Here we are, draft day 2010, a day that could live in infamy in Steelers history. Drama? Yes, we have drama. Rumor mongering? Sure and then some. It is draft day after all and only one day after Ben Roethlisberger was handed down a 6 game suspension from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The sports radio air waves, internets and Twitter have been spiraling in every direction this morning in what the Steelers may or may not do with Roethlisberger. Will they trade him today? That is the million dollar question. I have already made my thoughts clear on what should happen. Not really on a morality pulpit as much as what I think is best for the Steelers. Many bloggers and writers have yet to take sides in this. Beat writers will tell you that they are supposed to keep impartial, bloggers will tell you they do not want to upset their readership. Hey I have upset half of mine, like I knew I would. Got plenty of hate mail and one death threat even. I really do not give a crap what my readership thinks though. Really, I don\’t. It is the selfishness we are all born with that no one ever wants to own up to. I write because I want to write and have the outlet to write on. It also makes me great gambling money. Enough about that and me.
Enough of what I think should or should not happen. It is irrelevant. If indeed the Steelers trade away Roethlisberger today, the price they get will never be high enough in some fans eyes. It will indeed always hang as an important day in Steeler history. If the Steelers do not win the Super Bowl for the next 5 years, it will all be pointed back to dealing the franchise QB away. Well, that and Bruce Arians will be blamed, but that is for a later post. What if he is not traded today? Does that mean he will be forever in Black & Gold? Absolutely not. Make no mistake that Santonio Holmes was dealt for a ham sandwich to make a point. A 4 game suspension was also in place, but a long term contract was not. Holmes also has a long rap sheet with charges. Face it though, players like Holmes can be found year end and year out. Franchise QBs can not. The Steelers know this and will still make sure they get what they perceive as maximum value. The Rooneys are not stupid, they are indeed business men at heart. They have a product they sell. If the product is not liked by the majority, they have to make the product better. Same goes for company image. Like it or not, that is the way business works. It is more than just your favorite sports team.
Should the right value not present itself today, the start of the 2010 season is still many months away. Injuries happen amongst several other things, including legal issues. Mini camps will be starting soon. Teams will indeed find out then what they do and do not have. Every day that Roethlisberger gets behind now with no new incidents increases his value. Even if he does not take a single snap in pre season. His stock is already higher than yesterday. Believe it. So keep in the back of your mind that no trade today means absolutely nothing. Art did not give Ben the hypocycloid stamp of “Ben is our quarterback” yesterday in the conference call. Read into that what you will, but know that means that Big Ben is for sale. Today and everyday going forward now. It depends on if the deemed price is met on whether or not he is sold.
How is that for draft day reality? Comment below if you dare!
