Should We Celebrate Ben Roethlisberger?
Ben Roethlisberger: two-time Superbowl champion, twice accused of sexual assault. Ben Roethlisberger was drafted to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004. Roethlisberger has often been praised as a sports icon, especially in Pittsburgh, where he spent his entire eighteen-year NFL career. Following his final home game, a win over the Cleveland Browns on January 3, “Big Ben,” as he is affectionately called, has had his achievement praised throughout the media. Fans paraded their “Roethlisberger '' jerseys, carrying signs thanking Roethlisberger for his time on the field. As I watched this unfold, I wondered why Roethlisberger’s questionable past was being ignored.
Despite his renown in the sports world, Roethlisberger has several concerning accusations follow him during his career. Once in 2009, he was accused of trapping a hotel employee in his room and raping her. Later in 2010, he was accused of violently raping a woman at a college party. The accusations were validated after bruises and genital bleeding were found on the woman. Despite the preponderance of evidence against Roethlisberger, there was not enough to prove him guilty beyond reasonable doubt and the case was eventually dropped. Still, Roethlisberger did not deny the accusations. In 2010, he issued an apology to his family and the NFL, where he essentially said he needs to be a better role model for his fans and teammates. While he did not explicitly admit his guilt in this apology, he did not make any effort to deny his second accusation. The offenses were not taken seriously by the NFL, who issued Roethlisberger a shortened suspension period for his second offense. Roethlisberger was originally punished with a six-game suspension, but it was later reduced to four. According to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Roethlisberger exhibited behavioral improvement, which led to his suspension being shortened. Despite plenty of reason to believe that Roethlisberger had committed a very serious crime, the NFL took a very lax stance on the issue. I believe this was a failure by the NFL, who tries to portray an image of accountability and fairness for its players.
If you ask a Roethlisberger fan why they still support him after all of this, they might tell you that they separate the player from their actions, just as one may separate an artist from their art. But is that a fair stance to take? In your mind, you can differentiate between a player and their actions but if you continue to support the player financially by buying their jersey and supporting their brand, are you really differentiating them as a person from their contributions on the field? To me, saying that you separate a person’s work from their actions is a weak excuse people use when they’re trying to justify supporting a terrible person. While Ben’s athletic talents and hard work as a player are undeniable, at the end of the day, he has an extremely troubling past that needs to be acknowledged. If Roethlisberger wasn’t a millionaire NFL star, he would be facing the consequences of his actions. But since he has money and social power, he will not have to face the repercussions of his actions. You can thank Ben for his on-field abilities but continuing to sing his praises is significant of a bigger issue. Ben’s situation is another example of men not facing the consequences of their actions against women.
By Sawyer Sugarman