powerful feel invincible. Because they know, the NFL will give them a slap on the rest because money is more powerful than morality. And why, because we told, oh well Ben did some bad things but it doesn't matter because what a player does off the field isn't the same as on the field.

That's exactly why O.J. is still looking for Nicole's killer every day. And it's why Charlie Sheen will be back on a CBS set very soon. And it's why Lindsay Lohan still will get movie roles if she can show up at the set on time.

Why are you holding athletes on a higher pedestal than other entertainers? Sports stars are entertainers with great athletic skill. Nothing more.

[RobVarak]

I see Green Bay being a year away from a Super Bowl, too. This seems like the game they lose, learn from, and build on. Absolutely kills me to say that but it's hard not to see them as a team that will be very tough for the next few years.

I would've agreed in the pre-free agency NFL. Nowadays with players (particularly OL personnel) shifting around and the engineered parity/mediocrity that defines the competitive environment, teams don't really "progress" the way that they used to. Team building is more an exercise in year-to-year patching and filling rather than development.

I'm not saying they'll be poor next year, but if they were it wouldn't surprise me.

[pk500]

Another thing that bugs me are these serial child makers. Ya its none of my biz, but guys like Cromartie having 8 diff kids w/ 9 diff women is something I can't respect. It's just irresponsible. Ya, it doesn't mean a hoot when he's making an INT for the Jets, but there is a human aspect where I feel like come on man, grow up, be responsible.

I agree with this. This is arguably worse than Roethlisberger's alleged offenses, especially if guys like Cromartie, Shawn Kemp and Travis Henry are little more than a child-support check in their children's lives.

Roethlisberger's alleged offense had an impact on an adult. Absentee pro athlete fathers can ruin the life of a child.

[GTHobbes]

I see Green Bay being a year away from a Super Bowl, too. This seems like the game they lose, learn from, and build on. Absolutely kills me to say that but it's hard not to see them as a team that will be very tough for the next few years.

I would've agreed in the pre-free agency NFL. Nowadays with players (particularly OL personnel) shifting around and the engineered parity/mediocrity that defines the competitive environment, teams don't really "progress" the way that they used to. Team building is more an exercise in year-to-year patching and filling rather than development.

I'm not saying they'll be poor next year, but if they were it wouldn't surprise me.

I agree with this -- the teams "that will be very tough for the next few years" seem to take a step back more often than not. See Minnesota, San Diego, Dallas and even the Bengals. It's awfully tough to get over that hump and stay there.

[wco81]

You can think what you want about Roethlisberger. I think he's a bit slimy and did a dance in the pocket to avoid a sack by the legal system. But the facts are that he was not charged for sexual assault in either instance.

That depends on how much faith you have on the criminal justice system and if it's as blind as it's suppose to be.

If I recall, the cops on the scene didn't cordon off the area and collect evidence?

[Naples39]

You can think what you want about Roethlisberger. I think he's a bit slimy and did a dance in the pocket to avoid a sack by the legal system. But the facts are that he was not charged for sexual assault in either instance.

That depends on how much faith you have on the criminal justice system and if it's as blind as it's suppose to be.

If I recall, the cops on the scene didn't cordon off the area and collect evidence?

As linked by HipE earlier in the thread;

Roethlisberger had a posse of the infatuated men: pals and off-duty police officers acting as bodyguards, who set up and enabled the encounter with the young woman. He also wasn't questioned immediately by police. One police officer later resigned after his unprofessional conduct in the case became public.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... z1CkK8e600

Seems to me a lot of people wanted to slip it under the rug, and the victim decided it wasn't worth all the inevitable grief and public scrutiny for a case that wasn't a slam dunk. I have little doubt that he was doing something that he shouldn't have, likely criminal, but I guess that's just my opinion. I'll just go back to hoping he throws a few picks in the Super Bowl...

[Brando70]

I see Green Bay being a year away from a Super Bowl, too. This seems like the game they lose, learn from, and build on. Absolutely kills me to say that but it's hard not to see them as a team that will be very tough for the next few years.

