Big Ben in trouble again
Talk about the Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault story? OK, if you twist my arm… (Photo: Everyjoe.com)
It’s another ugly story from the world of sports involving sexual assault, and possibly mental illness. Why coverage has been this late to develop is because there is racial bias in media coverage. Ben Roethlisberger is white. If he were black, he’d have been crucified almost immediately. That’s the truth, no matter how much the media denies it. Plus there’s a bias against average Janes vs. superstar male athletes. It’s automatically assumed that the Ben Roethlisberger accuser (Andrea McNulty; see Andrea McNulty photos here) is mentally ill or a gold digger (at least Big Ben’s people are trying to prove the former).
Where’s the truth? We’ll never know for sure
If McNulty has a legitimate case, she deserves justice. However, she isn’t filing a criminal case. She’s filing a civil case against the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. Why is that?
According to Yahoo! Sports by way of the Associated Press, McNulty feared her employer at the time (Harrah’s) would take Ben’s side and fire her. Then she wouldn’t be eligible to receive Pay day loans or secured loans. The incident between herself and Roethlisberger is said to have occurred at the Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Various reports (including TMZ) indicate that Roethlisberger has acknowledged having “consensual” sex with McNulty.
And where are all the stories?
Particularly out of the Steelers camp and on ESPN.com. What? There’s little or no coverage? I wonder how the Steelers’ golden boy with the big arm could avoid suspicion? I wonder why ESPN is chasing this like they did the Michael Vick dog-fighting story? It’s as clear as black and white, I believe. Try to color in some gray where you please, but I’ll call a spade a spade.
This will take months to sort out
Scott Sonner’s Associated Press report indicates that Andrea McNulty has filed a civil suit against Ben Roethlisberger for “raping her last summer in his penthouse hotel room at a casino in Lake Tahoe during a celebrity golf tournament.” Roethlisberger’s attorney denied McNulty’s allegations, but as I’ve said, there are reports that Big Ben has acknowledged a past relationship between the two that may have included consensual sex.
“Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone. The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct,” said his attorney, David Cornwell. “If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated.”
Exonerated of what, exactly?
Exactly? I don’t know. But here’s what has been reported.
Roethlisberger was at Harrah’s in 2008 for a golf tournament. Allegedly, he lured McNulty to his room with a request for her to fix a problem with the television in his room. After determining that the television was working properly, she attempted to leave the room but he blocked her exit. Restraint and uninvited kisses followed according to McNulty, who feared he’d harm her if she fought back. Then the situation escalated to fondling and either rape or consensual sex, depending upon who you ask. McNulty’s hospitalization, according to the suit, was a direct result of the attack.
How much is this kind of pain and suffering truly worth?
Yes, it’s a crass question. There is no dollar amount that’s worth experiencing a sexual assault – if that is indeed what happened here.
In the civil suit, McNulty accuses Harrah’s of trying to cover up the incident. Allegedly, Harrah’s security chief Guy Hyder entered McNulty’s home after obtaining a key from Andrea’s parents while Andrea was hospitalized for either depression or schizophrenia (also alleged). Whether or not this came as the result of a sexual assault is unclear. Andrea McNulty accuses Hyder of erasing information (evidence?) from her computer. Supposedly, Hyder also told her that “most girls would feel lucky to get to have sex with someone like Ben Roethlisberger.”
In total, Ben Roethlisberger’s accuser is seeking at least $440,000 in damages from the quarterback and $50,000 from Harrah’s, as well as unspecified punitive damages “sufficient to deter” Roethlisberger and the others “from engaging in such conduct in the future,” writes Sonner. I wonder how Ben Roethlisberger’s girlfriend is going to take this (Missy Peregrym, who starred in gymnastics film comedy “Stick It”)?
If you’re Ben Roethlisberger and you find you need pay day loans or secured loans (stranger things have happened), you can apply right here. Even if you aren’t Ben, you can apply if you need quick cash in a jiffy!
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