Steelers-Broncos Monday Night Football Preview and Prediction

Editor’s Note: AJ Kaufman’s weekly MNF coverage on MSF is sponsored by Sadler’s Smokehouse, a producer of premium pit smoked meats that are best described by Sadler’s slogan: Legendary since 1948.

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

With a variety of delicious choices (beef, pork, ribs, turkey, brisket, and more) and availability at grocery stores throughout the U.S., Sadler’s meats are the tasty, convenient choice when you want to watch the big game and eat well while you’re doing it.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Pulled Pork Stew

Visit the Sadler’s Smokehouse website: Sadler’s Smokehouse

… Continue Reading

NFL Power Rankings: Week 9 (It’s Not Unusual to Have the Saints at #1…)

Another great week of NFL action: the Colts won (but looked human), the Saints continue to roll, and the Giants continue to spiral out of control.

It seems like every week brings more drama to the stage during what has been a very exciting season thus far that we are now halfway through.

One thing is for sure….THE REDSKINS DIDN’T LOSE THIS WEEK! (But the Browns did!)

[Editor's Note: There you go dick Myles. Keep rubbing salt in the wound jackass buddy. Keep kicking Browns fans when they're down you no talent ass clown my friend.

I can't wait until Peyton Manning retires and your one-man franchise returns to sucking and all of its fair-weather fans go away.  Go ahead, shake your head. But you know it's true.]

Now, onto this week’s Power Rankings.

… Continue Reading

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

With a another very interesting week of NFL Football in the books, the Power Rankings have decided to be like Elvis for Halloween this week….they’re “All Shook Up”.

O.K., that was terrible, but on a more serious note, it was a very interesting week with a lot of changes in the rankings. Take a look and comment; tell me what YOU think!

[Editor's note: I'll tell you what I think right now. How in the hell can you drop the Saints below the Colts after NO showed the heart of a champion on the road this past Sunday? Oh wait, that's right...I forgot that you live in Indianapolis. Never mind. Makes perfect sense. "All shook up" indeed...]

… Continue Reading

NFL Power Rankings: Top 15 for Week 6

Another interesting week of NFL football and it’s time to see how the top 15 teams in the NFL stack up.

It should come as no surprise that last week’s top two stayed in the same spots this weekend.

(Hint: both teams have Archie Manning’s sons calling the signals!)

After the jump, check out my current top 15 and then chime in with your comments/disagreements in the comment section.

… Continue Reading

Steelers-Lions Preview and Prediction

Okay, I know everyone is saying to themselves that this game is pretty much lopsided, and that Detroit’s D will have trouble stopping the Ben-and-Mendenhall combo this Sunday.

I also know that everyone is saying that Matthew Stafford’s passes (if he plays) will be looked at as if they were some juicy steaks by the Steelers secondary.

Well for all of you out there who believe this…you are absolutely right.

… Continue Reading

Willie Parker Out vs Lions, Rashard Mendenhall Gets His Chance

According to numerous sources, Steelers HB Willie Parker will be out again this week against the Detroit Lions. Willie Parker’s toe still does not seem to be at 100% like Tomlin wants.

In place of Parker, Steelers HB Rashard Mendenhall will get a second start, and a much deserved second start indeed.

… Continue Reading

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings

This week, we have our first ever tie in the Power Rankings. I had a real tough decision choosing who would be first and who would be second so there is a tie for first place.

T-1. New York Giants (Last 6 [+5])

Ok, so Archie Manning must be sitting at home smiling at both of his boys who will tie for 1^st in Big MB’s Power Rankings for Week 5.

Obviously, the Giants don’t miss Plaxico Burress one bit. The G-men’s destruction of Kansas City only showcased Manning and his receivers. Smith and Manningham continue to impress and Brandon Jacobs is the beast of the NFC East. Next week is a HUGE NFC power game as the Saints come to town.

[Editor's Note: it's Big MB writing this column...any guess who the other 4-0 team is that he has tied for first? It shouldn't take more than one...]

… Continue Reading

Willie Parker Injury Update and Week 4 Status: Out Sunday Night v Chargers

This just in:

According to ESPN’s James Walker, the latest injury update on Willie Parker of the Pittsburgh Steelers will almost surely be out for tonight’s game against the San Diego Chargers.

Parker has not practiced the last few days because of an injured toe, and players who don’t practice rarely play for the Steelers.

