Stop the commish

Br Dr. Jekyll

Ben Roethlisberger is innocent. Ok, well maybe that’s a stretch. But at the very least, he’s not guilty, because the American Justice system says that much. Whatever does or doesn’t happen with Big Ben when he’s alone with high school girls or at a bar is important, but at the end of the day it’s the verdict that counts. So what’s going on here?

Roger Goodell has been a fine commissioner since coming into the position. He’s waived his flag and burnt his bridges, levying punishments as he sees fit. But the six game suspension he just pushed on Ben is absurd.

I understand protecting a brand name, and the image of the league is important. After all, we wouldn’t want convicted felons running around the league making it popular, now would we? But in that same breath, at some point in time the integrity of the game is in question. What Goodell has effectively done is force a backup to start for a competitive team that finds itself in the playoff mix year in and year out.

The commissioner would have been much better suited to let this one ride on Pittsburgh Steelers management. One of the classiest organizations in the league is more than capable of handling this on their own, internally. Let them fine their quarterback; have him issue an apology for degrading the franchise. But at no time should Goodell have the say to terminate a team’s season when the player in question is found innocent by society as a whole.

This just feels like a step in the wrong direction for the league. What’s to stop future punishments for wearing Reebok sneakers if the league decides to sponsor Nike? It’s bad enough that coaches are being relegated to what they can and can’t wear on the sidelines. In an effort to have an iron fist, we’ve lost sight of the reason rules are in place in the first place: for the integrity of the game. And that integrity is violated with every warrant-less suspension.