Being a former military man I’m a firm believer in discipline, sometimes to an extent that others might consider it extreme.
In the case of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, perhaps an extreme makeover in the form of boot camp would do the lad some good.
Reading excerpts from the Sports Illustrated article made public yesterday, Roethlisberger is clearly a young man in need of something well beyond a behavioral evaluation.
The time for evaluating Roethlisberger has come and gone.
He’s already taken the baton from past athletes that have run afoul of the law, becoming the poster boy for wealthy young men who have a misguided sense of entitlement.
When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell imposed a six-game suspension on Roethlisberger, it amounted to nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
Like many young men, Roethlisberger may very well be predisposed to doing stupid things. It’s obvious that like many young people, he has no concept of what the word accountability means.
As young men grow older, the life experiences they encounter often bring wisdom and maturity.
Hopefully they learn to be accountable for their actions, understanding that what they do off the field is a direct reflection upon themselves, their teammates and the NFL.
But for a man who will be entering his seventh season with the Steelers, Roethlisberger isn’t very wise and it would appear that he’s more immature now than when he first entered the league.
Perhaps all the heat he’s taken over the past few months has been enough to scare Roethlisberger straight.
The “learn by fear” method is a powerful tool. Learn to do what you’re supposed to do for fear of what might happen if you don’t.
Losing millions of dollars and potentially being booted out of the NFL are consequences that Roethlisberger may indeed experience if he doesn’t get his act together.
If he doesn’t believe that, then he can call Michael Vick.
With a well documented pattern of boorish behavior off the field, eventually those choices he’s made will come back to haunt him, and not just in the form of six-game suspensions either.
At some point, every man has to take personal responsibility for their actions.
It’s not his agent’s job, the Steelers or the NFL to oversee Roethlisberger’s maturation process.
Roethlisberger would be well served to have a serious discussion with the person he sees staring back at him in the mirror.
If he’s incapable of doing that, I know a few drill instructors that would love to have the opportunity to address Roethlisberger’s issues.
