What a disgrace.

It’s been over two weeks since I last posted about the Ben Roethlisberger situation.  In that time, everybody from veteran Pittsburgh sports reporter John Steigerwald to the hilarious cartoon series South Park have taken their shots at him.  While the Big Laughingstock deserves to be mocked and I have no doubt Steigerwald’s story about Ben blowing off a terminally ill child is absolutely true, I have resisted posting about those things here.  Despite what some of the more ignorant commenters may want to believe, this is not a subject I am particularly happy to write about.   In fact, this is easily the saddest chapter in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers, to which I am not anxious to pile on.

However, in recent days we’ve finally started to get some facts which provide us with a picture of what went on that night and how the sexual assault case pending against our scumbag QB may or may not proceed.

First, the Georgia investigators withdrew their request for Ben’s DNA.  While some head-in-the-sand Steeler fans took this as a positive sign, they ignored the fact that Ben is still in a ton of trouble as this article illustrates. Czar Roger Goodell wants a word with Ben, which is never a good thing, while coach Mike Tomlin stated he was “very concerned for the future of the franchise.”   Hardly optimistic sentiments.

Then came a strange scenario where it was revealed the bar where the assault occurred no longer has the security footage from the night in question.   Evidently, the tapes were recorded over before the police could confiscate them.   Now, the logical explanation is that Pig Ben and his weasel attorney greased some palms to “accidentally” erase the footage.   After all, this attorney already admitted to hiring private investigators to dress up like college kids in an effort to dig up dirt on the poor victim and we know Roethlisberger has no morals so it’s not much of a leap.

However, we were then given this account of events from the manager of Capital City night club.   It seems the victim had been drinking that night.  Which is a problem since she’s underage.  So let’s see, we have an underage girl drinking when she shouldn’t be and we have a security camera recording the bar area the entire time.

Gee, I wonder why that footage was erased so quickly?

This would explain why everybody is in C.Y.A. (Cover Your Ass) mode.  Capital City has hired a lawyer.  Ben hired Ray Lewis‘s lawyer.  One of the off-duty cops partying with Ben hired a lawyer.

Wait…  What?

Yeah, evidently an off-duty Coraopolis police officer was with Ben that night “as a friend.”  Why would he need a lawyer?  If you read the manager’s account, the victim’s friend claimed when she went to follow her into Ben’s Rape Den the VIP bathroom, she was blocked by Ben’s “friend” who was standing guard at the door.  I have many friends but I never knew blockading a door so your “friend” could manhandle a groupie was part of the Wingman Code.

If this manager’s story is to be believed, we finally have a good idea of how this case is shaping up.  From Ben’s side, he’s going to say him and this drunk girl went to the bathroom for some alone time.   But before he could get little Ben out to play, he grew bored with her and decided to go back to drinking brews with his posse.  On the way out, this slutty drunk chick slipped and bumped her noggin.

Then there will be the victim’s version which doesn’t require you to be a blithering idiot to believe.  She’s going to say, yeah, she was drinking.   So she went into the bathroom with Ben to make out.   After clumsily pawing her, she decided she didn’t want to be degraded by that ape and told him to stop.  He got mad at getting shot down by a cute coed so the hulking imbecile decided to toss her around because nobody refuses a big shot like him.

I’m sorry to rain on some of your misogynistic parades but no means no, even when you’re drunk.  Going into the bathroom with him and even letting him stick his foul tongue down her throat (if things even progressed that far) IS NOT the same as consenting to sex.  I realize some of you, particularly Penn State grads, are not aware of this fact.   But I assure you, women have the right to refuse your advances even if they’ve led you on to some extent.   So save the woman-hating “blame the victim” bullshit for some other blog as it’s not welcome here.

And, if the Rooney family truly wants to run an organization with class and dignity, neither will #7 come this September.

Steeler Poodle is clearly a card-carrying member of Steeler Nation. In the spirit of opening this forum to different voices, I invited him to share some thoughts on NFL related happenings.

Michael Vick made his return to the NFL on Thursday night.

What did you think I was gonna write about? Keyaron Fox?

What really burns my balls (or would burn them, if my owner didn’t HAVE ME NEUTERED!) is some people actually think the Pittsburgh Steelers had an interest in Michael Vick.  We all know humans are a gullible bunch who’ll do whatever you want if you give ‘em the ‘ol sad eyes but c’mon!  I’ve left more believable rumors in Mrs. Baumgartner’s yard.

When have the Steelers ever shown an interest in repeat offenders?  Our players aren’t perfect and they have had some some run-ins with the law but the incidents are usually minor and almost always isolated.  The Steelers never gamble on character issues via the draft or free agency and current players who can’t keep their noses clean are quickly shown the door.  Tim Worley?  Bam Morris? Eric Green? Plaxico Burress?  Cedric Wilson?

Don’t even bring up the Ben Roethlisberger rape case.  THAT BITCH IS CRAZY!

The entire basis of the Vick-to-Steelers rumor was that we never denied interest.  So what? And if dogs ate roses, would their butts smell like Valentine’s Day?

Look, Tony Dungy made it his personal mission to “save” Vick. Mike Tomlin thinks of Dungy as his mentor.  As a favor to him, Tomlin kept his feelings quiet so Dungy could tell other GMs that the Steelers gave him the okay. If the Super Bowl champs and undisputed classiest organization in the NFL were considering Vick, who wouldn’t?

Which brings me to the team he took the field with yesterday, the Philadelphia Eagles. Some people were shocked when he signed there. I wasn’t. If any city has sports fans who eagerly embrace thugs and criminals, it’s the City of Brotherly Love.  Half the people in the stands probably have a rap sheet.  Philly is the fire hydrant of the United States the rest of us have a duty to pee on.

I did howl at the spin reporters put on the signing. “It’s a perfect fit because they have great fans, great ownership, and a strong coach.” What team were they talking about? Great fans? The same drooling apes who boo Donovan McNabb every time he incompletes a pass? He only took the team to 5 NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl. How much slack is K-9 Hitler gonna get?

And strong head coach? Andy Reid?  If Vick needs a strong father figure, what’s Andy Reid gonna teach him? How to run a drug emporium out of your own home?  I suppose Reid is the ideal coach for someone just released from the kennel, er, slammer seeing as both his sons are jailbirds themselves.  But if that bulldog-faced fool couldn’t keep his own kids off smack, how’s he gonna keep Ron Mexico on the straight and narrow?

Now, I’m sure some of you are saying, “He did his time.  Leave him alone.“  Sorry but when a guy hooks jumper cables up to your friends and revs up the battery, you tend to be a tad less than forgiving.

I realize Vick has reached out to PETA and as long as he doesn’t pose nude like Pamela Anderson once did, I applaud the effort as token as it may be.  Of course, it’s easy to appear contrite when some idiotic team is ready to hand you over $1.6 million.  Like the stand-up comedian telling Ted Kennedy jokes might ask, “Too soon?”

Sure, Michael Vick has the right to earn a living.  And I have a right to hope and pray some canine loving defensive linemen goes all “Inglourious Basterds” on his ass.