Steel City Jim

In the spring of 1963, I found myself at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, completing my six-month military obligation. There was a guy in the unit who was huge, probably 6-foot-3 and about 250 pounds. He was quite a physical specimen, but he was always doing stupid things. I recall thinking that he was a 22-year-old with a 14-year-old mind. One night he went berserk and put a fist through a barracks wall. They summoned the MPs. The first twosome couldn't budge him. So, they sent for two other guys, each of whom was larger than the subject. I wasn't in that barracks, but I was told that these two literally picked him up by his elbows and escorted him out of the building and into custody. The next morning I saw him sitting forlornly on a prison bus. I never saw him again.

Somehow, Ben Roethlisberger reminds of this overgrown, but desperately immature guy at Ft. Sam Houston. Certainly, he is a talented football player, and when he puts on a Steeler uniform we Steeler fans root like crazy for him. But he has a couple of Achilles' heels off the field that is hurtful to himself and the team. As the DA in Georgia said, "Grow up, Ben." He couldn't have said it better. But from the motorcycle incident to the civil suit in Lake Tahoe and now the sexual assault allegation in Georgia, it's quite obvious that he has a lot of problems. One of which is that he doesn't seem to listen to solid advice from peers, coaches and friends. I understand that Art Rooney II, the president of the Steelers is "furious" with him. My guess is that if the league doesn't suspend him for some games, the Steelers will. And, if the slightest behavioral glitch occurs in the future, someone will be able to pick up Big Ben mighty cheaply.

Trying not to sound like a broken record, but Santonio Holmes is another superb athlete with a scattered mind. Shortly after the Steelers drafted him in 2006 everybody knew that he had fathered three kids, two in Florida and one in Ohio. This should have been a clue to his persona to those who were responsible for the 2006 draft. But I suppose they thought that with an NFL contract he would settle down and become a force in the NFL. As a fan I was willing to give him a pass (no pun intended) for past indiscretions. And I have to say that he did become a force in the league. But the off-field leopard never changed his spots, and with all that coin now in his pocket, one could argue that it got worse. What he did outside the locker room was pretty bad, but he wasn't at all respected in the locker room either. He was considered to be a "bad teammate." So, the Steelers did what they had to do and got rid of him. Now it is coming to light that this was in the plans all along. That's why they brought in two wide receivers, Arnaz Battle and Antwaan Randle El. Some people think they practically gave him away for a fifth-round draft pick. But the truth is that they were about to release him outright when the Jets offered "something." Goodbye, Santonio, and I hope things work out for you. But, given all the distraction possibilities in New York which dwarf Pittsburgh's, can you imagine what he'll encounter in New York?

Now the Steelers have to regroup. They will keep Ben. You just don't part ways with a franchise quarterback in which you have so much invested. But Ben will have an enormous task to regain the confidence of his teammates who are well aware of his frailties. He will also have to endure at least a one-game suspension and possibly more. In the meantime, Tomlin will have to operate with a crippled team, both mentally and physically (Holmes will be hard to replace on the field). They also have to adjust their draft plans ... must they draft a wide receiver or a quarterback? Neither were probably in their plans in their early planning.

The good thing about the Steelers is that they have what is arguably one of the best organizations in football. It may take some time and some more moves, but most Steeler fans are confident that they will come out ahead.

We live in interesting times in Steeler history.