August 9 and 10, 2009... Nice Ben

[Heart4Steelers]

Here are some positives on Ben, especially Part 2 of a two part series.

Here is what stuck out for me. From the Part 1.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09221/989721-66.stm

But there are far fewer people who really know Mr. Roethlisberger now than when Pittsburgh first reached out to touch him.

Away from the football field, Mr. Roethlisberger can be remarkably generous with money and time for charitable causes, yet stingy and curt with service industry workers. He is warm with those closest to him, yet keeps a tight inner circle and is zealously protective of his privacy.

A couple of years ago, Mr. Roethlisberger's former basketball coach and athletic director at Findlay High School, Jerry Snodgrass, told his former pupil he was amazed at the power Mr. Roethlisberger had to do good in the world.

"And do bad also," Mr. Roethlisberger responded.

"I was glad to see him go through what pro sports make you -- fame, fortune, whatever -- and understand the power he had from that," Mr. Snodgrass said. "I always felt he was in control of that and always knew the consequences."



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09221...#ixzz0i2VG6l6I

"He walks through the door and people will start calling," Ken Roethlisberger, Ben's father, said. "We'll be places and all of a sudden people will show up with a football -- a store, where somebody wouldn't normally be carrying a football. We've seen people run to stores to buy something and show back up to get an autograph. And he's not the kind to turn people away, so the best thing you can do is get out of there as quick as you can."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09221...#ixzz0i2VliC8w

Now to Part II (8/10/09)
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09222/989873-66.stm

He was described as friendly but quiet as a high school student. His old coaches said he had the confidence of a big-time athlete, but he was never too ****y nor was he a troublemaker. Old friend Mike Iriti said he never saw Mr. Roethlisberger drink alcohol until they were well into college.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09222...#ixzz0i2XEOUAo

Still, the 27-year-old is adamant about protecting his privacy -- he would not be interviewed for this story and threatened to stop interviews at training camp last week when questions touched on the lawsuit. This sensitivity goes back years -- one of the reasons he didn't attend Ohio State University was because a recruiter from the football powerhouse mispronounced his Swiss surname.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09222...#ixzz0i2YtnwzO

Interesting read on both articles. Ben is a good guy. Pressures could be getting to him. Can't imagine the fish bowl Ben is living in.

When his basketball coach made that comment on Ben's power it made me think of a quote by Abraham Lincoln. "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. "

[stillers4me]

I have always felt that while Ben is in his perfect element on the field, and that no game or situaiton is too big for him, off the field is a differnt matter. At the same time he knows he has reponsibilty to the fans, he insists on privacy for his family and friends. When he was dating women, it was almost impossible to find anything out about it, he was so protective of them. And I always admired that about him. These allegations have got to be his worst nightmare.

[stlrtruck]

I guess someone, either agent or in the FO, forgot to explain to Ben (maybe Bradshaw would have been the best candidate), how being THE Franchise QB puts you under the microscope every step and every heart beat.

Don't sign an autograph here or there and your an a$$hole. But nevermind the fact that they he may have been out with family, friends, or a date.

Get upset about the service you get at a restuarant and your and incosiderate d!ck. But nevermind the fact that if we received the same terrible service we would have skipped the tip too.

Fail to give an autographed item to a sick person and you have no passion. Nevermind the fact that you've given hundreds of thousands of dollars already to other charities, don't forget your free time and the off-season.

BEN, how dare you try to enjoy your life a little bit (sarcasm)! I'm just sorry that you didn't use better judgment and that now for the second time your name will be dragged through the mud.

I just hope now someone will take the time to help you adjust to your monies and your honies! Everyone wants your monies and most of them are the honies. And yes, even good people will do bad things in an attempt to get paid!

[siss]

That is very well said. I sincerely do hope that the steelers do something for him. Maybe some of the great franchise QB's of the past can hold a how to be a franchise QB 101 for Ben. And if that doesn't work then maybe the Rooneys should put him on a leash during the offseason.

[Florida_Steelers_Fan]

playing for the steelers is different from all the other teams... no matter what the cowgirls say, the steelers ARE america's team (and the viewing numbers prove it). i believe that ben lives with an amount of pressure that NONE of us can fathom.

for every bad thing you hear, you'll see something good about him (and vice versa). to me, this is a non-issue. we all know he loves life to be a little wild (motorcycles, women, etc.) i'm guessing he will be exonerated of this and life will move on...

[Prok]

Originally Posted by Florida_Steelers_Fan

playing for the steelers is different from all the other teams... no matter what the cowgirls say, the steelers ARE america's team (and the viewing numbers prove it). i believe that ben lives with an amount of pressure that NONE of us can fathom.

for every bad thing you hear, you'll see something good about him (and vice versa). to me, this is a non-issue. we all know he loves life to be a little wild (motorcycles, women, etc.) i'm guessing he will be exonerated of this and life will move on...

Well put. As soon as these allegations came out alot of ppl looked to drag him through the mud because this happened a second time. I guess ya can't really blame alot of them.

Whether anyone likes it or not, he is a member of the Steelers family. And that's a rather large family. Could you really see the Rooney's turn their back on a member of the family, without even offering as much help as they can to get him back on track?

He's a human being the same as us all. And yeah it was horrible judgement on his part being in this situation again. But the man deserves our patience at this time and he deserves ALL the facts being put out there before we pass judgement on him.

One thing I find strange is that now in the PG's eyes, he is "Mr. Roethlisberger" rather than "Big Ben". I'm guessing thats standard for someone being accused?

[stlrtruck]

Originally Posted by Prok

One thing I find strange is that now in the PG's eyes, he is "Mr. Roethlisberger" rather than "Big Ben". I'm guessing thats standard for someone being accused?

The ironic part is, that as soon as he's back on the field winning games he'll be back to Big Ben.

[chacha]

I dont think any star has privacy anymore with the technology today of cell phones, text messaging, internet, etc . And if you're a 6 foot 5 multi millionare who goes out it's even toughter not to stand out and have people gather to you.

I remember a friend showing me a site where girls would actually track Ben and know what event and what hotel he'd be going to and they could figure out the club he'd probably be at too.

[fansince'76]

Originally Posted by siss

That is very well said. I sincerely do hope that the steelers do something for him. Maybe some of the great franchise QB's of the past can hold a how to be a franchise QB 101 for Ben. And if that doesn't work then maybe the Rooneys should put him on a leash during the offseason.

If we're talking solely about the Steelers here, that would include Bradshaw and....Bradshaw.

[Prok]

Originally Posted by chacha

I dont think any star has privacy anymore with the technology today of cell phones, text messaging, internet, etc . And if you're a 6 foot 5 multi millionare who goes out it's even toughter not to stand out and have people gather to you.

I remember a friend showing me a site where girls would actually track Ben and know what event and what hotel he'd be going to and they could figure out the club he'd probably be at too.

Thats wild.

The ONLY piece of advice i'd have for Ben now is to say it's time to settle down and be a homebody. Look for the steady g/f type and stay out of the club scene.