Pittsburgh Steeler legend, Terry Bradshaw, recently offered Ben Roethlisberger his advice on what should be doing to fix things in his life. The advice included getting better handlers, avoid bars and college towns, not reading prepared statements and other methods to rehabilitate his damaged image.
Interesting.
Shouldn't the advice really be for Big Ben to just stop raping women?
I mean, if Big Ben stops forcing himself on women who cannot prevent a 6'5", 250 lb. man from doing what he wants to them, I think it's safe to say that future problems might be avoided.
So far, Ben Rapelisberger has been lucky because he's:
A) An NFL superstar B) Rich C) White
All Plaxico Burress did was accidentally shoot himself at a bar and he went to jail for two-years. Maybe one Superbowl ring just isn't worth as much as two in the eyes of the law.
It also helps that Ben Roethlisberger had a police officer who was just as enamored with his celebrity as any other average Joe investigating the case.
Ironically, this dopey officer who helped Ben Roethlisberger the night of the 'incident' is now out of a job all because he wanted to protect the privileged in our society instead of the real victim of the crime. While justice will not be served in this case, at least karma didn't take very long to come around and set things slightly straighter.
In news particularly sad to me, Peter Steele (Petrus T. Ratajczyk ) of Type O Negative passed away yesterday at the age of 48 due to heart failure. It's been a hard thing to accept from the moment I read about it this morning. Type O Negative has been one of my very favorite bands for half of my entire existence.
Having heard significantly more about Peter Steele's drug and alcohol struggles from Peter himself over the last 2 or 3 years, I suppose this news didn't entirely blindside me. It also doesn't make his death any less hard to accept.
"You love someone, there will be grief,
The kiss of death, lips of a thief..."
I became an instant fan of Type O Negative the night I first saw "Black No. 1" on Headbanger's Ball back in 1993. One single watch of the video prompted me to go out and buy Bloody Kisses for $18.99 at The Wall. That was the most I had and have ever spent on a single disc CD. Because it was so expensive, I played the hell out of it that weekend and beyond in order to justify buying an pricey CD based on one viewing of one music video.
"I hate to wish it, but I'll tell you though,
That I'm quite ready because I'm already dead..."
As I reflected on Peter Steele and Type O Negative today, as sad as it all is, I couldn't help but also smile at the many memories I have about the band and meeting Peter after shows...
I remember seeing Type O Negative open for Danzig and after the show, Peter Steele was signing autographs in just a green shirt and tighty whiteys on the step on his tour bus. You can't forget that imagery even if you want to!
I also recall after one show on the Bloody Kisses tour where a fan asked Peter Steele for a guitar pick and after he searched his pockets, he came up empty. Instead, he gave the fan a screwdriver that was in his back pocket. I'll never forget that on the next tour, the same guy brought back that very screwdriver for Peter to sign.
I'll also never forget when waiting after one show, we waited well over an hour for Peter Steele to come out of the venue. The band and the entire crew were loaded up and ready to go and Peter was the last one to exit. Everyone was waiting on him so they could go and yet when Peter did come out, he profusely apologized for the lack of time that he had, but still signed for every last person who waited for him in the rain even while the bus was honking its horn for him to get going.
The very first time I ever met Peter Steele after a show, he made the best impression. After signing for everyone, he just plopped himself up on the hood of a curbside car and just hung out with the lingering fans. It was the first 'rock star' I ever conversed with like a regular person. So you see, the reason we waited outside as many shows as we did is because we liked Peter so much as a person and he made it worth our often very long wait.
"Everything Dies,
Everything Dies...."
I have to say that one thing Peter Steele accomplished for me is that he helped desensitize death and helped open my eyes a little wider to my own mortality. So many songs related to death in one way or another that it took something that most people try not to think about and put it front and center in his music. It's hard to sing along to a song like "Everything Dies" and not have it serve as a little pinch of reality. In the real world, death isn't something to romanticize, but it's healthier to realize that you (and others) aren't going to live forever. You appreciate life more when you do.
