Reports are today that the police want to further question Ben Roethlisbeger. Not only do they want to question the Superbowl winning Quarterback but reports are they are looking for a sample of Ben’s DNA. Anyone who has followed these cases knows a DNA match can possibly send Ben to jail. CBS News legal analyst Lisa Bloom shined the light on what this really means to Ben’s case.
Bloom was quoted as saying “What really jumps out at me is the DNA tests that the police are now talking about. Because there’s only two defenses to rape: ‘I didn’t have sex with her’ or ‘I did have sex with her, but it was consensual.’ This woman did everything right. She went to the police immediately. She went to the hospital immediately. Presumably, they took any physical evidence like DNA from her body that might be there. So, if there is DNA that links him to her, the question is, is he going to deny having any sexual contact with her or is he going to claim that it was consensual — in a night club.”
It seems The Steelers organization is treading gently and very carefully observing this situation. The comment from Steelers president Art Rooney II was less than supportive of Ben. Ben Roethlisbeger gave Rooney The Lombardi Trophy now it seems Rooney is give Ben The Heisman, and rightfully so.
“All of us in the Steelers family are concerned about the recent incident involving Ben Roethlisberger,” Rooney said. “We cannot comment on any of the specifics until law enforcement’s investigation is concluded.”
To make matters worse Michael McCarthy of USA Today reports that the folks who make “Big Ben Beef Jerky” could be getting ready to pull their endorsement of Roethlisbeger.
“It’s just very concerning,” PLB Sports president and CEO Ty Ballou told McCarthy. “”Ben is a single guy. He has every right to be out doing what he’s doing. But when you’re the quarterback of any team, especially the Steelers, you have to take extra measures. . . . Obviously, this is very concerning for all parties. This is the second time this has come out. . . .
“It’s troubling,” Ballou added. “You want the offseason to be quiet. You have to put yourself in a good positions. And Ben unfortunately hasn’t. You even go back to the motorcycle accident. Whatever happened down there [in Georgia], I hope this will truly be the last time something like this happens. Ben’s a good person. He does a lot for charity. But for his career, his fans and his family, you have to make good decisions.”
There is no comment yet from Nike or Dick’s Sporting Goods. Based on the Tiger Woods debacle we know that endorsements can disappear very quickly. Keeping in mind Tiger had consensual sex.
