According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Ben Roethlisberger took the field with his teammates on Tuesday but will not talk to the media, while Jim Wexell of SteelCityInsider.com reports that Big Ben is in “much better shape” than he was a couple of months ago.

Roethlisberger appeared to be overweight when he showed up to workouts in March, but it’s not unusual for him to be out of shape at this point during the year. If Wexell’s report is true and he’s in much better shape now, maybe the events that transpired over these last couple of months woke him up.

And what a relief that would be for the Steelers. They don’t need Roethlisberger to clean up his act until he gets back from his suspension and then fall right back into the same pitfalls that got him in trouble in the first place. They need him to make wholesale changes so they don’t have to make a drastic decision, such as dumping him entirely.

Time will tell if the new, slimmer Big Ben has improved his decision-making.

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Never one to be shy about taking swipes at celebrities and athletes, rapper Eminem made Ben Roethlisberger his latest victim in one of his new songs.

From E Online.com:

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ star quarterback joins an elite roster of those with the dubious honor of being dissed in rhyme by Eminem. In this case, Big Ben’s recent off-field problems are name-checked in the new Em cut “Despicable,” which debuted online yesterday.

“I’d rather turn this club into a bar room brawl/Get as rowdy as Roethlisberger in a bathroom stall,” Eminem raps.

The line references a March incident in which Roethlisberger allegedly sexually assaulted a 20-year-old college student in a women’s restroom in a Georgia nightclub.

I haven’t heard the song yet, but it can’t be any worse than the ultra-horrendous “We Made You,” in which he dresses up like Tony Romo for the video. I’m not a big fan of Eminem’s “work” as it is, but I’ve dropped deuces that were more impressive than that song. (Although I’ll be the first one to admit that “Til I Collapse” will always be on my MP3 player when I hit the gym.)

It’s kind of amazing that Big Ben has gone from two-time Super Bowl MVP to the butt of one of Eminem’s jokes in just a couple of years.

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Speaking for the first time since commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for six games next season, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said that he would not appeal the suspension and would comply with what is asked of him.

From ESPN.com:

“The Commissioner’s decision to suspend me speaks clearly that more is expected of me,” Roethlisberger said in a statement posted on the Steelers’ website and e-mailed to media. “I am accountable for the consequences of my actions.

“Though I have committed no crime, I regret that I have fallen short of the values instilled in me by my family. I will not appeal the suspension and will comply with what is asked of me — and more.”

“Missing games will be devastating for me,” Roethlisberger said in the statement. “I am sorry to let down my teammates and the entire Steelers fan base. I am disappointed that I have reached this point and will not put myself in this situation again.

“I appreciate the opportunities that I have been given in my life and will make the necessary improvements.”

Some have painted Roethlisberger as a rapist, which is unfair given the details that have emerged from the story. The victim can’t even given an account of what happened that night, so how can anyone else draw conclusions without it being speculation?

But whether or not he committed a crime, he needs to learn that he can’t put himself in these situations. This is the second time in under a year that he’s been accused of sexual assault and if there’s a third time, he can all but be assured of his exit in Pittsburgh. (He would no doubt face a stiffer punishment from the league, too.)

Only time will tell if Big Ben has learned anything from this ordeal.

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Let’s pretend you’re Art Rooney II for a moment and you’re trying to deal with the internal war that has been raging inside you since Ben Roethlisberger was once again accused of not being able to keep his hands to himself.

Your head is telling you that it’s unwise to get rid of a franchise quarterback because after all, it’s not like they’re sitting on shelves next to the Big Bites at 7-Eleven. Trade Big Ben and you run the risk of setting your already diminishing franchise back several years in the process.

But then your emotions start to get the best of you again. You know that even though Big Ben the groper hasn’t been charged with anything, this clearly isn’t the trustworthiest of people. In the past four years, he’s been accused of sexually assaulting two women and almost killed himself by not wearing a helmet while riding his motorcycle. Considering he was just suspended six games next season, maybe it’s time to cut your losses and close the final chapter on the Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh.

Now, finding a trade partner is a little harder that it seems. More than half the league needs a franchise quarterback, but teams aren’t usually overly excited to part with a first rounder for a player with a history of making poor off-field choices and who will be suspended for the first part of next season. Buffalo, Kansas City and San Francisco are three teams that might be interested, but all three would likely pass in the end. The Bills can’t field a competitive team around Big Ben, while the Chiefs and 49ers aren’t likely to part with other players in order to pay for his services (especially in KC’s case, which shelled out big money to sign Matt Cassel last year).