I would've agreed in the pre-free agency NFL. Nowadays with players (particularly OL personnel) shifting around and the engineered parity/mediocrity that defines the competitive environment, teams don't really "progress" the way that they used to. Team building is more an exercise in year-to-year patching and filling rather than development.

I'm not saying they'll be poor next year, but if they were it wouldn't surprise me.

I suppose that is true and I was betraying my age.

[XXXIV]

I see Green Bay being a year away from a Super Bowl, too. This seems like the game they lose, learn from, and build on. Absolutely kills me to say that but it's hard not to see them as a team that will be very tough for the next few years.

I would've agreed in the pre-free agency NFL. Nowadays with players (particularly OL personnel) shifting around and the engineered parity/mediocrity that defines the competitive environment, teams don't really "progress" the way that they used to. Team building is more an exercise in year-to-year patching and filling rather than development.

I'm not saying they'll be poor next year, but if they were it wouldn't surprise me.

I suppose that is true and I was betraying my age.

Yep....We be old now.

That one step at a time stuff has been washed a way for a decade now. The 99 Rams went from 4-12 to SB champs and just two years later the 01 Pats did the same thing from 5-11.

[pk500]

That one step at a time stuff has been washed a way for a decade now. The 99 Rams went from 4-12 to SB champs and just two years later the 01 Pats did the same thing from 5-11.

The Bills still follow the one-step method: One more loss every season.

[GTHobbes]

I shouldn't be up this late but am really enjoying the full game rebroadcast of SB XIV between the Steelers and Rams that the NFL Network is showing. I remember watching this game wearing my Steeler helmet as an 8 year old kid back in January 1980. I've always loved the old NFL Films' highlight videos of the old SBs but it's awesome getting to see the full game with Lambert and Shell and Blount, etc., playing in their prime against an unheralded Rams team that almost pulled it out.

[Naples39]

Right on cue--sportsdome story last night "Roethlisberger one more win away from being a good person"

[Brando70]

I see Green Bay being a year away from a Super Bowl, too. This seems like the game they lose, learn from, and build on. Absolutely kills me to say that but it's hard not to see them as a team that will be very tough for the next few years.

I would've agreed in the pre-free agency NFL. Nowadays with players (particularly OL personnel) shifting around and the engineered parity/mediocrity that defines the competitive environment, teams don't really "progress" the way that they used to. Team building is more an exercise in year-to-year patching and filling rather than development.

I'm not saying they'll be poor next year, but if they were it wouldn't surprise me.

I suppose the more accurate way to say this is I see Green Bay being one of if not the most competitive NFC team for the next few years. They have the potential to become a stable perennial contender that the NFC has lacked since the 1990s. They have issues, especially at RB, but they look to me like a New England or Pittsburgh that could have multiple SB appearances over the coming years.

[GTHobbes]

I love the way James Harrison plays, and the way he hasn't backed down from his position. Wish the Steelers had even more guys like him. But here's one Pittsburgh sportswriter who has a different opinion:

"Cook: Harrison's sarcasm crosses line"
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"ARLINGTON, Texas -- It might be the longest declarative sentence in the history of Super Bowl Media Day.

There's no doubt it was the most sarcastic.

"I don't want to hurt nobody, I don't want to step on nobody's foot and hurt their toe, I don't want to have no dirt or none of this rubber on the field fly into their eye and make their eye hurt, I just want to tackle them softly on the ground and, if y'all can, lay a pillow down where I'm going to tackle them so they don't hit the ground too hard, Mr. Goodell."

You don't think Steelers linebacker James Harrison is bitter, do you?

About the $100,000 in fines he received this season from the NFL office because of helmet hits that commissioner Roger Goodell and his staff believed were against the rules?

Bitter doesn't even begin to describe Harrison. "They took $100,000 out of my pocket," he said, glaring.

Using the pulpit he had on Media Day Tuesday at Cowboys Stadium, Harrison mocked Goodell at every turn. It was clear that was his intention from the start. He brushed off questions about making the greatest play in Super Bowl history when he returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown to help the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. "I don't really remember too much about it." Asked if he has watched the replay on television, he said, "I don't really watch sports. I watch cartoons." Asked if the play changed his life, he said, "It didn't change my life at all. It changed the outcome of the game, but that's really about it."