… Continue Reading

Big MB’s NFL Power Rankings, Week 4

[Editor's note: Today we introduce a new weekly feature here at MSF, courtesy of Big MB, our soon-to-be renowned NFL expert and already renowned teller of "this".

Every week around this time, Big MB will be checking in with his NFL Power Rankings. He goes 1-15 and gives you the low down on the NFL's best teams.

Bold prediction: the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins will not be making it into Big MB's first list.

Find out after the jump.]

… Continue Reading

Steelers-Bears Preview and Prediction

The first week of football was a gift to football fans. We saw many exciting and close games. This week we might have another game with just as much as drama and excitement.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Chicago Bears in Chicago, and what makes this one a must watch is to see how both teams’ defenses play without their defensive captains. The Bears are going to have to play without middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, and the Steelers are without Troy Polamalu.

With both teams not having their main man on defense, the QBs could have big games this Sunday.

Here are the particulars for this Sunday’s matchup:

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) at Chicago Bears (0-1)

• Steelers-Bears Date: Sunday, September 20
• Steelers-Bears Time: 4:15
• Steelers-Bears TV Network: CBS
• Steelers-Bears Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Steelers-Bears Point Spread: Steelers -3.5
• Steelers-Bears Over-Under: 37.5
• StubHub: Steelers-Bears tickets as low as $130!

The Bears are coming off a very tough loss to the Packers, in which Jay Cutler threw four interceptions, but I see Cutler rebounding against this now weaker Steelers defense.

Despite the plethora of picks, Cutler’s day wasn’t all bad. He did connect with Hester for a touchdown, and he also connected with Johnny Knox. The throw to Knox was just beautiful, and it’s the Cutler I would like to see more of moving forward. The Bears have their work cut out for them again as they go against, arguably, the best defense in the NFL.

But are the Steelers that good without Polamalu?

My guess is yes.

This is still the dominant Steelers defense we saw last year win the Super Bowl. They will be very tough, but that doesn’t mean they are invincible.

The Bears’ defense can help the offense by playing well and making sure the Steelers defense doesn’t get much rest. Every defense needs rest, and one way to upset a good defense is to limit their rest time. The defense will be slower and that’s exactly what the Bears hope happens because that means Hester will be able to run all over the defense.

The Steelers, in the opener last Thursday, didn’t have much of a running game going on. They might not have to do much running this weekend if they can exploit the Bears pass defense. The Bears’ pass defense didn’t look bad last Sunday, but it still their weakest point. Nathan Vasher still gets beat every time he gets the ball thrown his way. I think he is a bust, but the coaches haven’t seen that yet.

My overall thought about this game is that the Steelers have the advantage, and for obvious reasons. They are the returning champions, they have a better defense, better coaching, better play calling, and a more consistent QB. With all these factors adding up, I don’t see the Bears winning this game.

But hey, prove me wrong Bears. I hope you do.

Knee-Jerk Fantasy Observation: Trade Fast Willie Parker If You Can…Fast

Ladies and gentleman, we are one game into the NFL and fantasy football seasons and I am already issuing my first mea culpa.

In my Week 1 Start Em-Sit Em column from earlier this week, I recommended Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker, seen at your left getting flattened by a throng of Titans, as a solid play against Tennessee in the Thursday night season opener.

My reasoning certainly sounded good to me at the time, but after Parker’s 13 carry, 19 yard performance last night…I feel a little bit like Nick Nolte’s mugshot. 

Follow the link to StubHub for great deals on NFL tickets.

After citing Parker’s strong start to the 2008 season, plus his solid return immediately after a midseason injury, this is what I wrote:

I think Pittsburgh and coach Mike Tomlin will want to establish their running game early in the 2009 season and will take advantage of Parker’s fresh legs to do so. You may want to think about trading Fast Willie after Week 3 or 4, because he tends to wind down, but this is a week to take advantage of having him on your roster.

I was right on the first part. The Steelers tried to establish the run, and they tried to establish power running between the tackles. The problem is that running between the tackles is not Willie Parker’s forte, nor is it something he seems all that excited about doing. Add to that the fact that the Steelers are struggling along the offensive line and, well, 13 carries for 19 yards seems like a pretty reasonable outcome.

But now comes this update on Willie Parker, from Pro Football Talk:

In the wake of Thursday night’s regular-season opener, we’re hearing that the sun could soon be setting on Parker’s tenure as the team’s go-to tailback.

The scuttlebutt in the wake of the Week One game is that Parker seems to be reluctant to run between the tackles.  

