The Pittsburgh Steelers fans over at our Steelers blog called Behind the Steel Curtain don't seem to like my opinion on Ben Roethlisberger's reliability. That's expected. I'm an Indiana Pacers fan, and I defended Ron Artest after he went into the stands in Detroit and kicked the crap out of every fan there. As a sports fan, you are reluctant to get rid of your own favorite player, no matter how stupid that player acts. My opinion regarding Artest in 2004 was wrong. The Pacers should have ditched him sooner, and Steelers fans will also wish Art Rooney ditched Roethlisberger after this latest screw up. Ben now states that he'll wear a helmet, but that means he's still riding.
Oh, and he's still not wearing a knee brace in a practice or at games either.
In other news, the Colts have locked up DE Robert Mathis to a five-year deal, terms not disclosed. Mathis is one of the best pass rushers in football. He and Freeney are the best in the league at getting to the QB and creating turnovers. The next step is locking up Freeney, who seems to want quarterback-like money. If the Colts can't lock up Freeney this offseason, they wil franchise him next year. This is why the Colts let Edgerrin James leave. If they had signed him to the kind of contract Edge got with Arizona, the Colts would not have been able to re-sign Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis, to say nothing of locking up Freeney.
But pesky little details like this will never get in the way of moron journalists saying the Colts let Edge walk for nothing. Journalists like Don Pierson of NBC sports. I posted a diary on Pierson's article regarding the Colts. The article was brought to my attention by Tuna Helper and Terry over at BTB. In short, Pierson's article is complete crap. The diary spells out why. Please read it.
Finally, ESPN has a Father's Day tribute article dedicated to Tony Dungy. It's a rare good piece from writer Michael Smith, a man so biased towards the Patriots he makes ESPN's The Sports Guy look tame. Still, Michael writes a very moving article about Dungy and his family. He touches on the death of James Dungy, and how the family has coped since the tragedy. It's a good read for Father's Day.
Side note: Father's Day is usually a pretty rough holiday for me. I lost my father when I was in my teens. For you folks out there that have lost parents, and holidays like Father's Day hit you in that soft spot, that lost feeling does feel lonely, but you are by no means alone. Happy Father's Day.