Big Ben's Night Out

Paris, France? Or Paris Hilton? One of those two is much worse than the other.

 

I'm afraid to ask which.

 

Actually, I asked for examples of previous suspensions without charges. Please get the facts right.

I am right that he is setting a precedent. The situation is different enough from what has come before. The league's relatively knew personal behavior policy has not been applied in this way, to somebody who was not arrested and will not face charges.

What you are missing here is that some people are actually trying to insist that there is no precedent being set here at all. I can understand why that is getting lost on this thread given the inability of some posters to carry on a rational discussion of the issues involved here.

As I said before, the commissioner's expanding power is worth discussing. The over-the-top fan reaction is worth discussing. The Steelers' reaction to all of this is worth discussing. I just heard John Clayton on the radio basically saying there never really was anything to the trade talks.

What really cracks me up is that anybody who dares question any of this is attacked as a fanboy or a crybaby. People, this is a site for journalists. We're supposed to ask questions. We are supposed to look at all sides of things, even when the situation seems obvious. The closed-mindedness and inability to carry on an intelligent conversation about this story is disappointing.

And no, 10 different variations on, "Shut up, fanboy. How dare you do anything but call for Roethlisberger's head" does not count as an intelligent discussion.

 

Sorry to intrude, but there have been plenty of suspensions in sports leagues (and throughout private industry) without criminal charges being filed. In baseball, John Rocker comes to mind. Any company/organization has the right to discipline its employees.

 

Is that the NFL? No. But thank you for hammering away on the same stupid point that has been beaten to death because nobody seems to want to actually think on this thread.

 

I don't understand why this is so hard for people to grasp.

Edit: Yes, it is the NFL. The NFL is a company/organization.

 

I'll come back and put in a Picard facepalm later. I've gotta run. Such a dissapointing lack of thinking on this thread.

 

Tedious fanboy.

 

Roethlisberger should have simply withdrawn from playing, saying that he needed time to work out his personal life. Then, he should have avioded the media, gone into "treatment," and left everyone guessing about when he might return.

Then, when he came back, it would have been a huge event.

 

Eh, I don't think Tiger's foibles are apples to apples to Roethlisberger's douchebaggery (at best; assaults at worst).

 

Here's what I'm thinking: I'm thinking that since you're the one trying to make the case that the NFL can't do this, why don't you post the relevant language from any NFL document you can find limiting the power of the commissioner to discipline players. We'll wait.

 

Actually, I think he's saying the NFL shouldn't be doing it, not that it can't.

And I think OOP would be making the same case if this was Romo and not Roethlisberger.