Now that Ben Roethlisberger has been suspended for a minimum of four games and a maximum of six to begin the 2010 NFL season, I think it's only fair to offer up a seven-step process for Big Ben to rehab himself and his image in Pittsburgh.
1. Hold a press conference in which he apologizes for his behavior, apologizes to the alleged victim in Georgia, apologizes to the NFL, apologizes to the Steelers (teammates, the Rooneys and Mike Tomlin), apologizes to Roger Goodell and apologizes to the fan, especially the Steelers fans. Announce that he will not challenge the league's suspension and that he will use the time to improve himself as a person and as a player.
2. Sex rehab. It's the cure-all for any celebrity whose sex with lots of partners or in crazy ways goes a little too far. (See: Woods, Eldrick).
3. Donate millions of dollars to women's charities, particularly to those aiding women who have been sexually assaulted.
4. Grant every autograph request. Start turning away the view that so many have that he is a bad guy, under-tipper, un-fan-friendly.
5. Work his ass off during training camp and the preseason. Improve his game, get into the best shape of his life, get all of his teammates on his side (none of his teammates have really publicly defended him so it's time to get them doing that) and convince Goodell that the suspension should be four games.
6. Hope the Steelers offense sputters out of the gate. And with Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon being the quarterbacks on the roster, a slow offensive start is more than possible. Their running game has been in decline, the offensive line is mediocre and the receivers are depleted with Santonio Holmes gone and that was all true with Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh opens at home against Atlanta, then has road games against the Titans and Buccaneers before returning home for a date with the Ravens in what is always a tough game for offenses no matter who the quarterback is. Couldn't you see the Steelers opening 1-3 against those teams? The Titans and Ravens defenses are a handful for teams with well-equipped offenses and the Falcons are a team on the rise right now. Only Tampa Bay seems like a sure win.
A 1-3 start with the offense struggling to move the ball because of inept quarterback play would greatly benefit Roethlisberger because the fans of Pittsburgh that are currently disgusted with him will be reminded of what it's like to not have a good quarterback. From 1983-2003, the Steelers were led by the likes of Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone, David Woodley, Bubby Brister, Neil O'Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox. This is a fan base that saw below-average quarterback play derail teams with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations for the better part of 20 years. A reminder of what that's like could make fans a little more forgiving of Roethlisberger and could make his teammates long for his return.
7. Come back after the Week 5 bye and dominate. Do the right things. Say the right things. And play the way Roethlisberger has for the majority of his NFL career. The first seven games after the bye are against Cleveland, Miami, New Orleans, Cincinnati, New England, Oakland and Buffalo. The game against the Patriots is in Pittsburgh. It isn't hard to see the Steelers going 6-1 in that stretch if Roethlisberger returns in shape, motivated and prepared (sorry, I don't think the Bengals are all that great and a particularly tough opponent for the Steelers, even though they lost to them twice last season). Take the Steelers back to the playoffs (and from there, who knows how far they can go).
This is how it can fall perfectly for Roethlisberger going forward. This is the way to redeem himself. Step 6 is out of his control but the other six steps are well within his ability. It's up to him to make all of that happen. It's the way to rehabilitate himself in Pittsburgh and it's more than doable, even if Step 6 doesn't go to form.
As to the rumors of Roethlisberger being traded as has been reported by many, most notably Jason La Canfora? Sorry but I just don't believe that is going to happen. The photo atop this post is a reminder of what the Steelers are capable of doing with Roethlisberger as their quarterback. They aren't capable of doing that without him. It's in the best interests of Steelers to work with Roethlisberger and rehabilitate him. That's their meal ticket to more Super Bowls. In the 1983-2003 period outlined above, the Steelers didn't win a Super Bowl. In the 1970-1982 period that preceded it and the 2004-2009 period that followed, the Steelers won six Super Bowls. Their defense and running game was almost always good in that entire 40-year span. The difference is that from 1970-1982 their quarterback was Terry Bradshaw and from 2004-2009 it was Roethlisberger. Elite quarterbacks aren't easy to find and the Steelers know it.