That’s not the best way to start a contract year.

Florio explains that because of Parker’s growing reluctance and inability to be a between-the-tackles runner, the Steelers may soon turn to Rashard Mendenhall Mewelde Moore as their feature back. That’s right, the Steelers’ 2008 1st round pick Rashard Mendenhall may not even be the guy to fill in for Parker if he’s replaced.

How soon before we can officially label Mendenall a bust? (Perhaps we should ask this guy his opinion first…)

But getting back to Parker, from a fantasy standpoint this is clearly not good news. The following article by Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports echoes many of the growing number of real-life and fantasy concerns about Willie Parker.

The Steelers were able to eek out a victory last night with Ben Roethlisberger throwing for over 300 yards, but they still only produced 13 points. Granted, Tennessee has a strong defense — and may not skip a beat without Albert Haynesworth — but the Steelers want to control the ball and the clock. Less than two yards per carry and an aversion to inside running is not going to get that done.

So my advice to Willie Parker fantasy owners: float some trade offers, and do it right now. Some more astute owners in your league will shoot you down immediately, and with good reason. But there may be other owners who a) like to stockpile backs, b) who owned Parker a couple of years ago, or c) who give the Titans’ D a lot of credit and consider last night’s performance an anomaly.

The other option is to wait until after Week 6 to trade Parker. The Steelers face the Lions and Browns back-to-back in weeks 5 and 6. Whoever is running the ball for the Steelers will no doubt have success in those two games. If it’s still Parker toting the rock full-time, his value could increase. The risk you run is that he may already have been relegated to third down duty by then, at which point he would be nothing more than waiver wire fodder.

If you can find an owner right now with a void at running back who was high on Parker in the preseason — and there were some out there — see what you can get in return. You may not get exactly what you want, but it may be your only way to salvage value for Parker before he’s lost his starting job for good.

**********

* – Willie Parker photo credit: Reuters via DayLife

Troy Polamalu Injury Update: Likely Out 3-6 Weeks With MCL Sprain

The Pittsburgh Steelers successfully began their defense of the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl last night against Tennessee, winning 13-10 in overtime.

The victory was not without its downsides, however.

Troy Polamalu, the Steelers’ defensive backfield dynamo, sprained his MCL when a Titans player fell on his leg during the scrum that occurred after Steelers’ DE Aaron Smith blocked a Rob Bironas field goal attempt. Prior to the injury, Polamalu had already registered six first half tackles and an interception.

Pro Football Talk reports that Mike Tomlin speculated during his post game press conference that Polamalu will likely have to miss 3-6 weeks. Tomlin was not certain, and we should know more today after Polamalu has been more fully examined, but 3-6 weeks is the typical recovery time for MCL sprains.

I will update this post if we learn anything new later this afternoon.

Follow the links to StubHub for great deals on Pittsburgh Steelers tickets and all 2009 NFL tickets.

For the Steelers, any extended time lost for Polamalu would obviously be troublesome. While Pittsburgh seems to be able to replace linebackers with relative ease from one season to the next, Polamalu is the one truly irreplaceable player on their defense because of his peerless instincts and superb athleticism. He is one of a handful of defensive players in the NFL who is truly capable of making a game-changing play on every snap.

If you have the Steelers’ D in fantasy, losing Polamalu clearly hurts their value from the standpoint of being a weekly TD threat. Still, the Steelers have Dick LeBeau and enough other solid veteran players to remain a top-3 defense with or without Polamalu.

In leagues that use individual defensive players, Polamalu owners will have to adjust for what looks like at least a month. Typically, IDPs are relatively interchangeable, but Polamalu is one of the few guys I’d actually consider stashing on my bench if I could afford to do so. Luckily there are no byes to deal with over the next three weeks.

If you can find a way to keep Polamalu and still field a full, healthy roster of players, do it. Obviously if you need a QB, RB, or WR to complete your lineup, Polamalu might have to to go. Hopefully he’ll slip through the cracks for you and can be re-claimed down the line.

**********

* – Troy Polamalu photo credit: Sportsocracy.org

LOTD: Why The Pittsburgh Steelers and Their Fans Suck

[Editor's note: This post is dedicated to Ryan Russell and Nick Gerlach.]

Hands down on the best running series in the sports blogosphere is Drew Magary’s incomparable Why Your Team sucks series at Deadspin. No, it is not the kind of material that I would ever forward to my mom or dad to read…but that is precisely what makes it so sublime.

