SteelDad
02-08-2011, 10:28 AM
I would have to believe that Ben Roethlisberger has not slept well the last couple of nights. Losing anything is tough, losing a Super Bowl is unfathomable by 99.8% of us in society so I think it’s safe to assume Ben is literally feeling the collective weight of the displeased Steeler Nation on his shoulders. We as a fan base are perhaps a bit spoiled when it comes to success the last 40 years, but it doesn’t make this Super Bowl loss any less difficult. While each passing day for the Nation will bring a little less pain, for Roethlisberger, his biggest game might just be starting now.
Reports swirled around Pittsburgh heading into the playoffs that Ben was engaged and that he was very tight-lipped about the impending nuptials. Frankly, that IS his business and the general public really is not entitled to anything regarding his personal life, but perhaps this is a unique situation. In 2 prior off-seasons, Ben has run into off-field issues regarding behavior towards women. Both situations have resulted in NO charges being filed and one incident is currently being pursued in civil court, but has very little merit according to legal analysts. Re-hashing these events is not the purpose of this article. The impending off-season for Ben is.
When news of Roethlisberger’s off-field issue in Georgia was headlines, I remember my wife stating on several occasions that “he needs to get himself a wife.” What she meant is that Ben needed to settle down. Not in the sense of the settling down with the family, but settling down his life and a good woman could a long way towards that end. Regardless of Ben’s marital status, Steelers’ fans will wake up each day this off-season praying that they do not see his name anywhere in the press. The emotional roller coaster his actions put the fans on was more difficult to handle than I think a lot of people might have imagined. So now we find ourselves here again, but coming off of a Super Bowl loss this time which could only amplify the pressure Roethlisberger will feel. We have heard over and over about how he really has changed and we can only hope those reports are accurate because he is going to be our quarterback for sometime to come. Ben doesn’t need to show up at soup kitchens or raise money for the homeless, but he does need to remain ‘out of the fray.’
This off-season will prove to be a game as tough as any he has played. If TMZ was watching him in a piano bar then you know they’ll be around him when he least expects it. He could be facing a spring and summer learning a new offense or working with new receivers so let us hope this is his focus. He is taking a tremendous beating for this loss to the Packers and as many believe, adversity can kill you or make you stronger. For Roethlisberger, let’s go with ‘stronger’ and a ‘good woman’ wouldn’t hurt either.
Marc Uhlmann
www.steeleraddicts.com (http://www.steeleraddicts.com)
Reports swirled around Pittsburgh heading into the playoffs that Ben was engaged and that he was very tight-lipped about the impending nuptials. Frankly, that IS his business and the general public really is not entitled to anything regarding his personal life, but perhaps this is a unique situation. In 2 prior off-seasons, Ben has run into off-field issues regarding behavior towards women. Both situations have resulted in NO charges being filed and one incident is currently being pursued in civil court, but has very little merit according to legal analysts. Re-hashing these events is not the purpose of this article. The impending off-season for Ben is.
When news of Roethlisberger’s off-field issue in Georgia was headlines, I remember my wife stating on several occasions that “he needs to get himself a wife.” What she meant is that Ben needed to settle down. Not in the sense of the settling down with the family, but settling down his life and a good woman could a long way towards that end. Regardless of Ben’s marital status, Steelers’ fans will wake up each day this off-season praying that they do not see his name anywhere in the press. The emotional roller coaster his actions put the fans on was more difficult to handle than I think a lot of people might have imagined. So now we find ourselves here again, but coming off of a Super Bowl loss this time which could only amplify the pressure Roethlisberger will feel. We have heard over and over about how he really has changed and we can only hope those reports are accurate because he is going to be our quarterback for sometime to come. Ben doesn’t need to show up at soup kitchens or raise money for the homeless, but he does need to remain ‘out of the fray.’
This off-season will prove to be a game as tough as any he has played. If TMZ was watching him in a piano bar then you know they’ll be around him when he least expects it. He could be facing a spring and summer learning a new offense or working with new receivers so let us hope this is his focus. He is taking a tremendous beating for this loss to the Packers and as many believe, adversity can kill you or make you stronger. For Roethlisberger, let’s go with ‘stronger’ and a ‘good woman’ wouldn’t hurt either.
Marc Uhlmann
www.steeleraddicts.com (http://www.steeleraddicts.com)