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I Saw The Entire Season Flash Before My Eyes This Weekend (Twice) By The Spread Of False Information

I was logged onto Behind The Steel Curtain Friday night surfing the most recent posts when I read one about a rumor that Rashard Mendenhall had suffered a broken arm. Well, I don't have to tell you that I had visions of the team's new focus on the running game going up in smoke. I don't know where this rumor started, but fortunately, it was found to be false.

And yesterday, I had an even bigger scare when my boss told me that it was announced during the Chargers/Saints preseason game on Friday that Ben Roethlisberger was going to serve all six games of his suspension.

Well, if you have read some of my recent postings, you know how much I admire Big Ben and think he's the most important cog in the Steeler machine. I've even been accused of owning Ben Roesthlisberger pajamas. Whether I really do or not is none of your business.

But I digress.

Naturally, I was quite stunned and saw any hopes of a successful season come crumbling down right before my very eyes. The team could tread water and survive without Roesthlisberger for four games, but six? That's really pushing it.

After I studied the Steelers' schedule and discovered who their opponent is in week 7, my stunned disbelief turned to fury. I was angry. The Steelers play the World Champion New Orleans Saints in week 7 on Halloween. And it's also NBC's Sunday Night Game of the Week. "This is just Goodell pandering to the networks and the sponsors," I shouted. "It's just a ratings ploy!" I mean, seriously. Roethlisberger returning to the lineup against Drew Brees and the Saints in a nationally televised game? It would draw huge ratings. "Roethlisberger supposedly has complied with every stipulation of his conditional suspension," I pleaded. "The man wasn't even arrested OR charged with a crime. This is just Goodell setting an example and trying to show everyone that he is the judge, jury, and executioner!"

I turned on ESPN radio and waited and waited for opinions on this miscarriage of justice. There was nothing about it. People were talking about PITT football and even the Pirates. Surely, this news warranted headline-type coverage. I mean, everyone and their mother assumed that Ben would only get the minimum four games. This would be bigtime fodder for the talk shows.

I came home and logged onto BTSC, and expected the readers to be ripping Goodell and the NFL for this, but there was no news about it.

Did anyone else watch the football telecast on Friday? Was my boss just hearing things. Did he misunderstand?

The opinions shared here are not those of the editorial staff of Behind the Steel Curtain or SB Nation. These posts are not approved in any way by the editorial staff of this web site.