Here is the description that opens up every one of these posts, to give you an idea of their purpose: “Some people are fans of the [insert team name]. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the [insert team name]. This 2009 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group.”

Today, Drew finished off the series by regaling Deadspin readers with funny, sophomoric, and expletive-filled prose describing the many ways why the Pittsburgh Steelers, their fans, and their city unequivocally suck.

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and it is today’s link of the day.

Why Your Team Sucks: Pittsburgh Steelers — (Drew Magary via Deadspin)

6. The Steel Curtain is the worst metaphor ever. They’re curtains. They either open in the center, or they can be drawn upwards to allow you to pass through. That is the function of a curtain. It doesn’t matter what material it’s made from: steel, adamantium, chiffon. ALL CURTAINS ARE EASILY PENETRATED SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE DESIGNED THAT WAY. Call it the Steel Wall. Or the Steel Monolith. Call it something that connotes impenetrability. A curtain intimidates no one…

And then there is this, from the smorgasboard of write-in comments included at the end of each Why Your Team Sucks post. This guy is definitely a Browns fan:

Dave V.:

So many Pittsburgh fans are from Ohio, and they are the biggest bandwagon fans in the world. These troglodytes have never even been to Pennsylvania, and yet they adorn their overweight, uneducated bodies with gaudy yellow and black, and call themselves true Steeler fans.

Also published today where the Why Your Team Sucks posts for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. Both of these are equally, if not moreso, hilarious as well as surprisingly insightful.

And that we have that out of the way, onto the rest of today’s links.

Sports:

• Allen Iverson meets with Memphis Grizzlies — (MoonDog)
• Mark May wears ridiculous ties to honor the ridiculous things he says — (Sports Hernia)
• The best signs from the first college football Saturday of the year — (College Game Balls)
• Another vote for Chris Carpetner for NL Cy Young Award — (But The Game Is On)
• Apple gets free advertising at new Cowboys Stadium — (Sports By Brooks)
• Bears’ depth chart proves flowers more important than skill — (Not Qualified to Comment)
• David Thompson to present Michael Jordan and HOF induction — (Yahoo! Sports)
• Why your team sucks: Cleveland Browns — (Drew Magary at Deadspin)
• Early look at Bears-Packers — (i94 Sports)
• The Week That Was in College Football — (Sparty and Friends)
• Good, classy move by Daunte Culpepper — (Pro Football Talk)
• BYU students go crazy after OU win — (Busted Coverage)
• Random Retro Cubs: Scott Sanderson — (The Friendly Blogfines)

Non-Sports:

• 15 people who should never be allowed to dance — (Hail Mary Jane)
• Dad’s rants become a Twitter hit — (WSJ about @shitmydadsays)

**********

* – Hilariously-named “Randy Beefsmith” photo credit: The Sports Hernia

Steelers-Titans Thursday Night Football Preview and Prediction

In case football fans needed anything else to get them warmed up for the 2009 season, Miami and Florida State engaged in an epic battle last night that came down to the final play. The U ended up stealing one at Doak Campbell Stadium — and, by the way, did anyone else come away really impressed with Graig Cooper? — putting an exciting capper on a solid first week of college football action.

This week, the big boys get added to the football queue, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans kicking off the 2009 NFL season on Thursday night.

Tell me that you aren’t just a little more excited this Tuesday than you’ve been on Tuesdays over the past few months. A little over 48 hours, that’s all we have to wait.

Before we delve into any matchups, here are all of the particulars that you need to know for the Steelers-Titans NFL season opener, courtesy of our MSF NFL Week 1 Preview and TV Schedule:

Tennessee Titans (0-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0)

• Titans-Steelers Date: Thursday, September 10th
• Titans-Steelers TV & Kickoff Time: 8:30 ET on NBC
• Titans-Steelers Location: Heinz Field in Pittsburgh
• Titans-Steelers Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Titans-Steelers Point Spread: PIT -5.5 (as of 8/8 via DocSports’ NFL Odds)
• Titans-Steelers Over-Under: 35
• Injury Report: NFL.com Injuries
• StubHub: Steelers-Titans ticketsas low as $170.
• TickCo: Steelers-Titans tickets as low as $190.
• RazorGator: Steelers-Titans tickets as low as $195.
• TicketsNow: Steelers-Titans tickets as low as $169.

(Note: the low prices cited about for tickets are as of Tuesday, September 8th. This could obviously change between now and gameday.)

