Roethlisberger suspended for six games

[jetdawgg]

The NFL suspended Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the first six games of next season for violating the league's personal conduct policy, the league announced Wednesday.

The suspension potentially could be reduced to four games by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell if Roethlisberger meets certain conditions tied to his potential reinstatement, according to the league's announcement.

Goodell also could extend Roethlisberger's suspension if he chooses, the league announced. Roethlisberger was ordered to undergo a medical evaluation.

The announcement came as ESPN reported that the Steelers had begun contacting teams about a possible trade involving Roethlisberger, seeking a top-10 pick in the NFL draft Thursday night in return. At least one team was considering such a deal, according to ESPN's report.
A district attorney in Georgia announced last week that Roethlisberger would not be charged with a crime based on an allegation by a woman that she was sexually assaulted by Roethlisberger last month at a nightclub.

A 20-year-old college student accused Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her in a bathroom at a Milledgeville, Ga., nightclub. Frederic D. Bright, the district attorney involved in the case, said when he announced his decision that he could not prove Roethlisberger's guilt to jurors beyond a reasonable doubt. Roethlisberger said that evening that the correct decision had been made by the prosecutor.

Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Steelers, also was accused in a civil lawsuit by a woman in Nevada of sexually assaulting her in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in 2008. Roethlisberger denied that allegation and he was not charged with a crime.

The NFL's personal conduct policy empowers Goodell to impose discipline upon a player as he sees fit for conduct detrimental to the league even if the player is not convicted of a crime.

Goodell said earlier this week that Roethlisberger violated the conduct policy. Roethlisberger met with Goodell for approximately two hours last week in New York, on the day after the prosecutor's announcement in the Georgia case.

Art Rooney II, the president of the Steelers, said at a news conference Thursday that the team was prepared to discipline Roethlisberger but would coordinate disciplinary action with the league. The collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players' union gives a club the ability to suspend a player for as many as four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team.

There have been multiple reports that the Steelers might consider trading Roethlisberger. Rooney said last week that the team planned to give Roethlisberger another chance to prove himself. He said the Steelers had not discussed a trade of Roethlisberger with any other teams at that point.

According to multiple reports, the St. Louis Rams, who have the top overall selection in the draft Thursday night, informed the Steelers in recent days that they're not interested in trading for Roethlisberger.

The Steelers previously traded wide receiver Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets for a fifth-round draft choice. The former Super Bowl most valuable player was suspended by the NFL for the first four games of next season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Roethlisberger's suspension is without pay. Under league policy, the Steelers potentially could be forced to pay money to the NFL office based on the portion of the salary amounts lost by Roethlisberger and Holmes during their suspensions--essentially a fine of the team for having multiple players suspended.

The Steelers obtained Roethlisberger's former backup, Byron Leftwich, in a trade Tuesday with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They also have veteran quarterback Charlie Batch and young quarterback Dennis Dixon, who made a start last season when Roethlisberger was hurt.

A source said earlier this week that Roethlisberger would accept any disciplinary action imposed on him if that discipline was not "too harsh."

Rooney said last week that he "made it clear to Ben that his conduct in this incident did not live up to our standards. We made it very clear to Ben that there will be consequences for his actions. And Ben has indicated to us that he's willing to accept those consequences."

Goodell sent a recent memo to NFL teams reminding them that the league's personal conduct policy requires players and other employees to do more than merely avoid committing a crime.

Further details of the case in Georgia emerged last week from hundreds of pages of documents from the investigation released by authorities. The woman, according to the Associated Press, told police that after Roethlisberger had told her and her friends to consume shots of alcohol, she was led into a hallway by one of Roethlisberger's bodyguards and put on a stool. The bodyguard left and Roethlisberger walked down the hallway and exposed himself, according to the woman's account, the AP reported.

The woman told Roethlisberger no and entered a bathroom but Roethlisberger followed her and closed the door, the woman told investigators.

"I still said no, this is not okay, and he then had sex with me," the woman said in one of her statements to investigators, according to the AP. "He said it was okay. He then left without saying anything."

Roethlisberger did not answer questions from reporters when he made his public statement last week following the prosecutor's announcement in Georgia.

Roethlisberger said that evening at the Steelers' training facility: "I'd like to begin by expressing gratitude for the thorough investigation process in Georgia and the prosecutor's decision not to bring charges. I know without a doubt it was the right conclusion. I don't intend to discuss any details related to the events in Georgia and I'm happy to put this behind me and move forward. I am truly sorry for the disappointment and negative attention I have brought to my family, my teammates, coaches, the Rooneys and the NFL.

"I understand that the opportunities I have been blessed with are a privilege and that much is expected of me as the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I absolutely want to be the leader this team deserves, valued in the community and a role model to kids. I have much work to do to earn this trust and I am committed to improving and showing everyone my true values. I am excited to get back to work with my teammates and I'm more determined than ever to have a great season. I intend to make my family, friends and the Steeler nation proud on all fronts. Thank you and God bless."

Roethlisberger had resumed participating in the Steelers' offseason workouts.

http://views.washingtonpost.com/thel...d-be-near.html

[USNAviator]

Also read that the six games will be without pay, $2.8 million. That may hurt his bar hopping a bit. Maybe he can drop by one of the local Frats for a kegger!

When I was a kid, you'd look on the back of a baseball card for the stats and see a notation "In military service" for a skipped year. Perhaps a year of "In military service" would cure these arrested development types! Why not give something back to a country where you can earn $2.8 million for six days of work. Descending from my soap box

[montana]

or just wack his peepee

[sscjoe]

Also read that the six games will be without pay, $2.8 million. That may hurt his bar hopping a bit. Maybe he can drop by one of the local Frats for a kegger!

When I was a kid, you'd look on the back of a baseball card for the stats and see a notation "In military service" for a skipped year. Perhaps a year of "In military service" would cure these arrested development types! Why not give something back to a country where you can earn $2.8 million for six days of work. Descending from my soap box

$2.8 million to him is like losing 10 bucks. This type of conduct will continue as long as these barely college grads keep getting big contracts. I no longer give my money to pro sports. Big Ben has skated on 2 incidents and the 3rd will be the charm and there will be a 3rd

[USNAviator]

$2.8 million to him is like losing 10 bucks. This type of conduct will continue as long as these barely college grads keep getting big contracts. I no longer give my money to pro sports. Big Ben has skated on 2 incidents and the 3rd will be the charm and there will be a 3rd

You are right Joe, the money will mean nothing to him or any other jock. I haven't been to a pro sports event in at least 20 years. I'll support college/ high school but not the pros

Another irony is that this lack of income will affect his taxes for 2010, and who pays for that? Damn back on that soap box!!!

Meant to ask, how is your Dad doing??

Dan