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Although the rumors have died down a bit over the last couple of days, the Steelers have not ruled out trading quarterback Ben Roethlisberger if the right deal comes along.

Per a report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers aren’t actively seeking a trade for Big Ben and won’t dump him the way they did receiver Santonio Holmes (who was recently traded to the Jets in exchange for a fifth rounder). But if the right trade came along, the Rooney family wouldn’t hesitate signing off on a deal.

On Tuesday, the Steelers acquired Byron Leftwich from the Buccaneers in exchange for a seventh round pick. The deal indicates that the Steelers are preparing to be without Big Ben for at least part of the 2010 season and it may even suggest that they’re ready to move on period. Leftwich was a shade above horrendous last year in Tampa, but he did play well in Bruce Arians’ offense in limited action two years ago. If Roethlisberger were dealt, Leftwich would compete for Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback job with Dennis Dixon, or perhaps even a rookie prospect.

It still seems unlikely that Big Ben will be dealt, but it’s clear that his on-field resume won’t save him in the eyes of the Rooneys. The fact that he’s embarrassed the franchise holds more weight than his two Super Bowl victories. Holmes was the team’s Super Bowl MVP two years ago and now he’s in New York. Roethlisberger will just have to hold his breath this weekend and await his fate in Pittsburgh.

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ESPN.com reports that the Georgia police offer who took the report the night Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female has decided to resign.

In the same article, ESPN notes that there could also be another victim (which would be the third) of sexual assault involving Big Ben.

Also revealed in the GBI reports released Thursday was the fact investigators wanted to talk with a woman about a separate incident reportedly involving Roethlisberger.

The documents show that after the alleged assault in Milledgeville, a 16-year-old in a youth law enforcement program told authorities he knew about incidents involving Roethlisberger and a friend’s sister.

Authorities repeatedly sought to interview the woman, who is in her early 20s, but she declined. The teen had said he believed the two-time Super Bowl winner twice made unwanted sexual advances toward the woman.

I find it interesting that the police officer that took the first report has decided to resign. Per the article, the officer made derogatory comments about the accuser to other officers the night of the incident and was also photographed a little over a week after the incident with Roethlisberger, who was smiling in the photo. Did the officer resign out of guilt for doing something wrong or was he embarrassed about the photo?

From the very first report until now, I’ve tried hard not to make accusations about what happened the night Big Ben was accused of sexual assault (uh, the second time he was accused of sexual assault). But this entire situation smells like a rotting corpse. Here’s a guy in Roethlisberger that has already been accused once of sexual assault and while wasn’t charged, he somehow managed to put himself right back into a similar situation less than a year later.

How this sewer rat thought that inviting under aged females to a private VIP party in a college bar and getting them all drunk was a smart idea is beyond me. I don’t mean to speculate, but I think he’s incredibly lucky that he has surrounded himself with people that will cover for him. That said, I truly believe that this is one dumb individual, one that will likely put himself in a similar situation down the road. And once he does, let’s hope no one gets hurt and authorities can finally nail him on something. I realize he’s never been charged, but that doesn’t mean he’s innocent.

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From ESPN.com:

In 5oo-plus pages of documents released Wednesday, Nicole Biancofiore told investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations that her friend, a student at Georgia College & State University, “was dragged by a bodyguard to the back room in Capital [City, a local nightclub]. She was extremely intoxicated and not aware of what was happening.”

“He had sex w/me and meanwhile his bodyguards told my friends they couldn’t pass them to get to me,” the accuser wrote in her statement, which was reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The initial police report said that “One of the suspect’s bodyguards escorted her to a back room/hallway area where the suspect was. Once there, she stated, the suspect asked her for sex. At this time it is unclear to what happened after this point due to the complainant’s recollection being foggy from her intoxication level. However, she did write a statement of what she thought happened.”

A third friend, Ann Marie Lubatti, told police, that she “approached the other security guard and told him that she [the accuser] was in no shape to be back there with Ben Roethlisberger. He couldn’t look me in the eye, and told me he didn’t know what was going on. My friend went to open the door, and it was locked.”

It’s hard to sift through all of these reports and get to the facts. Chances are, nobody will know what exactly happened that night, although it sounds like Roethlisberger’s bodyguards have an idea.

