There's a lot going on with this. Florio manages to cover the NFL muck pretty well at www.profootballtalk.com. Summary: It's not dead, yet.
While I agree that he's got a bad ant-Jets slant, he did dig up the whole Michael Vick dogfighting thing before it got really big. I give him props on the muck-raking. Actual NFL news or insight is another story.
I enjoyed reading the comments on one of the articles. One user noted, "Ben Rapistberger should blame his actions on his concussions." As far as the story goes though, the American court system is painfully slow, when there's progress/resolution good or bad, we'll hear about it for sure.
I find it amazing that the police were reviewing the tape and then left to respond to another call. All of a sudden the tape gets recorded over. That's unreal and speaks of cover up. Even if there was nothing that would prove he raped her there may have been evidence that he did more then bump into her. I'd hope they go after the bar owners for tampering with evidence. That tape may have been able to prove his innocence but my gut tells me there was something on that tape they didn't want police to see.
That tape could have shown things that the bar did not want to get out as well as things that Big "No really means yes" Ben did not want to get out. It is pretty bad that the cops left and it makes me think that Ben's lawyer can bring into question any physical evidence from the bar itself. If the tape can be tampered with so can everything else!
I'm starting to smell Michael Vick all over again with Roethlisberger. He's got a huge image problem, with charges likely to be attached to it, and his alleged crimes are ones that society does not just look past any more. I think he's in real trouble right now, like career-ending possibilities, and I think the Steelers multi-generational dynasty is on the rocks and could founder in the wake of his passing.
I don't know if I'd draw that conclusion RIGHT NOW but if he gets away with this I can see a moron like him doing some real stupid shit thinking he can get away with anything only to get burned. That'd be awesome
You started hearing whispers about Vick a season or more before anything actually moved on his case. I could see this sitting on a DA's back-burner waiting for things to click and then suddenly coming to the foreground in a hurry. Being accused of sexual assault in multiple instances widely separated in time and venue is like a laser dot on Roethlisberger's forehead and it's not going to go away. I agree with you that Roethlisberger could just resolve the issue once and for all by being a fool, but I also think that he's a marked man now and sooner or later something is going to pop up that he can't suppress. Somebody with this alleged pattern of behavior usually had it before he was in the public eye also. What does he do when the girl he did this too when they were both 16 finally comes forward and tearfully tells her tale? Every new incident emboldens her more.
I didn't even think about the angle that the tape may have shown minors being served alcohol? I thought the girl was only twenty years old. She is in a bar at 20? I was reading that WPXI (based in Pitt) is reporting that contrary to reports the girl is still cooperating with investigators. They are also reporting that the club owner confiscated a fake ID from her a few weeks before the incident. My guess is he erased that tape to cover his own ass. http://www.wpxi.com/news/22953803/detail.html
I've read some funny theories on the whole ordeal. The prevailing one seems to be: "Ben got head in the bathroom from this girl. He told her about how he was going to take care of her beforehand. He got blown and then bailed on this chick. She got mad, she called rape." Seems like a distinct possiblity, but I'm sure theres more to it. Ben is a pro at getting good rape lawyers.