No, Harrison couldn't wait to get to the Goodell questions. He didn't have to wait long and went after the commissioner with the same ferocity he's expected to go after Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Super Bowl XLV Sunday night. He talked of the league looking for "a poster boy" for its crackdown on helmet hits earlier in the season and "they just chose me because I was the most visible player." He said every decision the league makes is based on "whatever makes them more money." He said his trip to Goodell's office in New York in November for a meeting of the minds was "a waste of time. Nothing was really accomplished."

It was funny for a while, and you can argue that Goodell deserves all the scorn coming his way from the Steelers. The commissioner isn't popular with anyone in the organization after he unconscionably blind-sided quarterback Ben Roethlisberger by telling SportsIllustrated.com before the playoffs that "not a single player" came to Roethlisberger's defense during the NFL's investigation into a sexual assault allegation against him in March in Milledgeville, Ga. The story was released earlier this week, the worst possible time for the Steelers.

But Harrison went too far. His points would have had more validity if he didn't sound like such a fool with a few of his other comments. The most galling showed his cavalier disregard for the seriousness of head injuries in the NFL.

"I've had concussions at the pro level," Harrison said. "It wasn't bad enough to where I needed to come out of the game. I'll put it like this: If you don't tell [the medical staff], they don't know unless you get knocked out and you're laying there with your arms stuck in the air."

Nice, huh?

Medical research has linked concussions in football to brain disease, dementia and other maladies in players later in life. When asked if Goodell and the league are trying to protect Harrison from himself, Harrison scoffed, "I'm not worried about that. It's part of the game. We signed up for this. It's not a touchy, feely game. I've said it many times. I'm willing to go through hell so my kids don't have to."

It's admirable and honorable that Harrison is willing to do what it takes to support his family. Where he loses me is with his unwillingness to realize that one of his helmet hits could end another player's career and devastate that player's family. That's shameful.

Harrison was fined $5,000 for corkscrewing Tennessee quarterback Vince Young into the ground Sept. 19. The fine was deserved because it was a dirty play. Harrison was fined $75,000 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi Oct. 17. The league conceded that was excessive, reducing it to $50,000 in December.

Harrison talked of retiring after the Massaquoi hit, which seemed odd for a guy who wants to provide for his family. He said he met with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who sent him home from practice for a day to cool off. He admitted the retirement talk "wasn't well-thought out."

Harrison said he changed the way he played for a game or two but then realized it "wasn't conducive to me helping the team win." The fines continued to come. He was docked $20,000 for a hit on New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and $25,000 for one on Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Both fines were legitimate because Harrison led with his helmet.

Harrison said he believes comments he made after the Cleveland game Oct. 17 contributed to the severity and frequency of his fines. "I don't want to see anyone injured, but I'm not opposed to hurting anyone," he said that day. "There's a difference. When you're injured, you can't play. But, when you're hurt, you can shake it off and come back. I try to hurt people."

Of course, all anyone remembered was, "I try to hurt people."

"I think that contributed to me getting fined," Harrison said.

That's what led to that comment about putting down a pillow to make for a soft landing in Cowboys Stadium.

It was funny, sure.

But it also was sad."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11033/11 ... z1CoWF1miO

[GTHobbes]

This hadn't occurred to me, but I love it:

"A Super Bowl oddity: No cheerleaders for Packers or Steelers

By Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY

DALLAS – A Super Bowl without cheerleaders ... at Cowboys Stadium, no less?

One of the league's major marketing tools – the sideline sex appeal of women wearing revealing outfits and performing enticing dance routines – will be on hiatus Sunday in Super Bowl XLV. Sunday's game featuring the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers is believed to be the first Super Bowl without cheerleaders since Super Bowls II, said NFL Films president Steve Sabol.

Only six NFL franchises do not use official cheerleaders, including the Steelers and the Packers. The others: Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and New York Giants.

"We will have a great game – we don't need eye candy," laughed Steelers guard Trai Essex on Wednesday.

Teammate Antwaan Randle El, asked if he cared that there would be no dance squads, quickly replied, "Yeah, I care – I'm glad they're not here.

