Sports Sense

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may have escaped prosecution, but he should not elude a suspension and public scorn.

Roethlisberger has never made clear exactly what happened the night he apparently took advantage of an intoxicated woman, who may have barely consented to have sex with him – if she consented at all.

Maybe Roethlisberger explained the circumstances and his thinking to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell when they met the other day. Maybe he has offered insight to the Steelers. But I doubt it. And he most certainly has not explained his actions publicly. All he’s done to this point is to casually “read” a statement the other day, in which he offered a vague and less than heartfelt apology and expressed relief that he was not charged.

The problem for Roethlisberger is that while his actions may not rise to the level of criminal behavior, we do know that what he did do was no less than crude, predatory and shameful.

In her statement to police, Roethlisberger’s accuser said the quarterback plied her with shots of alcohol, before leading her to the bathroom where she claimed he had sex with her. Probably because of the drinking she doesn’t remember many of the details. A fact which became a huge problem for the Georgia prosecutor who knew that without more concrete evidence it would be difficult to convict Roethlisberger.

But while criminal laws may not have technically been broken, there is little doubt that Ben Roethlisberger was most certainly morally wrong.

And obviously he learned very little from a similar incident involving a woman last year. Rape charges were not filed but a civil case against Roethlisberger is still pending.

Steelers president Art Rooney II said that the Steelers are poised to take disciplinary action against their quarterback but will wait to coordinate the team’s punishment of Roethlisberger with any actions commissioner Goodell may take.

Certainly the commissioner is frustrated with player behavior and most likely he had Roethlisberger in mind when he issued a memo last week reminding teams and players what their responsibilities are under the league’s conduct policy.

“NFL and club personnel must do more than simply avoid criminal behavior. We must conduct ourselves in a way that ‘is responsible, that promotes the values upon which the league is based, and is lawful.’ ”

“These incidents affect us all – every investigation, arrest, or other allegation of improper conduct undermines the respect for our league by our fans, lessens the confidence of our business partners and threatens the continued success of our brand.”

If the commissioner punishes Roethlisberger – and he must – it will send a strong message about what kind of personal conduct is expected of the privileged, well-paid human beings who make up the NFL.

Punishment of Roethlisberger will also provide needed evidence that NFL justice can be colorblind.

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DavidBurnett NFL, Quarterback, Suspension, football Art Rooney, Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers, punishment, Roger Goodell, Suspension

After two seasons away from the game, the prodigal son, a convicted felon, returns to the gridiron, chastened but wiser, and now ready to lead some NFL team to the Super Bowl.   Wouldn’t that be a story?  If only it was that simple for Michael Vick.   But rather than a story of redemption and second chances, Vick’s possible comeback may prove to be as much about public intolerance and public relations as anything else.  

On Monday NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell conditionally reinstated Michael Vick saying,  “I accept that you are sincere when you say that you want to, and will, turn your life around, and that you intend to be a positive role model for others.”

Goodell also said that Vick could participate in training camp and play in at least the last two preseason games.  The commissioner indicated that if all goes well then Michael Vick could get to play in regular season games by week six or earlier.

In a statement released by his agent, Vick, who completed his prison term a week ago said, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Commissioner Goodell for allowing me to be readmitted to the National Football League. I fully understand that playing football in the NFL is a privilege, not a right, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity I have been given.  As you can imagine, the last two years have given me time to revaluate my life, mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes I made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward.“

While I’m sure that Vick was disappointed in not being granted an unconditional chance to play immediately, at this point he has to take what he can get from the commissioner and be as publicly gracious as possible.  What else can he say?

Although I don’t believe that this was the fairest decision the commissioner could have handed down, it was most certainly a calculated one.  It was largely based on the perception of the public mood, and the potential negative impact that allowing Michael Vick to play would have on the image of the vaunted National Football League.   This meant that Goodell had to carefully calibrate his words and actions to mitigate whatever PR damage the NFL might incur.

As for Michael Vick, this sad episode has literally cost him tens of millions of dollars, two years in prison and an unprecedented public flogging.   It was as high a cost as an athlete has ever paid for misdeeds.

How will all of this play out?  The commissioner’s ruling in the Vick case was just the first act.  The curtain is already rising on the second act as NFL teams which may be interested will try to justify a decision to sign Vick, or lacking a sound PR reply, be forced to state publicly that they have no interest.    If the decisions these men are about to make  were purely about football ability, Michael Vick would have a long line of teams willing to give him another chance.   As it stands now, it may be tough for Vick to find any team for which to play.

What I believe we’ve learned from the Michael Vick saga is that dog fighting and animal cruelty now rank at the very top of the transgressions that can be committed by a famous athlete.  We now also know that far too many people have very little capacity for compassion and forgiveness.   And those who can make decisions about Vick will be forced to capitulate to the public mood and the possible loss of sponsors and revenue.

I, for one, believe enough is enough.  Michael Vick doesn’t need to say or do anything more to prove himself to me.  But I fear that sincere apologies, a prison term and lost millions will still not be enough for the self-righteous who care little about second chances.

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We have now entered into the theater of the absurd. MLB commissioner Bud Selig tells USA Today that he is considering a suspension of Alex Rodriguez. It doesn’t get more ridiculous than this.

Okay, I get it. An unnamed someone with unknown motives leaks A-Rod’s 2003 steroid test results to a national magazine, which of course publishes the story. The test results by legal agreement were supposed to be anonymous and stay that way. No one was to be punished regardless of the results. Six years after the testing, and a day after the leak A-Rod is forced into an admission of sorts on ESPN. Now he faces possible suspension. Are you kidding me? Apparently the commissioner is feeling the heat of public pressure and says he may suspend Rodriguez. Based on what? What legal standing does the commissioner have? Further there are 103 other unknown names listed as testing positive. Do they now face suspension? Not for one minute has the commissioner seriously thought this through.

This is exactly why the steroids witch-hunt accomplishes nothing. Even if you believe A-Rod didn’t tell the complete truth about his steroids use in the ESPN confession, he nonetheless took a step most players would never consider taking. Now should A-Rod get suspended despite all the assurances the 2003 steroids tests promised, you can be virtually assured that no one else under suspicion will say a word and will never admit to anything. Why should they?

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David Burnett A-Rod, Major League Baseball, Steroids, Suspension A-Rod, Bud Selig, possible suspension, Steroids