Legend has it that a boy
said "Say it ain't so" to Shoeless Joe Jackson when he left
the courthouse during the Black Sox Scandal trial in 1920.
But
we're not dealing with Shoeless Joe. We're dealing with Brainless
Ben. So my sentiment is more like this:
"What the fuck, Ben?"
The Steelers are
uncharacteristically busy in free agency. They signed safety Will
Allen from the Buccaneers and wide receiver Arnaz Battle from the
49ers. In addition to providing depth at their respective positions,
Allen and Battle also are strong special teams guys, an area where
the Steelers need improvement.
The Steelers also re-signed
safety Ryan Clark (I wonder if after visiting the Dolphins, Clark
ran back to Pittsburgh like Billy Crystal ran through the streets
of New York to Meg Ryan at the end of "When Harry Met Sally")
and are on the verge of being reunited with wide receiver Antwaan
Randle El.
They also are close to a deal with former Bills
offensive tackle Jonathan Scott.
So while the Steelers are working their asses off to
get better after a disappointing 9-7 season, they might end up going 4-12 anyway because they could be without the
services of a quarterback who doesn't understand "No."
Allegedly.
I can't say what happened at the bar in Milledgeville. I wasn't there. But this is the second time in less than a
year that Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual assault. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire.
And if Roethlisberger is so sure about his innocence, why does he need Ray Lewis'
attorney to defend him?
Whether Roethlisberger is guilty
or not, it sounds like he needs to start treating women with a little more respect. It also wouldn't hurt if he started
acting like a guy whose employer has more than $100 million invested in him.
Even if Roethlisberger doesn't end up in an orange jumpsuit, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell might send him to his
room for a few games.
It might be time to start thinking
about life after Roethlisberger. For starters, the Steelers might want to look for the next Tom Brady or Joe Montana in the
upcoming draft by taking a flier on a quarterback in the middle to late rounds.
Sure, if Roethlisberger went to the slammer or the Steelers cut him loose, they would lose a two-time Super Bowl-winning
quarterback. But that doesn't mean their quarterback has to be Mike Tomczak or Kent Graham. With the money they would free
up, they could afford to find someone with a discernable pulse rate to throw the ball.
Or how about Randle El? He did throw more touchdown passes in Super Bowl XL than Roethlisberger.