"They are a distraction. You want to focus on the game. If you happen to look at the (giant overhead screens), it's "Oh, my Lord!' Especially in Dallas. They not only have cheerleaders, they have go-go (-style dancers) hanging from poles" on concourse levels.

Some fans, such as Washington, D.C. resident Martin Corboy, are dismayed. "Without cheerleaders, in hard times like these, who will we turn our eyes to?'' said Corboy, a Redskins fan who will attend the game.

"Who wouldn't want to see Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders -- right?'' said Robin Perlman, a former Cowboys cheerleader. "They would be ready to perform at the drop of a hat ... or a pom-pon.''

Cowboys cheerleaders made multiple appearances this week at public and private functions, but they are "not scheduled to be part of the football game,'' said team spokesman Rich Dalrymple. "We think Steelers and Packers fans will have lots of 'cheerleaders' at the game (in the way of fans). They will be just dressed differently."

Said Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel, "I'm surprised that Jerry Jones didn't say, 'If we're playing the game in Dallas, my cheerleaders are going to come out at halftime and put on a show.' "

But it is not Jones' call.

"It's a team issue,'' said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "If the team has cheerleaders, they are part of the Super Bowl."

Since the late 1980s, the Packers have deployed more modestly attired cheerleaders from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and St. Norbert College. Officials from those schools were told that the cheerleaders were limited to Lambeau Field. But the Packers did bring cheerleaders to Super Bowls XXXI and XXXII, although they paid their own expenses.

At one time, Pittsburgh used cheerleaders – the Steelerettes – but they were discontinued in 1970.

"They are both old organizations who stick to their guns as far as the cheerleading crew goes,'' Keisel said. "I think it's cool; maybe the fans don't like it as much. We love the fact that the Rooneys are old-school and haven't changed their ways."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... steelers/1

[lexbur]

I thought the Steelers had cheerleaders...

[GTHobbes]

"Rooney Method: Build Methodically and Await Rings
By JUDY BATTISTA
Published: February 2, 2011

"ARLINGTON, Tex. — Art Rooney II was glancing at the enormous video screen and plush seats, taking in Jerry Jones’s monument to revenue with a bemused smile. Pittsburgh will probably never have a home quite like Cowboys Stadium, which will be host to the Super Bowl on Sunday. But this week Rooney, an owner and the president of the Steelers, had something that Jones, the owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, wanted desperately: the opportunity to explain how his team keeps returning to the Super Bowl every few years.

Rooney’s remarks in the middle of the lavish dome were in stark contrast to those made by Jones at a news conference, when he explained how badly he misjudged his team this season.

“Panic doesn’t seem to work; let’s put it that way,” Rooney said. “Enough people seem to have gone through that. Our philosophy is you pick good people and try to stick with them.

“There’s no guarantees. There are ups and downs in any sport. But if you have the people in place, you always have a chance to be successful. That goes back to my grandfather and down to my father.”

More than by any player or coach, the Steelers are identified by the way they have done business for 40 years. They build through the draft, take care of their players, maintain financial discipline, eschew flashy hires and treat people well.

In the win-now world of professional sports, the Steelers have managed a twin bill that only a few other organizations, including the Green Bay Packers, can claim: they win now, and they set themselves up for the future, too. Of the 22 players who are expected to start for the Steelers on Sunday, 18 were either drafted by the Steelers or signed as undrafted or rookie free agents. For some of those players, it will be their third Super Bowl appearance in six years.

It is a blueprint that has put six Lombardi Trophies behind glass in Pittsburgh, given the Steelers a chance to win a seventh, generated a devoted, nationwide fan base and left other owners agog, although Rooney laughs a little when asked if the Steelers’ way has been codified. It has not, he said.

“I’m envious,” the Indianapolis Colts’ owner, Jim Irsay, said. “I’ve spent more than $100 million more than those guys in the last 10 years.” He added, “How can you accomplish so much with such a disciplined business model?”

Art Rooney II’s grandfather Art — the beloved Chief — founded the franchise. Art II’s father, Dan, steered it to stunning success in the 1970s and became one of the N.F.L.’s most influential owners. And in recent years Art II has moved into the primary decision-making job. That seamlessness is at the root of the Steelers.

