The Side Line

Not that I enjoy writing about Ben Roethlisberger, but I try to focus on the big story in national sports in the Side Line. And for now, the fallout from the quarterback’s suspension is No. 1 on the radar.

Both the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers should be commended for the way they have handled the situation. From the initial reports until Roethlisberger’s recent suspension, the commissioner Roger Goodell and the Steelers front office have patiently waited to see what facts emerged, refusing to rush into any disciplinary action before the investigation was completed. And on the flip side, they also refused to stand beside him and prematurely clear his name.

Once the dust had settled (sort of), the NFL suspended Roethlisberger for six games to begin the 2010 season. Six games. That’s nearly half the regular season. And completely appropriate. Six games should roughly be two months’ worth of football missed, two months in which Roethlisberger can think about what he has done and what he should do next.

And speaking of what’s next for the two-time Super Bowl champ, his future has never looked more uncertain. As of the writing of this column, the Steelers were rumored to be trying to trade the quarterback for a first-round draft pick in Thursday’s NFL draft. Even if that has not played out by the time you’re reading this, the team is likely to try to move him out of Pittsburgh at some point this season, to give both Roethlisberger and the franchise a fresh start.

Maybe a fresh start is exactly what he needs. Maybe he can change, given the opportunity to. But even if Roethlisberger winds up in a new city, wearing a new jersey, one thing is for certain: The legacy he has already left behind is one of the most disappointing for a young quarterback star in NFL history. Never has an athlete been given so much and been so reluctant to realize his role.

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Posted by Preston Sellers on Apr 23 2010. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry