Big Ben Has Swelled Head?

[HoosierCat]

interesting note from the profootballtalk.com guys...wouldn't surprise me a bit if it's true...

BEN TOO BIG FOR HIS BRITCHES?

A league source tells us that the Steelers are becoming concerned that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's ego is "out of control" in the wake of his unexpectedly solid rookie season.

Roethlisberger, the eleventh overall pick in the 2004 draft, took over the offense when Tommy Maddox was injured in Week Two against the Ravens.  Roethlisberger didn't lose a start until the AFC championship game against New England and Bill Belichick, when Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt inexplicably (in our opinion) abandoned the running game and put the game in the rookie's hands -- against one of the greatest defensive masterminds of all time.

And it was in the wake of Roethlisberger's only loss of the season that concerns began to develop.  Ben and Cowher traded dueling sound bites regarding whether Roethlisberger played the game with broken toes.  Roethlisberger claimed the toes were busted; Cowher said Ben's toes were fine.

More recently, the team has expressed concern regarding Roethlisberger's habit of riding a motorcycle sans helmet.  But Ben has ignored requests that he either stop riding the bike -- or that he start putting a protective device on his closely-shaven grill.

Folks inside the building have taken notice of Roethlisberger's conduct.  "He's shown up his head coach several times," said the source.

Roethlisberger's attitude, we're told, is something that arose after he became the hottest young quarterback in the league.  "The kid was okay when he came out [of college]," said the source, "but now after one year he acts he's like Terry Bradshaw around everybody -- the media, the staff, team doctors, et cetera."

The source's advice for Roethlisberger?

"Stop acting like Joe Gilliam if you want to be one tenth the quarterback Bradshaw was."

[Kazkal]

More of a reason Palmer > Big Ben,

He's a good QB no doubt but his team is what went 15-1 not him.

[andybren]

I read somewhere that the reason they let Plaxico go was that he was too close to Ben and they were re-writing plays for each other. So trouble is definitely afoot in the 'Burgh.

[Arizona]

Are players getting more annoying with time or are we just getting more information through the internet than ever before? It seems like every time I turn around, somebody else is acting like an ass.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Are players getting more annoying with time or are we just getting more information through the internet than ever before? It seems like every time I turn around, somebody else is acting like an ass.

I think it's an "internet" thing Arizona. An overload of data and information at your fingertips isn't always a good thing. Especially if you're a football crazed individual in the offseason!

[membengal]

Are players getting more annoying with time or are we just getting more information through the internet than ever before? It seems like every time I turn around, somebody else is acting like an ass.

Well, the internet and the fact that players didn't used to ask for $50 million dollars signing bonuses...

[schweinhart]

Just keep Big Ben in the pocket and that swelled head should take care of itself.

[BengalPappaw]

IMO Pollack and the other Bengals' pass rusher will let the air out of that "Swelled head".

[Defender]

IMO Pollack and the other Bengals' pass rusher will let the air out of that "Swelled head".

Whether or not he's got a swollen head right now, he's going to have a few other things swollen throughout the course of the season...not to mention bruised and broken... :player:

[Bobcat Bengal]

We sure humbled his ass at PBS.

Dem dar JawJuh boyz will get at 'em.

[HoosierCat]

another rumor from pft...

COWHER PLANNING TO KNOCK BEN DOWN A PEG

Word around the league is that Steelers coach Bill Cowher plans to get "into the ass" of Ben Roethlisberger during training camp in an effort to knock the quarterback down by a peg or two.

As one league source said, the overriding hope is that "some of that air will be let out of [Roethlisberger's] f--king zeppelin head."

We recently reported that Roethlisberger is causing some concern in the 'Burgh with his propensity to engage in sound bite battles with Coach Chin.  They've debated whether he had broken toes during the AFC title game loss to the Pats, and they've more recently sparred regarding Ben's decision to ride a motorcycle sans helmet.

(Borrowing from an old Seinfeld bit, does it make sense to force a head to protect itself where that head is too stupid to figure out on its own that it needs to protect itself?)

Anyway, look for Roethlisberger to get a rude awakening from the guy who has been coaching the Steelers since Ben was ten years old.  With seven months to break down tape from his stellar rookie season, opposing defenses will be prepared to confuse and frustrate Roethlisberger all season long, so it makes sense for Cowher to confuse and frustrate him as much as possible, as soon as possible.

[tmurda]

More of a reason Palmer >  Big Ben,

He's a good QB no doubt but his team is what went 15-1 not him.

Yeah... the kid really needs a wake-up call if he thinks he is the reason for their success. He had a very lackluster second half of the season and a terrible playoff performance in which the rest of the team was carrying the load, not him. He must be pretty oblivious to not recognize that.

Preferably that wakeup call comes in the form of some serious pummeling by the Bengals' D. Although, we won't be the first to get at him... Big Ben gets to meet the Patriots again on Week 3.

About the PFT rumor, the last paragraph is spot on. Ben is going to see a drop in his performance this year, because the good defenses and defensive coordinators he plays are going to have his number and know how to beat him. He will be a good QB (if he deflates his head, that is... I don't see a massive ego helping him improve as a player or helping his team win any championships), but this year he is going to take a step back.

[CP#9]

I think the only thing that make "BIG BEN" who he is....... Is there receivers and "The Bus" look how many time Bettis had to clean up. Ben is over rated thats for sure. I think that the way he played towards the end of last season is how he will play this season which wasn't all that good!

