Sanctimony Part II

Random Thoughts from The Latest Big Ben Screwup....

1. I am sure I am on the contrarian side here - what's new! And I am always down for some cynicism, so here goes.
2. I think the guy is a stupid jerk but sorry if I don't jump in with the rest of the lynch mob. From the DA: “The crime of rape has three elements: sexual intercourse, which requires penetration, forcibly, and against her will. All three elements, I’ve got a problem proving all three of those”. The medical examiner isn't able to even discern that there was sexual intercourse. We have all parties involved drunk out of their minds including the sorority girls with their DTF shirts. We have a 500 page PDF file presenting one side of a he said/she said and the DA doesn't think he has a case. (I understand that the bar is pretty low to get an indictment from a Grand Jury?) But it really doesn't matter since Ben has already been convicted in the court of public opinion.
3. Enough about that - I am more entertained by Steeler's fans reactions.
4. Steelers Nation has always shared the "we are morally superior" attitude that some Penn State Football fans throw in your face. As a Steelers fan since 1972 when I conveniently shed the Minnesota Vikings after the Immaculate Reception, I have always found that highly annoying, but, geez, reviewing the various message boards and blogs (like Bob Smizik's excellent one at the Post Gazette) as well as talking to other Steeler's fans, this incident seems to have taken this ridiculousness to a new level. 
5. The Steelers have certainly cultivated and marketed this image - The Steelers Way. It is a convenient excuse for the team's fans when the team doesn't do well. I guess it provides some sort of comfort to fans be able to ridicule other franchise's success since they are doing it with thugs while (like Penn State) the Steelers do it the right way with only high character people.
6. These people have bought the whole Rooney pitch - hook, line, and sinker. If you actually buy this - that the Steelers (like Penn State) are somehow drafting from a different pool of character than the other franchises, then I suggest you google "Pittsburgh Steelers Arrests" or maybe do a little research into what team was at the forefront in leveraging PED and anabolic steroids in the 1970s. Or look at how the old man made his money in the first place. Or the strings Dan Rooney pulled for Ernie Holmes. Really it goes on and on.
7. The Steelers are successful because of:
1. Continuity in the Head Coaching Position.
2. Quality of Head Coaching
3. Talent Acquisition And Development
4. Salary Cap Management and an almost uncanny ability to avoid overpaying very productive players that have just started on the downside of their careers.
8. I would rank character down around item 87 as a reason for the Steeler's success.
9. I especially have no sympathy for those parents who somehow feel personally violated because they positioned  Big Ben as some sort of role model and now he has fallen short of their expectations. What will they tell little Johnny and Mary? I guess I am just amazed at any parent that, in the year 2010, still thinks that athletes are or (worse) should be role models. Jim Bouton's landmark Ball Four has been out for over 40 years and since then countless tell-all memoirs from various athletes have been published. What are these parents thinking? Why do they think there is some sort of correlation between wealth, fame, athletic ability, popularity, and character. My advice to these parents is to look in the mirror if you are looking for role models for your kids. 
10. Just like Penn State, the Steelers have their own system of Depth Chart Justice when it comes to discipline. Look no further than the Cedric Wilson and James Harrison cases for that. Maybe Mike Tomlin can take a cue from St Paterno and have the team cleanup Heinz Field after a game. 
11. The Santonio Holmes trade was ridiculous. A 5th rounder. Without even waiting to entertain draft-related offers in a couple of weeks. Wow. Should have let him play the 12 games this year after the suspension and then show him the door - has everyone forgotten that we still have the core of a team that won a Super Bowl 15 months ago?
12. Also, I guess Santonio just developed these character issues since joining the Steelers. Certainly nothing in his past at Ohio State should have given the Steelers pause from a character standpoint when they were originally evaluating his character. 
13. My guess is that the team didn't feel that they would be re-signing Holmes anyways, they saw the firestorm coming on Big Ben, and this was just too easy to pass up from a PR perspective. Batting practice fastball. Just smells like a panic move to me. 
14. The Steeler's Way, Paterno's Grand Experiment, and Success With Honor are marketing campaigns. At the end of the day, you are rooting for multi-million dollar football factories - don't make them out to be something that they aren't.