Most would prefer it if the coverage of players and teams with checkered pasts was balanced out by the outlets that broadcast sports. We know you are in bed with a league, so just be the megaphone. Any attempt at addressing touchy issues is always balloon-handed and makes things worse.
It makes us uncomfortable, if not vomit-worthy, moments like last night's four-hour dry heave of a tribute to Ben Roethlisberger, where Brian Griese refers to his past as having made some mistakes. That was all they said about Roethlisberger. Instead, we were treated to a lot of slobbering and crowd shots of signs for Roethlisberger, held by people who probably should be locked away from society for the sake of all of us.
Roethlisberger did not make mistakes. It is up to us to provide actual balance because we can't count on the partners. Roethlisberger got a suspension as a result of the rape accusations. Tom Brady missed a lot of games for letting air out of footballs. There are many more stories about Roethlisberger being a swamp-raised creeps.
This is the dumbass who broke his face riding a motorcycle helmetless, and then was caught doing so again after his accident. He is the same Roethlisberger who has held the Steelers hostage for three seasons at least with his shitty play and his inability to throw the ball farther than you can piss.
He's what people hate about the NFL. His alleged crimes, gross and gruesome, were not brought to the attention of the public because he was an All-Pro and the franchise's owners were old. The broadcasters would prefer that we forget about all of it, as they stock the league full of billions, or make the faintest allusions to terrible actions to still barely grasp onto the label of being a news organization or journalistic entity.
I hope Roethlisberger rides his motorcycle helmetless into the sunset tomorrow, right into a gorge full of starving badgers. It is what he would want. There are a lot more fans who feel that way than those who are weeping into an Iron City. That is balance.
