The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the best franchises in the National Football League. They have had successful players, inspiring coaches, and six Super Bowl Championships throughout the years.
Even though the Steelers have worked hard for those six Vince Lombardi trophies, all the hard work during the regular and post-season has recently gone down the drain due to off-season distractions by the players and their reckless judgments.
When I say off-season distractions, I really mean criminal offenses and questionable behavior. Steelers’ players have gotten into legal trouble in the past few off-seasons, which has earned them a spot on the front pages of newspapers. The two main players on the Steelers roster who have brought distractions to the team are quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and recently traded wide receiver Santonio Holmes.
As players of a prestigious franchise, you would think both these players would represent themselves and their team in a favorable way. I believe the extensive amount of money given to them and their inability to see they are role models to the public has had an influence on their behavior.
Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual assault twice in the past year, and it has taken a toll on his reputation both as a person and a player. As a two-time Super Bowl-winning QB, Roethlisberger is suppose to employ the trait of leadership, and as of this moment “Big Ben” isn’t so big on leadership around the franchise.
A leader is suppose to lead by example and the example Roethlisberger is showing to his teammates is you can go out and act outrageously and receive no penalty for the bad behavior. Roethlisberger was never charged on either accusation, but the example is still there.
Money could be a factor in Roethlisberger’s behavior. In March 2008, the Steelers and Roethlisberger agreed to an eight-year contract paying $102 million. The money may have gone to the QB’s head.
One prime example is former player Plaxico Burress, who signed a six-year, $25 million contact in 2005. In 2008, he shot himself in the leg due to carelessness and later was sentenced to two years in prison.
Players need to realize one thing: making millions of dollars doesn’t give them permission to do whatever they want, when they want. Holmes has also gotten into trouble during the off-season. He has been arrested for disorderly conduct, domestic violence, domestic assault, and possession of marijuana. Most recently he was arrested for an incident of throwing a glass in a women’s face.
Holmes is a Super Bowl MVP receiver, and his legal record indicates that he is showing the same qualities as Roethlisberger: doing whatever you like. How do these players not realize they are ruining themselves and their franchise? Do they realize they are not just setting bad examples for their teammates, but for young children as well?
Both Roethlisberger and Holmes have won two Super Bowls. On television, they both seem like extraordinary people, but in the media they are shedding a dark light and everyone can see it.
Roethlisberger, Holmes and all professional athletes need to realize they aren’t just hurting themselves; they are not just players, but celebrities, too.
So to all professional athletes, watch what you do during the off-season. And as for the deteriorating Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, even though you may have six Super Bowls, one arrest, charge or allegation could start a world of trouble.
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