Big Ben: Behind the curtain

I have never been one of Ben's biggest fans, I gravitate towards guys more like Miller and Harrison, blue collar guys that say little but back it up on the field so for me to start a Ben thread you know it has to be something worth talking about. If you get a chance follow the link and read the story it will be worth it.

http://www.nfl.com/BehindTheCurtain

I often speculated that the persona of Big Ben needed to go away so that Ben could grow I think that has happened. I am happy to say I will give him a fair shake more now than in the past

 

That was a good read. Thanks. The Big Ben persona caught my attention during his junior year as a Miami U. Redhawk. Where I'm located I was able to catch a few of his games and I was very impressed. I was jumping up and down when he was drafted by the Steelers and felt that he was better than either Manning or Rivers who were drafted before him. He was brought up by a very strong family when he needed the support the most as his mother passed away very early in his life. Fame and Fortune can bring the worst out in people and I believe this reflected from his struggles with that difficult emotional part of his life. I really think he come full circle from those wild party days and will be a better person both on and off the field for the remainder of his career and overall lifetime.

 

Pisses me off that the judge could just throw out Brady's suspension. Ben was never charged, but suspended because it made the league look bad. Are you telling me deflategate didn't make the league look bad? That Judge is just dumb.

 

WardsWay said pretty much what I was about to...
Ben came into this league, a humble, but talented, young man, with a good background, and strong family behind him...

I do believe he let the early success go to his head...

Hey, he`s only human, even tho some of our fans scream, "C`mon Superman!"...
When we want him to bail us out, and "save the game"...

I remember watching him at Miami of Ohio, as well, showing that "sandlot style"...

He simply willed the team to win...

When we picked him, I was ecstatic...
I knew, Pittsburgh`s got a quarterback!!! Pittsburgh`s got a quarterbak!!!....

If you remember, he got in trouble with the league, for wearing "PFJ", on his shoes..

"Play for Jesus"...

And he kept wearing it, and paying the fines...

He was a grounded young man..

I can`t blame him, for letting the success go to his head.

He was the hero, in a football-crazed city...


I also don`t believe he actually assaulted any young women...

He may have, he may not have.
I wasn`t there...I don`t know...

It still seems out of character for him, to me, no matter how big his head had gotten..

And I tend to believe, if he really did it, he would have been prosecuted.
I could be wrong, But my opinion is,

A couple girls saw a potential payday, to shake down a big money NFL Player...

Again, I don`t know...

But, I do know, that he has learned from it, and become a great leader, and teammate, and the best qb, we`ve had since Bradshaw.

As well as, turned his life around, and avoided situations, that could lead to questions...

Good read, Thorn, and

Good for you, BEN!!!

Now, lead us to Lombardi#7, to match yer jersey!!!
GO STEELERS!

 

Ben took it like a man and didn't even appeal it.

 

I seem to recall a rumour that the Rooneys were talking - quietly - to other teams about a trade around about this time. Did that rumour ever bear out? I wonder if he didn't appeal in part because there was just a want for it all to go away. The Pats took the opposite route...

As a side note, I think the shift in Ben's gears can be seen in his on-field play. There was a point where he seemed to start listening to the coaching a lot more. Haley has had a very positive influence on his play in that respect.

 

From what I remember the Rooneys never actually said anything and most speculated that the rumor was just to scare him. I think it was rumored they were talking to Oakland.

 

Ben got a bad rap from goodell on that suspension, they charged him with violating the league conduct policy, how could that be since all he did was defend himself against an investigation that turned up no evidence: Unlike Bob Kraft going to the mat for brady, the rooneys didnt support Ben and instead gave the impression he deserved to be punished, and the union didnt run to court to defend him, because he was just a young nobody QB without an established career resume, Ben was persecuted on many levels including by his own team owners....

 

Well, that's one possibility.

He wasn't quite a 'nobody QB', given he'd won a superbowl at that point. My guess is that the Rooney's thought it too much of a hot issue to mess with.

With Brady, the accusation is of large-scale cheating in the game. The organisation has to defend itself. With Ben, it was the off-field actions of an individual player. The organisation defends itself by essentially keeping it on the individual (consider how the 'bullying' saga in Miami was quickly narrowed down to being all about Incognito, for example).

I say all this, but I am still mad that there is definitely a double standard from the league in terms of "bringing the game into disrepute".

 

Great read, thorn. Thanks

 

He had actually won two super Bowls at that point.

 

Whew!! We dodged a MORTAR ROUND there!

 

Well, I`m just sayin...

http://www.businessinsider.com/new-patriots-cheating-allegations-detailed-in-espn-report-2015-9

Take that for what it`s worth. Not sure why it didn`t come up as a link...

I also read some very detailed, and sickening accusations, against the Pats, AND Goodell, about the cover-up, that was spygate, in the most recent Sports Illustrated issue...
That included their Scouting Report, on all 32 teams...
Not sure why I couldn`t find the same article online, but, I tried...

Not a "conspiracy" fan, but , why did they destroy the evidence, really?

And then try so hard to punish Brady over a "minor infraction"?

Try to "restore some credibility", maybe???

The "Spygate" issue, really bothers me...

A LOT of things just don`t add up.

"Deflategate" is a joke, other than it goes to show the power Goodell has, and shouldn`t have...
Impartial?
Yeah, Right...

There is a reason WE were the only team, to not agree with the new CBA...

We called it... And we were right!

GO STEELERS!!!

 

D'oh! There's my memory for you.

Cheers Glenn.

 

Also, you have to ask for Union help. If you're not going to challenge the suspension then there is no reason for them to get involved.