The Rooneys used to stand for something

               ... maybe it is time for a housecleaning

Reposted from Wed., Aug. 25, 2010

Some of the luster has vanished from those six Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophies.

One of the messages that members of the Rooney family have propounded to their Pittsburgh Steeler players over the years was simple: Be someone that everyone in the community can admire, can emulate, can praise -- on and off the field.

Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr., followed by his son, Dan, have talked to their players about involving themselves in community activities, whether it be with a charity like the United Way or the Salvation Army or with their church.

That message about helping the community made those of us who are Steeler fans proud of our team long before the players had won any Super Bowls. We thought, "Win or lose, the Steelers do things the right way." If players wandered from the flock, the Rooneys reminded them of the Steelers' character: "We are better than the Raiders, the Bengals, the Ravens -- or any other team."

The past year has thrown that premise into the dumpster. The Steelers' reaction to some serious problems has been inconsistent and has not sent the same positive message as in the past.

For instance, the Steelers had endured Santonio Holmes' legal problems over the years, but when he was suspended for four games because he violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy, the Super Bowl XLIII most valuable player was traded to the Jets.

Fans sighed: Yes, he had outstanding skills, but the Rooneys expect more from their players. The members of Steeler Nation expressed gratitude for that action.

Then came the Ben Roethlisberger saga. When the franchise QB was accused of raping a 20- year-old college student in a bar in Milledgeville, Georgia, in March, the Rooneys were outraged-- but did nothing about it.

Steeler President Art Rooney II said this shortly after the incident, "We believe each of our players has not only a responsibility to live up to the highest standards on the field, but also equally high standards off the field. Receiving the support of Pittsburgh Steelers fans all over the world is something that must be earned. I've made it clear to Ben that his conduct in this incident did not live up to our standards. We've made it very clear to Ben that there will be consequences for his actions. And Ben has indicated to me that he's willing to accept those consequences."

Unfortunately, Rooney did … nothing.

If this was a one-time deal, then that would be satisfactory. What enraged so many people in Steeler Nation is that this was the second time within a year that rape allegations were lodged against him. The first was a civil case filed by a woman in Nevada, one that is still in the court system. So, when Roethlisberger says that he is asking for a second chance, he is really asking for a third.

Two sexual-abuse allegations within a year? This is embarrassing to the Steelers, tarnishing the image of the franchise. This was not being caught with some marijuana, as Holmes had been; this was violating a woman in a horrible way.

However, while NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Roethlisberger for from four to six games and ordered him to undergo testing and counseling, the Steelers chose to do nothing.

That went against what Rooney told the New York Times on April 15. The Times reported that "the Steelers would move forward with Roethlisberger at quarterback and would prefer to discipline him themselves. 'We feel Ben is our player, and it's our standards that we're dealing with here'," Rooney said.

If Goodell preferred that the league suspend the QB, that is acceptable. However, the Steelers could have disciplined him in other ways, like not allowing him to participate in the preseason camp. In addition, they could have required that

he perform community service or had him publicly apologize to fans ... but they did nothing.

What would have made the most impact would have been service at a women's help center or a victim's abuse shelter. If Roethlisberger saw first-hand how people are violated, that could have made a greater impact than anything else. An approach like that is something that would have been more Rooney-like than doing nothing.

Roethlisberger points out -- correctly -- that he has never been charged with a crime. That was right, and people are innocent until proven guilty.

However, even though the District Attorney in the Georgia case, Fred Bright, filed no charges, that occurred because he could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the rape had occurred.

Why? He listed a number of reasons: First, the accuser was very intoxicated and would not be credible as a witness, and second, the amount of semen that was needed for a DNA sample was too small to make a definitive one.

However, Steeler fans were even more enraged when they read the police reports that were provided online by some Pittsburgh media outlets. One of the young friends of the accuser who was interviewed by the police said that one of Roethlisberger's "bodyguards dragged the 20- year-old accuser to the bathroom" where the alleged rape occurred.

Perhaps as damaging to the Steeler mantra was a story in Sports Illustrated on May 10. The subtitle illustrates the tone, "An NFL superstar's repulsive behavior, the ultimate expression of athletic entitlement run amok ..." The most compelling part of the story for me was when a waitress, probably a young mother working her way through college with the tips that she earned, had to run out into the parking lot and beg the multi-million dollar athlete to pay his bill.

Many Pittsburghers told similar stories. The picture was not pretty, certainly not what the Steeler fans expect from their players.

This story will continue through the 2010 season, with the games focusing more on the soap opera "As Ben Roethlisberger turns" instead of a story about the team.

Some say that the quarterback's behavior has changed. If you believe that, read this little tidbit that the AP issued in early August: "In his Steelers biography, Roethlisberger now lists his birthplace as the fictitious and the incorrectly spelled Corey Rawson, Ohio. There is no such community, although he did attend Cory- Rawson School in Rawson, Ohio, before his junior high days."

The quarterback has previously listed Findlay, Ohio, as his hometown, which was correct. However, he is upset with people there because some of the fans from that area were critical of their hometown boy, even burning his jersey in disgust. Ben is obviously upset with them and does not sound contrite about this situation.

As a Steeler fan for more than 50 years, I enter the season with little enthusiasm. In my eyes, the franchise has lost some of its legacy.

Other fans are more forgiving and know that if they lose Roethlisberger, their team will probably not be able to win any more Super Bowls -- and that may be true.

My disappointment is not just with the QB. The sadness for me is the way the Rooneys handled this -- or failed to do so.

They did nothing.