Roethlisberger Returns

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returned to practice on Tuesday for the first time since the NFL handed him a six-game suspension in April for violating the league's "personal conduct policy". While Big Ben's relationship with the city of Pittsburgh has soured, his teammates are giving him plenty of public support. Receiver Mike Wallace was quoted as saying, "He's a man and everybody makes mistakes. I just feel like he's the leader of our team. Anytime he comes back we accept him for who he is." Video of his teammates below, courtesy ESPN:



And for further analysis, here's ESPN's Trey Wingo, Cris Carter, and Marcus Allen discussing what Ben has to do to regain the team's confidence:



Personally, I'm with the Steelers fanbase on this one, since this isn't the first time Roethlisberger has had questionable decisions. For further reading, here's the original FTRS post stemming from Ben's Georgia incident here.

Roethlisberger and the Law Meeting Again?

Photo courtesy of SportsIllustrated.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is flirting with trouble again. In 2008, a woman accused him of rape in a Lake Tahoe hotel. Roethlisberger was never charged for the incident, but the alleged victim is suing him in court. Now, Roethlisberger is again accused of a sexual crime. This time, a 21-year-old college student named Amber Hanley accuses the Steelers quarterback of sexual assault at a nightclub in Milledgeville, Georgia, about two hours southeast of Atlanta. While the police are still conducting their investigation, Roethlisberger hasn't been charged.

Courtesy CBS News / Deadspin.com

The fact that this is the second time in two years "Big Ben" is being accused of a sexual crime is a disappointment, considering Roethlisberger's on-field success. You'd think after the first accusation, Ben might reconsider hanging out with single women in a bar or casino. The above photo, taken in 2006, doesn't help the Steelers quarterback's image problems either. In the court of public opinion, Roethlisberger is on very shaky ground. As a 28-year-old QB of a successful team, he needs maturity off the field to complement the leadership he's learned on it.

For more on the ongoing case, visit CBS News' Crimesider or ESPN.

TV Review: Shaq Vs.

Photo courtesy of RealityWanted.com

ABC has been airing a summer reality series called "Shaq Vs." for two episodes now. Last week, Shaq took on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and last night, he took on beach volleyball superstars Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor. I watched the volleyball episode last night. If for nothing else, "Shaq Vs." is hilarious comedy. In a sense, the whole show is a mockumentary of sports, including the broadcasters and sideline reporter. The trash talking between Walsh, May-Treanor, and Shaq was funny.


Photo courtesy Cleveland.com/Nachofoto.com

Shaq had Todd Rogers as his teammate on the court, but came up short in the match. So, he had to walk along Hermosa Beach wearing a pink speedo three sizes too small. Next week, he takes on St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols. The show is just a funny, late summer comedy fluff that anybody can enjoy. "Shaq Vs." airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.