ESPN Reporting 4-6 games for Ben

[Brinker]

Suspended while in prison.  Hmmmm

[Joetorious]

So let me get this straight

Big Ben was never charged, but just accused of sexual assault...he got a 6 game suspension

Michael Vick killed dogs, ran a dog fighting ring, spent 2 years in PRISON...he got a 2 game suspension.


If you think race did not play a roll in this you are crazy.

OK...this will be my last Pacman reference...for now.

As I mentioned in response to LC, this is not unprecedented. Pacman was suspended for at least 4 games for getting in an argument with his Cowboys-assigned security guard. No charges were pressed. No arrests were made. Nothing. Goodell just issued a suspension because he felt like. I suspect the vast majority on this board supported that decision.

Pacman was suspended for an entire year based primarily on the Las Vegas situation in which he was simply accused of (and to which he later plead "no contest") some obscure misdemeanor like "aiding in the disturbance of peace." As with this latest Roethlisberger incident, there were countless holes in witness' stories. Pacman was never arrested for any allegations in this case. He has not been found liable in the civil case. Yet he got a much harsher suspension of one year (and that was before due process had played out, a luxury Goodell afforded Roethlisberger and Mike Vick).

So I guess what I'm trying to say is A) this is not unprecedented; B ) Goodell is an uber d-bag; C) if you (not you specifically, Brinker) agreed with Pacman's NFL punishments then, it is hypocritical to complain about Roethlisberger's punishments now. Hell, at least Goodell is allowing Roethlisberger (and allowed Vick) the opportunity to reduce the suspension. Pacman was not given this opportunity (nor was he sentenced post-court proceedings, as I mentioned earlier).

Goodell is a tyrant. He rules in an inconsistent manner. He secretly wants to be a cop.

It's kind of like the film, "Canadian Bacon." When Tagliabue was running the show, did you or anyone in this world have an issue with player conduct? I suspect the answer is "Not at all." Then Goodell takes over the job and tries fixing something that wasn't broken (or, as in the aforementioned film, creating his own issue that he could police...and police he has). After all his "Player Conduct" grandstanding, sports reporting (particularly that which covers the NFL) has become a police blotter.

[whitmer_87]

Well he was suspended for the year as soon as they indicted him. That was a while before he was tried and sentenced, and the dude did two years in prison...but regardless of the facts. I still don't see how race is a factor here?

[Brinker]

Uh ok.  Everyone looks at the world with different glasses.
 

[Joetorious]

Suspended while in prison.  Hmmmm

I agree with you here. Suspending a guy while he's in prison is BS. He has no option but not to play when behind bars. Goodell is a weasel.

[Finnegans Wake]

So let me get this straight

Big Ben was never charged, but just accused of sexual assault...he got a 6 game suspension

Michael Vick killed dogs, ran a dog fighting ring, spent 2 years in PRISON...he got a 2 game suspension.


If you think race did not play a roll in this you are crazy.

Vick was suspended for the entire time he was in prison. If you recall, Goodell had to make the decision to reinstate him when he was released. Vick's punishment was far worse, HE DID 2 YEARS IN PRISON. I just don't see how race is a factor here.

As opposed to him playing on work-release?

Jail kinda took away the option for Mikey to play.

Goodell then had to decide what kind of statement he wanted to make about the privilege of playing in the NFL, "upholding the shield," all that fucking nonsense.  You can argue that it's analagous to commuting the sentence to time served, but the actual NFL suspension was 2 games.

For a guy who killed 100s of dogs, ran an illegal gambling ring, lied about both to the Commish, gave some chick herpes as RM, stole a watch, etc.

Whereas Ben was convicted of nothing, charged with nothing, and has faced allegations that are inconsistent at best.  Anyone, anywhere in the NFL could be taken down by concerted whisper campaign, and that'd be AOK so long as the man in the white hat polls the voters American Idol-style for the most popular form of appeasement.  Goodell as the bastard child of Cowell and Pilate.

The league's policy of personal conduct as currently structured is asinine.  Ben gets 6 games for being a stupid lusty hick, and Vick gets 2 for being a shit of a human being.

[give'emthaboot]

So let me get this straight

Big Ben was never charged, but just accused of sexual assault...he got a 6 game suspension

Michael Vick killed dogs, ran a dog fighting ring, spent 2 years in PRISON...he got a 2 game suspension.


If you think race did not play a roll in this you are crazy.

Yeah it seemed like this was a "See, I'm not racist!" suspension from Goodell.  He was afraid of taking some heat from some media hacks, what a coward.

And did you happen to notice the "reason" he was actually suspended?  For providing alcohol to a minor.  How is that Ben's fault if the bar isn't carding their patrons?

[kluisi61]

So let me get this straight

Big Ben was never charged, but just accused of sexual assault...he got a 6 game suspension

Michael Vick killed dogs, ran a dog fighting ring, spent 2 years in PRISON...he got a 2 game suspension.


If you think race did not play a roll in this you are crazy.

Yeah it seemed like this was a "See, I'm not racist!" suspension from Goodell.  He was afraid of taking some heat from some media hacks, what a coward.

And did you happen to notice the "reason" he was actually suspended?  For providing alcohol to a minor.  How is that Ben's fault if the bar isn't carding their patrons?

To be fair, most bars I've been in allow you in the door at 18, but you have to be 21 to drink. If you're in and providing it to someone who's 18-20, then you're at fault in that case (not the bar). JMO though.

[Finnegans Wake]

So let me get this straight

Big Ben was never charged, but just accused of sexual assault...he got a 6 game suspension

Michael Vick killed dogs, ran a dog fighting ring, spent 2 years in PRISON...he got a 2 game suspension.


If you think race did not play a roll in this you are crazy.

Yeah it seemed like this was a "See, I'm not racist!" suspension from Goodell.  He was afraid of taking some heat from some media hacks, what a coward.

And did you happen to notice the "reason" he was actually suspended?  For providing alcohol to a minor.  How is that Ben's fault if the bar isn't carding their patrons?

To be fair, most bars I've been in allow you in the door at 18, but you have to be 21 to drink. If you're in and providing it to someone who's 18-20, then you're at fault in that case (not the bar). JMO though.

So why isn't every guy who gets a DUI getting 6, too?

Or every wife-beater or girlfriend-beater getting more?

It's all PR.  That's it.  NFL is big money, Goodell is there to protect the big money for the big money owners and the big money athletes, by not pissing off the majority of money-spending fans.  If Goodell thought boiling his mother in a pot would save a billion dollars for the NFL, Mother Goodell would be joining Jonzr's pool lobster with the Zatarains tonight.

[whitmer_87]

I disagree, I really think Ben deserved this suspension. This isn't the first time he has shown bad judgment, and he really is making the NFL and the Steelers look bad. As I said on another thread, he is one of five people on the entire planet that does what he does, at the level that he does. He's held at a higher standard on the football field, why not off of it too? He fucked up, and he should be punished for it. What a lot of people seem to have a problem with is him being suspended even though he was never charged or convicted of any crimes. Well, maybe he was never charged, however he did violate the NFL's personal conduct policy. I don't think there is any argument there, and that is why he's being suspended.