Ben Roethlisberger Suspension: Six Reasons Why He Should Serve Six Games
Ben Roethlisberger meets with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday to talk about his suspension, and reportedly will ask that it be reduced from six games to three.
The point of the meeting is to determine how much Roethlisberger has followed Goodell's orders when he handed down the suspension earlier this year.
The suspension, for six games, could be reduced to four games should Goodell decide, but there are several reasons why serving all six games is appropriate.
Six Games Sends a Message That Three Games Does Not
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Roethlisberger's conduct over the last few years, and especially in that incident, would've pretty much resulted in felony charges for anyone else.
Six games sends the message there will be consequences for poor decisions. Roethlisberger hasn't missed any real time yet, so reducing the suspension is again telling an entitled athlete that the rules don't always apply to them.
Reducing the Suspension to Four Games Is the Easy Way Out
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Goodell said under certain conditions, he would consider reducing Roethlisberger's suspension to four games.
Like the request to reduce the suspension to three games, it lessens the impact of the punishment.
Roethlisberger reportedly has been treating women and waiters like garbage since his college days, so letting him off easy at this point is just another way of enabling bad behavior.
Why Should Roethlisberger Get To Ask for a Reduction?
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While players appeal all the time, it's unusual for a guy in Roethlisberger's position to throw down a 50 percent reduction proposal.
Roethlisberger's problems stemmed from an overabundance of ego, by his own admission, so if he's really been trying to modify his behavior, where does he get off asking for that kind of reduction?
If Roethlisberger is trying to be more humble, that's the exact opposite of humble.
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Arguing He Wasn't Charged Ignores the Problem
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Roethisberger and his defenders will argue Roethlisberger was not charged with a crime.
While this is true, it's also true the amount of scrutiny his case received had a huge bearing on that. For any other person, once that woman files the complaint, the suspect is going to jail, and that's all there is to it.
The Steelers Shouldn't Be Enabling Roethlisberger
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It's understandable the Steelers organization is interested in winning, and interested in keeping their star quarterback on the field.
However, enabling bad behavior only encourages more bad behavior. By pursuing their own self interest to reduce Roethlisberger's suspension, they aren't necessarily doing Roethlisberger any favors.
Ben Still Gets To Play, It's Up to Him To Reform
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No matter how long the suspension is, Roethlisberger still will play in 2010. The point of the suspension is to hammer home the point his actions off the field had become unacceptable to his employer.
In many other professions, two allegations from two different women would be enough to terminate employment.
Reducing the suspension is just a cheap way of letting a star athlete off the hook. Six games was the decision, and six games it should remain.
Following through on your threats is the only way to get taken seriously.
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