Big Ben has been in the news all too much recently. Every time I turn on ESPN, I hear another story about something that has developed regarding the Steelers Super Bowl winning quarterback. Apparently he was having a little too much fun down here in Georgia during the off season. His reputation has been slaughtered but its hard to feel bad for the guy. He sexually assaulted an teenager (18 or 19 yrs old) in a bar in Milledgeville near the campus of Georgia College and State, where I have a few friends who go to school there.
He has been seen around there a lot from what I hear, along with his body guards. The word on the street is that he is a total pervert. He believes that because he is a famous football star, that everyone wants to have sex with him. He forced his will on one girl who was so drunk that she could not even tell the cops what happened, her story was different every time. This is the only reason they haven’t been able to prosecute him. The girl did not say he tried to rape her but from what is said on the television, she originally consented. Also after he left, he paid a janitor to clean the restroom that the incident happened in, getting rid of all evidence.
Ben has been suspended for 6 games by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for his conduct.
From what Ive seen on TV, he needs to hire a new PR representative. He gave a spoken apologyt but it was even worse than Tiger Woods’. Not only did he look like a sleaze bag (that he is) during his speech, he barely looked up, and read something someone else wrote for him the entire time. It was completely insincere.
Only a week later, once he found he would be missing a portion of the season due to a suspension, he released another statement. This time it was a written one, it was completely obvious that he did not write this either. He even cancels the validity of his apology by saying ” even though I wasn’t convicted of any crime.”
Whoever the PR person working for him is, needs to wake up and realize that he needs to accept his suspension as a result of his actions, stand in front of reporters and say how sorry he really is (even if he isn’t). America has very forgiving fans, and by apologizing sincerely and showing he has change through actions in the coming months, he could put this all behind him. Until then, he will be despised by many people, even his own steeler family which includes teammates, former Steelers, and fans alike.
I think this situation can be helpful to prospective PR practitioners in showing what not to do when restoring the image of an athlete or celebrity.
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