Roethlisberger accused of Sexual Assault

[meStevo]

This is going to drag on a while methinks, would rather it be in one place than all over the NFL season thread.

For those just learning of it, PFT recounting what is in the civil lawsuit here - Complaint gets very specific regarding interaction between McNulty, Roethlisberger | ProFootballTalk.com

The short story is Big Ben is being accused of sexual assault a year removed from the event. No evidence is out to support either side, and it's still unfolding. There are a lot of unknowns, like why additional people were also named in the lawsuit.

More and more places are starting to pick up the story, though ESPN has issued a 'do not report' notice about it for the time being (probably until there's more concrete stuff to point to). Though, like PFT has pointed out in another post... there's a civil suit filed, that's about as concrete as it gets as far as accusations go.

 

[salsadancer7]

I am VERY curious as to what Goodell does. This supposedly happened LAST year and is JUST coming to light. I am also curious to know how come criminal were not filed?

 

[Ramy]

This sounds suspicious to me. No criminal charges filed and all this after a year???

 

[vurbano]

ben was a bad bad boy. He will get off just like the rapist Kobe B.

 

[BillD1984]

This sounds suspicious to me. No criminal charges filed and all this after a year???

Couldn't agree more! :up This story smells!

Why should the onus of guilt or innocence be laid at Ben's feet??

 

[Ramy]

ben was a bad bad boy. He will get off just like the rapist Kobe B.

And you know he is guilty becaussssssssse?????????

 

[anders5189]

I am VERY curious as to what Goodell does. This supposedly happened LAST year and is JUST coming to light. I am also curious to know how come criminal were not filed?

This is serious if true, but there are some major problems here IMO. First, as salsa said where were the criminal charges? Rape is a crime. And why so long to act in the first place? Plus there were plenty of details in the article so I'm sure that they were together, but is there any proof of the alleged assault? Not from what I read.

If Ben did what he is accused of it would be awful, but you can't assume that he did. From the sound of it I doubt any of this would hold up in court and I wouldn't be surprised if this girl didn't have some motive of her own, like having lost a job or not being able to pay her mortgage, that might give her cause to want to cash in so to speak.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

He said, she said?

 

[anders5189]

He said, she said?

Too bad no one was peeping Ben's room.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

This is serious if true, but there are some major problems here IMO. First, as salsa said where were the criminal charges? Rape is a crime. And why so long to act in the first place? Plus there were plenty of details in the article so I'm sure that they were together, but is there any proof of the alleged assault? Not from what I read.

If Ben did what he is accused of it would be awful, but you can't assume that he did. From the sound of it I doubt any of this would hold up in court and I wouldn't be surprised if this girl didn't have some motive of her own, like having lost a job or not being able to pay her mortgage, that might give her cause to want to cash in so to speak.

Athletes are targets.

 

[meStevo]

He said, she said?

Yeah, that's all it is until any real evidence shows up. Until then it's on the accuser to prove her case (...in court... like the Stallworth stuff we may not know the whole story until it's more than over and stuff trickles out).

 

[salsadancer7]

Here is another question....ESPN has reported ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on this? WHY??!! EVERY SINGLE media outlet....whether they media is sports related or not, has said SOMETHING about it. Hmmm....could it be because Big Ben is gonna be on one of their reality shows with Shaq??!!

ALOT of this story smells....

 

[salsadancer7]

This, according to the story in Yahoo Sports, is her reason WHY she did not file a criminal lawsuit:

The lawsuit seeks a minimum of $440,000 in damages from the quarterback, at least $50,000 in damages from the Harrah's officials and an unspecified amount of punitive damages "sufficient to deter" Roethlisberger and the others "from engaging in such conduct in the future." The suit alleges hotel officials for Harrah's Lake Tahoe tried to cover up the incident.

The woman's lawsuit says she didn't file a criminal complaint because she feared Harrah's would side with Roethlisberger and she would be fired.

NFL looks into allegations against Roethlisberger - Yahoo! News

I can sorta see why she didn't do and seeing that Roethlisberger comes to this golf tournament every year and spends A TON of money every tim he is in town for the tournament....you can sort of see why she didn't file a criminal complaint.

 

[HD MM]

Here is another question....ESPN has reported ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on this? WHY??!! EVERY SINGLE media outlet....whether they media is sports related or not, has said SOMETHING about it. Hmmm....could it be because Big Ben is gonna be on one of their reality shows with Shaq??!!

ALOT of this story smells....

I brought up this very theory in the NFL thread. Right now this is the biggest news story related to sports. I've heard every other major outlet speak on this. Even Goodel issued a statement on it!

Why ESPN is putting a gag order on their reporters makes no sense. ESPN has no boundries. They've reported on Spy-Gate before there was "proof". They report on Chad Johnson's Twitter and T.O.'s reality show endeavors. With the "world-wide leader in sport's" ignoring this, it makes me think their own interests are involved.....

In August, Shaq's TV show titled: "Shaq vs." is set to air on ESPN's parent channel, ABC. Shaq's first guest: Big Ben. Hmmmmm....

 

[salsadancer7]

I brought up this very theory in the NFL thread. Right now this is the biggest news story related to sports. I've heard every other major outlet speak on this. Even Goodel issued a statement on it!

Why ESPN is putting a gag order on their reporters makes no sense. ESPN has no boundries. They've reported on Spy-Gate before there was "proof". They report on Chad Johnson's Twitter and T.O.'s reality show endeavors. With the "world-wide leader in sport's" ignoring this, it makes me think their own interests are involved.....

In August, Shaq's TV show titled: "Shaq vs." is set to air on ESPN's parent channel, ABC. Shaq's first guest: Big Ben. Hmmmmm....

I will go one step further...had it been a black QB...say, McNabb...would this had been ignored? Makes you think and leaves ESPN VERY exposed.

 

[grydlok]

ESPN looks bad on this. I read about this 2 days ago and ESPN now a word. Yeah she full of it, but it's a story.

 

[salsadancer7]

ESPN looks bad on this. I read about this 2 days ago and ESPN now a word. Yeah she full of it, but it's a story.

They are either looking racist because he is a white, successful QB or protecting their best interest because they have him as the 1st guest in Shaq's reality show come next month....on their network....! EITHER WAY you look at it....they are looking really bad.

 

[anders5189]

This, according to the story in Yahoo Sports, is her reason WHY she did not file a criminal lawsuit:



NFL looks into allegations against Roethlisberger - Yahoo! News

I can sorta see why she didn't do and seeing that Roethlisberger comes to this golf tournament every year and spends A TON of money every tim he is in town for the tournament....you can sort of see why she didn't file a criminal complaint.

That doesn't pass the smell test with me. If a women is raped there are laws against that and she has every right to press charges. Suing someone a year after the fact? Sounds like a shakedown to me. If Roethlisberger didn't do anything criminally wrong then why does she deserve even a penny of his money?

 

[Skyhi]

I will go one step further...had it been a black QB...say, McNabb...would this had been ignored? Makes you think and leaves ESPN VERY exposed.

I agree. I don't think McNabb or Vince Young would be getting this kind of protection from ESPN.

ESPN stopped being "journalistic" years ago.....It's a shame.

 

[duckydan]

They were talking about this on a local sports radio station and the reporter from PFT that broke the story said ESPN claimed they do not comment on civil cases (although he had compiled a list, without much searching, of several instances in which ESPN did report the civil case such as the Marvin Harrison shooting.) It's also because ESPN is in bed with Roethlisberger due to the reality show with Shaq on ABC coming up.