[CBin2k7]

I wonder how big of a head Big Ben would have if Doug Brien would have made one of those field goals and Ben cost his team the game with those INT's

[bengalboomer7]

Just remember this, when a team wins usually the QB and the coach get too much credit, and when a team loses usually the QB and the coach get too much blame.

Since I believe in Karma, I say Cheeseburger will be ordered up with fries, a shake, and a swolled ass!

[BengalszoneBilly]

Preferably that wakeup call comes in the form of some serious pummeling by the Bengals' D. Although, we won't be the first to get at him... Big Ben gets to meet the Patriots again on Week 3.

Good point Mr. Murda. If the Steelers go out and win this game, that spells trouble for our Bengals. I personally do not see this happening, but you never know, especially with the Steelers! Who here saw them accomplishing what they did last season? NOBODY DID!!

[schweinhart]

Just heard Joey Porter on the Network with his thoughts about Big Ben.

"He needs a good punkin' just to bring him back down to reality."

[AMC]

BIG BEN = OVERRATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good running game and defense goes along way!

He beat out Tommy Maddox?!?!?!? LOOK OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Harry Taters]

Are players getting more annoying with time or are we just getting more information through the internet than ever before? It seems like every time I turn around, somebody else is acting like an ass.

more info is available. most of it is bs or half true.

[SWATFan]

"Stop acting like Joe Gilliam if you want to be one tenth the quarterback Bradshaw was."

I am intrigued by this quote - Gilliam was that black quarterback who was with the Steelers, right? Does this mean that Gilliam walked around with an inflated ego?

[HoosierCat]

had to dig this thread up again...another item from the gossip site...

THE 'BURGH'S LOVE/HATE WITH BIG BEN

A little over four years ago, yours truly inadvertently triggered a blow-up from coach Bill Cowher with a report that Steelers players weren't too fond of the attitude of then-starter Kordell Stewart, and that they preferred the performance of newly-arrived backup Tommy Maddox.

Fourteen months later, Maddox was the starter -- and Kordell had a pine-seat layover on his journey out of town.

When asked about the story during an August 2001 press conference, Cowher took issue with the fact that it was attributed to unnamed sources.  "Let me say this.  I am not going to sit here and have people . . . hide behind names.  It's really a detriment to you people out there.  When you people give credence to things like that, it makes me sick.  It really does."

To our knowledge, we haven't provoked a similar response from Cowher since then.

So what the hell?  Let's give it another shot.

For months, we've noticed a curious phenomenon in the 'Burgh.  The fans love quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  The organization coddles him.  The local media (for the most part) won't criticize him.

And, per multiple league sources, many of his teammates hate him.

That's right, hate.  Offensive line?  Hate.  Other quarterbacks on the roster?  Hate.  Members of the defense?  Hate.

The only guys on offense we can't get a feel for are the receivers and running backs.  Our guess is that the pass-catchers and ball-toters know not to express any displeasure with the guy primarily responsible for distributing the pigskin.

And, yes, Coach Cowher, we don't plan to name our sources on this one.  But we'll disclose that there are two of them, and we'll say, in the new tradition of Newsweek, that they are sources with knowledge of the situation who have asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject matter.

We've posted plenty of stories about Big Ben's Big Head That Doesn't House A Big Brain, so there's no need to rehash them here.  But we've recently learned of an incident from last season that further confirms the locker-room attitude toward the 2004 rookie of the year.

Among NFL teams, players often acquire their teammates' jerseys and ask their teammates to autograph them.  Sometimes the signed jerseys are framed and put on the players' walls in their homes.  And sometimes the signed jerseys are given as gifts.

We're told by one source that, when Roethlisberger was approached by some of his teammates last December to sign some of his jerseys, he launched into a "Ryan Leaf" tirade regarding the request.  The other source confirmed generally that Roethlisberger was "bitching" about requests from teammates for his John Hancockberger.

Okay, Ben, we know that it takes a long time to write the word "Roethlisberger."  And we know it's hard to spell it right, even for you.  But throwing a tantrum is a tad over the top. 

This image, of course, is a stark contrast to the picture painted by Mark Maske of The Washington Post last week.  Maske wrote that Roethlisberger routinely spends an hour or more signing fan autographs at training camp.

"I just try to take everything in stride," Roethlisberger told Maske. "The big thing for me is you have to know that you live in a fishbowl, especially being in this town, with the fans and the way they love football.  You just have to know your role and go with it. . . .  You have to learn to adapt to your environment and your surroundings.  It's always been this way for me, but never to the extreme it is now."

Translation:  Big Ben is at least smart enough to know that it's important for him to keep the paying customers happy. 

But Maske also goes out of his way (arguably) to say that Roethlisberger "was -- and is -- liked and respected by teammates."  Curiously, however, Maske cites only running back Jerome Bettis in support of this assertion. 

What about the other 80-some guys in camp?  Or the other 50-some guys who were on the team in 2004?

Bettis, to be sure, has no reason to dog his starting quarterback.  After all, this is likely Jerome's last chance to get a Super Bowl ring.  So our guess is that Bettis spends a lot of time in the locker room making excuses for Big Ben, even as he Ben continues to piss off teammates with his words and demeanor.

Will this kind of stuff have a direct effect on the performance of the team?  We don't know.  But chemistry is very important in the post-salary cap NFL, and when there are too many guys on the team who hate the starting quarterback, that's not good for anybody.