Is Papa Rooney going to have to take a break from Ireland to fly in to the ‘Burgh to lay down the law?
What is with the recent string of Steelers’ infractions? (Jeff Reed, Big Ben, now this, to name a few?)
Steelers Wide Receiver – and Super Bowl XLIII MVP – is being sued by a Florida woman for alleged assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress. The woman claims that Holmes allegedly threw a glass of liquor at her at Orlando club Rain following an apparent dispute over seating in the VIP section where Holmes lost his temper and assaulted her.
She also claims that she was going to press charges, but that Holmes and the police department pressured her not to due to his standing as an NFL super star.
As of now, she is filing a civil lawsuit against him, seeking at least $15,000 and whatever else the court deems appropriate in regards to the situation.
Santonio posted his thoughts on Twitter today (maybe not the best move from a PR standpoint) saying, “Before anyone decides to state unknown fact please do research 1st. In the end it makes you look like the fool” (which is true, but probably not wise for him to tweet about) and telling his Twitter fans to “find something else to gossip about” in addition to talking about “living the Good Life” in reference to a Kanye West song. Some followers and local media outlets have claimed that his “tweets” seemed smug and cocky, and that his reaction isn’t appropriate given the situation.
Holmes told Rachel Nichols of ESPN that, “the matter will be put to bed within 24 hours.” This is his 4th run-in with the law; the other charges including domestic violence, possession of marijuana, and disorderly conduct. (Not to mention, those infamous naked shower photos.) So far, the Steelers and the NFL have not commented.
My personal belief is that these guys are getting out of line. They get paid unfathomable amounts of money to do something that they love – they should at least have the decency and respect to represent their team with class and respect. Maybe Tomlin should schedule a character-building workshop?
Or, is he a part of the problem? As one friend put it, maybe Tomlin is putting too much trust in his players to be responsible and make mature, careful decisions. (After all, not all of them are sweet, religious, stand-up citizens like Troy Polamalu .)
But is Tomlin putting TOO much trust in his players to behave off the field? Is this the right thing to do? These are twentysomething young men, with more money than they know what to do with, who are used to being idolized and getting what they want. The character and morale of athletes in general seems to have went down. Gone is a sense of accountability and grateulness, replaced with a sense of entitlement and invincibility.
Regardless of the situations, guilty or innocent, gold-diggers or truth-tellers – athletes like Ben Roethliesberger and Santonio Holmes – ESPECIALLY since they represent the integrity of the Steelers franchise and the pride of Pittsburgh – should be more careful about putting themselves in potentially precarious situations.
The worst thing that I read today is that, “The Steelers are the New Bengals.” Please, no.
And Tomlin? Maybe he needs to set some boundaries and stop acting like the step-parent who just wants his kids to like him, letting them do whatever they want as his “family” (i.e. the team, fans, the city) suffers because of it. I am not blaming him, but someone needs to encourage these guys to get their acts together.
Apparently, Roger Goodell still wants to speak with Big Ben, but the Holmes incident isn’t as pressing a matter. I’m sure that the Rooneys will talk to Holmes on these accusations, however, and Tomlin will likely comment on it to the public at some point.
What do you guys think? Will all of the media frenzy and these silly accusations and immature infractions distract the Steelers for the upcoming season?
I do value them all as players and respect them on an athletic level, and I am sure that they aren’t all bad guys per se. After all, everyone makes mistakes, but Steelers players DO need to value their role as representatives of our team, our city, and one of the most legendary franchises in NFL history.
Here’s hoping that Holmes is right and that, $15,000 later, this matter is put to bed in no time, for the sake of Pittsburgh and the sake of the team. Isn’t the Ben situation enough?
Glitzburgh™ 