As the world knows, Ben Roethlisberger will not face charges in Georgia that he sexually assaulted a young woman in the bathroom of the VIP section of a bar.
He could be facing trial for a crime that carries a 25 year in prison minimum sentence.
Instead he is facing a suspension and fine from either the NFL and/or the Steelers.
Being docked for a couple of million dollars seems like peanuts in comparison.
And that is the problem, is this enough for Ben to learn. At his statement yesterday at the Steelers complex in the South Side, Ben said most of the right things, but he did not give off a good impression.
Of course, how good of an impression can you give when, for the second time in less than a year, you’re reading a statement prepared by your lawyer in response to a sexual assault claim?
In Ben Roethlisberger the Steelers have one of the top five or six quarterbacks in the league. When the game is on the line, Ben’s play elevates him to the status of the NFL’s top three or top two.
Ben knows this, and he carries a certain swagger on the field. And so he should.
But does he know that off of the field he should, no, he must follow the same rules and be held to the same standards as everyone else?
Thus far, Ben has told us with his behavior that he either doesn’t know this or does know it but doesn’t care.
And the impression he gave with his statement yesterday leaves doubts as to whether he has learned that.
Let’s hope that impression is an incorrect one.