So, now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about what to watch for and see if we can tease out a prediction that we feel comfortable with.

First, let’s take a quick look at how these teams compared statistically in 2008 (all Titans-Steelers stats courtesy of NFL.com):

• Total Offense: Tennessee – 313.6 (21st) | Pittsburgh – 311.9 (22nd)
• Rushing O: Tennessee – 137.4 (7th) | Pittsburgh – 104.6 (23rd)
• Passing O: Tennessee – 176.2 (27th) | Pittsburgh – 206.3 (17th)
• Total Defense: Tennessee – 293.6 (7th) | Pittsburgh – 237.2 (1st)
• Rushing D: Tennessee – 93.9 (6th) | Pittsburgh – 80.2 (2nd)
• Passing D: Tennessee – 199.8 (9th) | Pittsburgh – 156.9 (1st)

Quite obviously we can see that these two teams were led by their defenses in 2008. So you would think that their one matchup was probably pretty low scoring right? That the Titans’ vaunted 1-2 rushing punch of Chris Johnson and LenDale White probably struggled mightily against the 3.3 yard per carry average the Steelers’ D held opponents to last year, right?

Well, that’s not quite what happened. The Titans won their Week 16 matchup against the Steelers last year 31-14 on their way to the #1 overall seed in the AFC playoffs. Chris Johnson and LenDale White carried 31 times for 117 yards (3.8 yard average) and scored 2 TDs. So while the Steelers did hold the Titans to 20 yards below their season average rushing the ball, the Titans were effective enough on the ground to win.

If you just looked at the stats, without knowing the outcome, you might actually think Pittsburgh won the game. The time of possession was even, Pittsburgh outgained Tennessee 374-322, and Pittsburgh converted 46% of their third downs compared to only 21% for Tennessee.

So what the hell happened?

As is often the case in the NFL: turnovers.

Ben Roethlisberger threw two INTs and and also fumbled four times, losing two of them. Tennessee, on the other hand, did not turn the ball over once. Add to that the fact that Pittsburgh carried the ball 25 times for 73 yards, and it balances the scales a bit and makes the Titans’ romp (21-7 in the second half) a little more understandable.

But as we all know, the Titans flamed out in the playoffs while the Steelers righted the ship and did not lose again, all the way through the Super Bowl.

What can we expect this year between the Titans and Steelers in their regular season matchup? I think it will be a game very similar to last year, except that that Steelers will be more protective of the ball, will be at home, and will squeeze out a victory as they begin their defense of Super Bowl #6.

A couple quick reasons why I think the Steelers will win:

1 – Ben Roethlisberger has had another hellish offseason and no doubt wants to put it all behind him and just start making plays on Sunday again.  The Titans present a formidable matchup, as they are still very sound defensively even without Albert Haynesworth, but I don’t think Ben turns the ball over four times.

2 – Heinz Field is not an easy to place to come into and steal a win.  The Steelers were 6-2 at home last year with their losses coming to the Giants and Colts. On Thursday night, I think the Heinz Field will be an especially tough place to play. The towels will be waving, the energy level will be extra high, and the Steelers will no doubt be immensely fired up to begin their title defense. I have a lot of faith in Mike Tomlin, despite my hatred for the Steelers, and am not picking against he and the Steelers at home in the team’s first game since winning the Super Bowl.

3 – Willie Parker’s yard per carry average has dropped each of the last three seasons, plummeting all the way to 3.8 yards per carry last season. He does, however, usually play well in the first game of the season or in his first game after a long break.

Case in point: last year Willie Parker had 138 yards on 25 attempts in Week 1 against Houston. He followed that up with 105 yards on 28 attempts against the Browns. Then he got hurt, missed four games, and over his next two starts carried the ball 46 times for 185 yards.

Clearly, Parker is at a stage in his career where he gets worn down when used consistently. The Steelers have already said they will use Rashard Mendenhall more to spell Parker, plus it’s only Week 1…so he can’t worn out yet. Contrary to what happened in Week 16 last year, I think a fresh Willie Parker allows the Steelers to run the ball for better than a 2.9 yard average this year.

Also, I think the Titans will struggle to clear the 100 yard mark on the ground Thursday night. I have Chris Johnson in a bunch of fantasy leagues, so I hope I’m wrong, but that Steelers D is going to be fired up and ready to make a statement that their dominance of 2008 will continue in 2009. Teams will have to wait until later in the season, when the Steelers are a little bit beaten up, to get any traction on the ground. And while the Titans brought in former Steelers Nate Washington to provide a deep threat, the Titans WRs and Kerry Collins’ ancient arm do not inspire me.