Pittsburgh has hired only three coaches since 1969 — Chuck Noll was the first — and each has won at least one Super Bowl. With Noll, Dan Rooney and his brother Art Jr. formed a threesome that focused on building through the draft. That approach remains. Offensive and defensive systems are not adopted and ripped up every few years, necessitating cyclical remakings of the roster.

When Mike Tomlin, an under-the-radar young coordinator, replaced Bill Cowher in 2007, his most critical decision was to keep the defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and the 3-4 defense that is the cornerstone of the Steelers, even though Tomlin ran a 4-3 as a coordinator.

The continuity means everybody from the owners to an entry-level scout knows what Steelers players should be like. The team is able to draft prospects who will fit its system for years — because the system is not going to change — giving the Steelers time to develop players.

“Some teams change quarterbacks like underwear,” the Steelers’ Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham said. “Then you have this organization. Stability is the key, and they let people do their jobs.”

Ernie Accorsi, the former Giants general manager, tells a story about Kevin Colbert, the Steelers’ director of football operations, whom Accorsi calls the best general manager nobody knows about. Since Accorsi retired, he has consulted with other teams looking to rebuild.

One team was looking for a general manager. Accorsi called Colbert, who has been with the Steelers since 2000, a run that has included appearances in five conference championship games and three Super Bowls.

“I didn’t even tell him the money,” Accorsi said. “I said this is a good job. He said: ‘I could never do that to the Rooneys. I don’t care what they would pay.’ Where you going to find that?”

If the approach engenders unusual loyalty, it also requires a patience and an imperviousness to outside pressure that Irsay acknowledged is rare in ownership circles.

“They’ve been successful doing it this way, and they know there is going to be a year we’re 6-10,” Colbert said. “They don’t want that year after year. They understand there will be a dip somewhere along the way.”

Two weeks ago, when Dan Rooney, now the United States ambassador to Ireland, returned to Pittsburgh for the A.F.C. championship game, he spoke to a handful of reporters about the N.F.L.’s labor strife. During that conversation he offered a bombshell of a quote that summed up the Steelers’ ability to take the long view of success.

“I’d rather not have the money,” Rooney said about the proposed 18-game regular season.

That comment snapped a few heads around the league, particularly among owners who would rather have the money. But Rooney wonders why it is necessary to change something — 16 games for 32 teams — that has worked successfully for years. It is a mind-set the Steelers have leaned on in the past: do not make sea-change decisions in haste.

The remark also resonated in the Steelers’ locker room, where stories about the Rooneys’ unusual affinity for the people who work for them are limitless. They shake the hands of each player after games, win or lose. They offer advice to new players on where to send their children to school. They take the men and women who work in the cafeteria at the team’s training facility to the Super Bowl.

“He’s talking about he’d rather not have the money,” Steelers linebacker James Harrison said. “He’s truly concerned about the players. Other owners that are willing to go ahead and say give us 18 games don’t really care about the safety of players. They care about making money.”

Despite the victories that took the Steelers to Dallas, this was an unusually trying season for them. Last spring, after missing the playoffs, they grappled with what to do about quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, as the investigation into a possible sexual assault in a Georgia bar deepened. The Steelers were deeply troubled by the allegations of Roethlisberger’s behavior that emerged in police documents.

“The more we thought through it, it was easy to come to the conclusion this player deserved the opportunity to make right,” Colbert said. “We’re happy we did and sure happy he did, because without him we’re not here today.”

Probably not. But the Steelers will most likely be back to the Super Bowl even after Roethlisberger is gone into retirement and perhaps even before the Steelers have to fire a head coach. They have not done that since 1968, and Art Rooney II pondered whether he would live long enough to be the one to do it.

“I hope not,” he said."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/sport ... ooney.html

[GTHobbes]

I thought the Steelers had cheerleaders...

Always good to see those fine ladies from Ohio showing their support for the guy from their home state. She's not a relative of yours, is she?

[Rodster]

Easy guys some of us do like to eat and not lose our lunch. At least Ben's last name spanned the horizon.