I don’t want to jump to conclusions or cast stones, because I wasn’t there the night the incident happened. But it’s apparent that Roethlisberger doesn’t have the intelligence to stay out of these types of situations. While I don’t bemoan him for wanting to celebrate his birthday, there’s absolutely no reason for him and his cronies to be buying under aged women shots in the back of a bar in the middle of a college town.

He’s the freaking quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers – you’re telling me he doesn’t have anywhere more upscale to go? And celebrate with people his own age for that matter? Come on.

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NFL.com reports that the Steelers have held internal discussions and are willing to listen to trade offers for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

According to the source, Steelers ownership remains dismayed and embarrassed by Roethlisberger’s actions in a Georgia college town this offseason and finds his string of off-the-field incidents troubling. The team has been closely monitoring the public backlash against Roethlisberger.

“The Rooneys are livid,” the source said.

The Steelers’ front office has talked internally about possible trade scenarios that could be feasible and what makes sense for the team. According to a source, if other teams called about Roethlisberger, the Steelers would intently listen.

The Steelers could envision several trade scenarios, but they’re skeptical about other teams taking on Roethlisberger, given his baggage. However, they also realize his contract is tradeable in an uncapped year, with the bonuses already paid and Roethlisberger signed for six more years at a manageable salary for a franchise quarterback ($8.05 million in 2010, $11.6 million per year from 2011 to 2014, and $12.1 million in 2015).

The article goes on to say that the Steelers are “enamored” with Sam Bradford, but unless the Rams are willing to trade them the top overall pick then Pittsburgh won’t have the opportunity to draft the Oklahoma product.

It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Steelers are actually willing to trade Big Ben or if they’re just trying to put a scare into him. It’s not like teams can walk into the supermarket and shop for franchise quarterbacks down aisle 10, so Pittsburgh knows the risk it’s taking if it does part with Roethlisberger. It could be a move that essentially changes the dynamics of their franchise and considering he’s only 28, I doubt the Steelers are ready to go down that road right now.

That said, there’s no question that the organization is peeved about this situation. They traded Santonio Holmes for a roll of toilet paper, so clearly they’re not opposed to make bold moves to send a message. While they won’t give up Big Ben for peanuts, if they’re offered fair (or even slightly less than fair) value I think it’s a very real possibility that Roethlisberger’s days in Pittsburgh are numbered.

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Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com tweets that the Steelers are at their “tipping point” with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

This is what Robinson tweeted:

Roethlisberger’s job w/ Steelers could B at tipping point. Source says onslaught of fan discontent over Ben has shaken Pittsburgh ownership.

By tipping point, we can only assume that Robinson meant that the Steelers might make a change. While it still seems likely that Big Ben will be on Pittsburgh’s roster in 2010, maybe the team will start listening to offers for the QB later this month at the draft. If they were to trade Roethlisberger, the Steelers would be left with Charlie Batch and youngster Dennis Dixon.

If the Steelers wanted to punish Big Ben for embarrassing their franchise, they can always send him to Oakland (i.e. the NFL’s equivalent to hell). Either that, or they could always trade him to Buffalo because the odds of him getting in trouble in that city are slim to none. Even T.O. became irrelevant in Buffalo.

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The police have concluded their investigation into the allegations that Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sexually assaulted a 20-year-old woman and have forwarded their findings to the local district attorney.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Milledgeville Police Chief Woodrow W. Blue Jr. today released a statement saying the findings had been sent Tuesday evening to Frederic D. Bright, Ocmulgee Judical Court district attorney.

Mr. Bright will review the findings, consider whether additional investigation and interviews are necessary, and decide whether criminal charges should be filed.

If so, Mr. Bright would take the findings before a grand jury, meaning it could be months before charges, if any, are brought against the Steelers quarterback.

If I had to venture a guess as to what will happen next, I imagine that Big Ben will escape any serious trouble. It seems like there’s a lot of he said, she said involved in this case and it’ll be hard for the DA (or a judge, or a jury) to convict Roethlisberger of anything.

That said, Big Ben’s punishment will come via public embarrassment. This is the second time in the past two years that he has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman and even if he’s not convicted of anything, the Steelers are already leery about the decisions that their franchise quarterback is making off the field. The team is likely having trust issues right now with Roethlisberger and he’s going to have to deal with that whether he’s convicted or not.

Big Ben may dodge a bullet in court, but he’ll have a lot of work to do repairing his imagine in Pittsburgh.

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