I do think that this will be a close, hard-fought game all the way through. However, the 4th quarter will be owned by Pittsburgh, I think Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu will come through big plays late (like they always seem to), and the Steelers will pull away down the stretch. 

If I were a betting man I’d take the Steelers and give the points. I’m not, so I’ll just sit back Thursday night and enjoy the first game of what should be another awesome 17 weeks of regular season NFL football.

**********

* – James Harrison / Chris Johnson photo credit: Getty images via ESPN.com

* – Mike Tomlin photo credit: LifesAboutADream.com

Specific Details Emerge of Sexual Assault Complaint Against Ben Roethlisberger

Late last night, Pro Football Talk broke the story that Ben Roethlisberger was being sued by a woman named Andrea McNulty in Nevada for sexual assault. Most everyone has probably heard the story by now, but here are some background links in case you need to get caught up:

• Roethlisberger gets sued in Nevada — (PFT)
• Roethlisberger denies civil allegations of sexual assault — (PFT)
• In Roethlisberger case, it’s important to keep an open mind — (PFT)

The latest report by PFT contains a recap of the sexual assault complaint filed by McNulty.  As Florio explains, it contains extraordinarily detailed descriptions that prove one of two things: either the event occurred and Roethlisberger in some serious hot water; or, that the accuser has an extremely active imagination.  Numerous blogs I’ve read have compared this case to the Kobe Bryant sexual assault story and trial that broke a few years back, and those comparisons certainly seem apt…whether the outcome is similar remains to be seen.

Here is an excerpt from PFT’s report, detailing the sexual assault complaint that McNulty filed against Roethlisberger:

McNulty claims that, when she arrived at the room, he was wearing a T-shirt and athletic shorts.  She adds, for no apparent reason other than to show the clarity of her recollection, that the room was a mess.

Roethlisberger showed her the television that was malfunctioning, located in suite’s bedroom.  Using the remote, she determined that there was no problem with the television or the sound system.

She claims that, as she tried to leave the room, Roethlisberger blocked her path, and that he “grabbed [her] and started to kiss her.”

She claims that she was “shocked and stunned that this previously friendly man, that appeared to be a gentleman in her previous contacts with him was suddenly preventing her from leaving, was assaulting and battering her.” 

PFT’s report goes on to discuss how McNulty claims she told Roethlisberger that he “did not want to do this” and that she was not on birth control, to which he allegedly replied that he would “pull out”, which she claims he did.  After the altercation, Big Ben allegedly became concerned by the fact that there were cameras in the room, which leads to this statement: “If anyone asks you, you fixed my television,” he allegedly said.  “You fixed my television.  Now go!”

As always, it is important to note in cases like this that Roethlisberger’s representatives have denied the charges wholeheartedly.  Additionally, this is a civil suit and not a criminal investigation.  I’ve seen no report stating that a criminal investigation is impending either.

It is easy to jump to conclusions in cases such as these, but doing so would be wholly inappropriate.  We’ve seen cases such as these where athletes were indeed guilty, and we’ve also seen cases in which athletes are victims of money- and/or fame-hungry women.  So the best bet for everyone, in the interest of fairness, is to consume the information that is being reported but withhold judgment until each party is able to state their case publicly and in a court of law.

And a court of law certainly seems to be the place where this case is headed.

Update: Just caught this post over at TMZ that discusses the fact that Roethlisberger’s accuser has been seeing a psychiatrist recently.  The post includes the following bizarre background information on Andrea McNulty:

Sources connected with the case tell us a former co-worker of McNulty’s at Harrah’s came forward with this incredible story — that around the time McNulty hooked up with Roethlisberger, she was allegedly involved with a married man. The man’s wife, we’re told, created an email account, posing as a U.S. soldier in Iraq. The wife began corresponding with McNulty to gain information. We’re told the former co-worker has said McNulty fell in love with the fictitious soldier and began telling people she was engaged to him. When the wife stopped the correspondence, McNulty then began telling people the soldier was killed in action.

The TMZ report also says that sources have informed them that Roethlisberger has admitted to a “sexual liaison” but that it was consensual.  Here is Florio’s take on the TMZ report.

Update: TMZ has also now posted pictures of Andrea McNulty.