Opinion has varied on Big Ben’s situation. Few want to be seen as supporting Roethlisberger, as violence toward women — most of us agree — is something that cannot be tolerated in a civilized society. Roethlisberger’s alleged actions were at best careless and at worst worthy of criminal charges.
But in each case, no criminal charges were filed, despite thorough investigation by law enforcement agencies.
One of America’s most sacred ideals is that you are considered innocent until you are proven guilty in a court of law. If investigators felt there was not enough evidence available to even press charges, shouldn’t Roethlisberger be considered innocent? And, therefore if he is innocent, why should he be suspended?
The National Football League is looking out for its image.
It’s a complicated issue, but not one that we have to decide here. Unless the Steelers punish Roethlisberger by trading him to the Carolina Panthers, he will likely remain out of the radar of local concern.
But the situation reminds us of a Pickens County native who was punished despite being cleared by a court of law.
“Shoeless” Joe Jackson was accused of being part of the conspiracy to throw the 1919 World Series.
At the time baseball players were very poorly paid. Many chose to stay home and compete in textile leagues, where more opportunities existed to earn a decent wage. Several players of the Chicago White Sox accepted money to “fix” the series by intentionally making mistakes, assuring that the Cincinnati Reds would upset the White Sox.
Who knows what really happened. One story is that Jackson, who was illiterate, first accepted money from players organizing the fix, then threw the money in their faces when he realized what they wanted him to do.
One thing is certain: If Joe Jackson was trying to throw the series, he did not do a good job of it.
He led all batters with a .375 average. In those pre-Babe Ruth days, home runs were rare. But Jackson hit the only one in the 1919 series.
He had 12 hits in the series. Only three players have topped that mark in the history of baseball. Bobby Richardson (1964), Lou Brock (1968) and Marty Barrett (1986) each had 13 hits in a World Series.
When criminal charges were filed against the conspirators, Jackson was found not guilty.
Despite that, new baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Jackson from baseball for life.
Technically, Jackson was to never play the game he loved again. Of course, textile and semi-pro leagues were happy to allow Jackson to play, although he often used assumed names. He and his wife eventually purchased a liquor store in Greenville. He spent his spare time working with young players in Pickens and Greenville counties.
One of those young people was Easley’s Joe Anders, a man who still represents unquestionable integrity. He says that Joe Jackson was innocent, and that’s good enough for me.
Apparently Jackson’s “lifetime ban” did not mean his lifetime, as Jackson died in 1951, yet remains ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite owning the third-highest lifetime batting average in baseball history.
Obviously, he was banned for the life of the game of baseball.
So Big Ben should probably serve his suspension for however many games it turns out to be, and simply stay quiet about the matter. In the future, he should avoid putting himself in such situations and realize that in another time with another sport, an innocent man lost everything due to speculation.
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