I've been lucky enough to see Type O Negative over a dozen times over their career. The most memorable shows were the once annual Halloween concerts where the band would end the night with a giant toilet paper fight with the audience. Of all the things things I've had Peter Steele sign that have since been packed away, the one thing that has has endured on my shelf is the autographed toilet paper roll that he signed for me after one of the Halloween shows. Such a memento would probably only would make sense to those who participated in those epic TP battles!
"It's better to burn quickly and bright, Than slowly and dull without a fight..."
As the day has gone on, the reality of Peter Steele's death has really begun to set in. At first, it just didn't seem real, but sadly, he is no longer with us. I don't doubt that his demise was, in part, due to many years of a reckless, self-abusive lifestyle which makes it somewhat difficult to see this is an untimely tragedy. Of course, it doesn't make it any less sad.
"Please don't dress in black, When you're at his wake, Don't go there to mourn, But to celebrate..."
Peter Steele -- you will have forever touched my life through your music, lyrics and the many great memories you've given me. I'll always regret having missed seeing Carnivore live just once. Dammit! Thankfully, you have left a sonic legacy behind that I will get to enjoy for the rest of my own life. Thank you for everything, Peter. I will miss you.
While the nation is abuzz over the trade of Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins, one headline among hundreds concerning the whole ordeal really stood out: Did Eagles Get Michael Vick as Racial Cover-Up?
The writer (Zennie62) actually believes that the Eagles decision to sign Michael Vick was racially motivated and is willing to bet that he is right.
While I am willing to bet he is wrong, please allow me to set the table first...
For the last several weeks, I've been listening to various national football know-it-alls talking about how the Philadelphia Eagles were going to make a big mistake by trading Donovan McNabb. Yet, tune into the sports talk in Philly and you'll hear how fans and radio hosts alike were eager to send McNabb out of town. Is it possible that the fans in Philadelphia knew a little more about McNabb the rest of the less informed country? Absolutely.
So then it's no surprise that this bizarre headline is found on the website of a newspaper based, not in Philadelphia, but San Francisco. It's also no surprise that the writer also characterizes the decision to trade McNabb as "dumb." One then has to wonder whether the claim of a "racial cover-up" really has more to do with his dislike of the trade than anything else.
Now, if someone were a truly brushed up on the history of quarterbacking in Philadelphia, they'd recall that over the last 25-years, three players have started the overwhelming majority of football games for the Eagles:
As for the rest of the guys who have had brief stints behind center over those years, it's mostly an unimpressive list of Caucasian scrubs (Bobby Hoying, Doug Peterson, Ty Detmer, KoyDetmer, A.J. Feeley, etc.) who never started a full season for the Eagles.
Ron Jaworski was the last white Eagles quarterback to be the opening day starter in consecutive seasons way back in 1985 & 1986. Philly fans have been watching black quarterbacks guide their team through the bulk of the last 25 seasons beginning with Randall Cunningham. Why then would the Philadelphia Eagles organization feel ANY need to protect themselves from some wild racism theory?? They shouldn't and they wouldn't. That being the case, the claim that the Eagles signed Vick as a "racial cover-up" is completely and utterly asinine. ASININE.
You see, some NFL team was going to sign Michael Vick as a backup QB in 2009 -- so why not the Eagles?? Donovan McNabb's contract was nearing an end and with only a miserable 30-minutes of football under Kevin Kolb's belt, there certainly was a legitimate possibility that Michael Vick could have been the Eagles starter in 2010.
In terms of morals, signing Michael Vick was an awful decision. The guy is the scum of the earth. That being said, signing Señor Mexico was a relatively smart business decision by the Eagles since he basically had to settle for a crummy, low-money contract and like it.
While there are still plenty of places where African Americans don't get a fair shake in business and elsewhere, the Philadelphia Eagles are not a organization who would need protection from claims of racism. Furthermore, anyone who floats the idea that the Eagles needed to sign Michael Vick as a "racial cover-up" after 25-years of black quarterbacking is someone who only adds to the complications that we already have with racism in our country.
