Verdict;3317275 said:
Commenting on this thread is like opening up a can of worms as there are several issues which come to bear on this matter.
First off, if Roethlisberger raped this girl, then he should be prosecuted just as any non-celebrity would be, and punished appropriately, by the criminal justice system, and (after conviction) also appropriately punished by the league as well.
Good start.
Second, (and on the other hand) while the old saying "where there is smoke there is usually fire" usually has some merit, I am adamantly opposed to punishing an athlete in any form or fashion without some form of due process to allow both sides of the issue to be presented prior to any form of punishment being imposed by the league. The criminal justice system should usually be allowed to run its course FIRST prior to punishment being imposed by the league. To do otherwise interferes with the criminal justice system and impairs a defendant's right against self incrimination.
Unfortunately, the NFL is a private organization and can levy administrative punishment however they see fit. They don't have to wait on the criminal justice system, nor does the criminal justice system even need to be involved.
In the event of conviction, then there is conclusive prooof it happened, and appropriate punishment by the league can be imposed. In the event of a non conviction, (deferred sentence, deferred prosecution, etc, ) then the league should still be able to hear evidence on the matter and decide if punishment is appropriate since there is a different legal standard for a conviction in criminal court and a civil proceeding.
Third, I do not believe that the league is uniform in how it approaches these incidents and I think it definitely matters who you are and what team you play for. That is one reason why I am against a single person acting as judge, jury and excutioner (Goodell).
The league isn't uniform in how it approaches these incidents, but that's part of the price that you pay for being a member. You are subject to the rules and regulations as well as the latitude allowed by the NFL Commissioner despite what a criminal court or civil proceeding would determine. Again, it's a private organization.
Fourth, I really have a problem with Goodell saying things like "he is repeatedly putting himself in situations like this" (paraphrasing). That is total bull****. If he is repeatedly "sexually assualting women" then he is committing a crime and should be punished for it. To have been "accused" of sexually assulting women is a bird of a different feather entirely. He could be guilty, or merely falsely accused. The ACCUSATION ITSELF should be of NO CONSEQUENCE nor OF ANY CONCERN TO THE LEAGUE, PERIOD. THE UNDERLYING FACTS though (if he is guilty) is an appropriate issue to be concerned about by the league.
It isn't bullcrap at all - he has repeatedly put himself in compromising situations because of extremely poor judgment, and that is all the Commissioner is pointing too - he's not saying he repeatedly sexually assaulting women. The motorcycle incident I would imagine gets rolled into that same category of poor judgment.
Also, Roger Goodell unfortunately set precedent when he punished a handful of players preemptively without waiting on criminal or civil proceedings - names like Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress, Adam Jones, and Matt Jones come to mind.
When you desire to work for a high-paying, private organization you agree to abide by their standards. If you're not abiding by their standards, you can be administratively punished.
'RuthlessRaper' .......... 
