DP:Do you think the NFL needs to suspend Ben Roethlisberger? JB: Oh, absolutely. I think that's pretty clear. I think the climate that Roger Goodell has created is that if there is a pattern of misbehavior, regardless if it is an offensible crime, you're going to be suspended. And I think that's what's happening.
DP:How do you think it would go over with his own teammates if he wasn't suspended? JB: I think it would be an issue. Other people have been speaking race, but I think the bigger issue is position. I think if he's not suspended, the message it's showing is that the NFL is protecting its quarterbacks again. They protected them on the field by doing all these things to limit them from being hit. And now here we are again, a star quarterback is in the cross-hairs and he's being protected off the field. So I think that would be a real negative blow to everything Commissioner Goodell has really tried to create.
DP:Let's look at Santonio Holmes. You get a fifth-round draft pick for a guy who had 80 catches for 1,200 yards, a former super bowl MVP? JB: The part everybody misses is that they were going to try to deal [Holmes] anyway. This was the last year in his contract. They didn't want to commit $40-$50 million to him, coupled with the fact that they knew he was going to get a four-game suspension. So now they understand he's going to have a four-game suspension, he's only going to be there 12 weeks. We gotta try to get something for him. The problem was that there wasn't anybody out there willing to give him much because they knew the circumstances. Then when this last particular case came up, then I think that was an easy situation to make a move. And then they went out to try to make a move, and there were no real big takers so they had to really unload him.
DP:If you're the Steelers do you have discussions about trading Ben Roethlisberger? JB: I don't think they can have that discussion yet. They've got a little over $30 million invested in him in terms of guaranteed money. Money they can't get back if they trade him. If you know how prudent the Steelers are financially, that's something that they would not just blink at giving away. So I think that the first thing they want to do is see if they can change Ben's behavioral patterns. If they can't, I think that's the next step. Obviously it doesn't happen now. I don't think they want to trade Ben, but obviously if he can't get things together in terms of in his personal life, they're going to have to explore that.
DP:What did you think of Terry Bradshaw's critical comments of Roethlisberger? JB: It floored me. I didn't know they had such a bad relationship from the start. When all that came about, I was shocked. He touched on some things that made sense. He's gotta get out of those bars, get out of the places he's been frequenting. He's gotta change something. It starts with where you are. The places that you put yourself in. I think Bradshaw was saying some very poignant things, as far as Ben needing to stay out of certain places.
DP:How do you assess Stanford running back Toby Gerhart? How does he compare to you? JB: I would say he's an inside runner. He'd probably be positioned well for a goal-line short yardage back and a physical guy, a guy that we want to pound. I wouldn't look to him to break the long ones, but I would look to him to be a pounder for us. So I think in that regard, I think he can come in and definitely do some of the things I was able to do, in terms of going out there, getting those tough yards, pounding, being a physical presence and creating a physical atmosphere on the offense. I think he could do a lot of those things.
DP:I think he's being labeled as sort of another Tommy Vardell, the Stanford running back who was a bust with the Browns. But he's a better running back than Tommy Vardell. JB: He's a lot better running back and he's more athletic than Tommy Vardell. Now Tommy Vardell had an incredible combine and I think that really put him over the top. But when you look at what he did on the field he was really a straight line guy, that had little vision, he didn't have good hips, he wasn't able to change direction at all. I think that was pretty clear cut when you watched him. When you look at Gerhart, it's a different situation. He's a better pure running back and Vardell was really a fullback. This guy is a tail back. There's a big difference there.
Video: Bettis on Roethlisberger suspension
Quote of the Day I
"Everybody has private moments at a party having a good time. That wasn’t for the record. You can take anything and throw it up there and that’s news? And I’ve heard dozens of people say similar things about Tim Tebow. It’s clearly not for public consumption." -- NFL Network's Rich Eisen on news outlets airing an unauthorized video of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
Quote of the Day II
"Riding around in a motorcycle without a helmet ... that pretty much defines him." -- NASCAR analyst Darrell Waltrip on Ben Roethlisberger
Video: Chris Webber shares great Michael Jordan story
From the Locker Room
Missives from the DP.com chat room
Ben Roethisberger: His contract is huge; he has multiple injuries, including concussions; he is 28 and not exactly training for the Gatorade Ironman; he has taken a ton of hits in his career college/pros. Move him ... if you still can | samdonovan
Toby Gerhart is a stud. Better than just a goal line back, just like Bettis and Cedric Benson | gom
He's willing to play a position other than QB; Tebow might have a career. I think he'll pull an Eric Crouch and if he's lucky, may end up in Canada. | don Blackhawks shafer
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DP Show Daily: Bettis says NFL can't protect QB this time
A daily recap of the Dan Patrick Show ...
Q&A with Jerome Bettis
DP: Do you think the NFL needs to suspend Ben Roethlisberger?
JB: Oh, absolutely. I think that's pretty clear. I think the climate that Roger Goodell has created is that if there is a pattern of misbehavior, regardless if it is an offensible crime, you're going to be suspended. And I think that's what's happening.
DP: How do you think it would go over with his own teammates if he wasn't suspended?
JB: I think it would be an issue. Other people have been speaking race, but I think the bigger issue is position. I think if he's not suspended, the message it's showing is that the NFL is protecting its quarterbacks again. They protected them on the field by doing all these things to limit them from being hit. And now here we are again, a star quarterback is in the cross-hairs and he's being protected off the field. So I think that would be a real negative blow to everything Commissioner Goodell has really tried to create.
DP: Let's look at Santonio Holmes. You get a fifth-round draft pick for a guy who had 80 catches for 1,200 yards, a former super bowl MVP?
JB: The part everybody misses is that they were going to try to deal [Holmes] anyway. This was the last year in his contract. They didn't want to commit $40-$50 million to him, coupled with the fact that they knew he was going to get a four-game suspension. So now they understand he's going to have a four-game suspension, he's only going to be there 12 weeks. We gotta try to get something for him. The problem was that there wasn't anybody out there willing to give him much because they knew the circumstances. Then when this last particular case came up, then I think that was an easy situation to make a move. And then they went out to try to make a move, and there were no real big takers so they had to really unload him.
DP: If you're the Steelers do you have discussions about trading Ben Roethlisberger?
JB: I don't think they can have that discussion yet. They've got a little over $30 million invested in him in terms of guaranteed money. Money they can't get back if they trade him. If you know how prudent the Steelers are financially, that's something that they would not just blink at giving away. So I think that the first thing they want to do is see if they can change Ben's behavioral patterns. If they can't, I think that's the next step. Obviously it doesn't happen now. I don't think they want to trade Ben, but obviously if he can't get things together in terms of in his personal life, they're going to have to explore that.
DP: What did you think of Terry Bradshaw's critical comments of Roethlisberger?
JB: It floored me. I didn't know they had such a bad relationship from the start. When all that came about, I was shocked. He touched on some things that made sense. He's gotta get out of those bars, get out of the places he's been frequenting. He's gotta change something. It starts with where you are. The places that you put yourself in. I think Bradshaw was saying some very poignant things, as far as Ben needing to stay out of certain places.
DP: How do you assess Stanford running back Toby Gerhart? How does he compare to you?
JB: I would say he's an inside runner. He'd probably be positioned well for a goal-line short yardage back and a physical guy, a guy that we want to pound. I wouldn't look to him to break the long ones, but I would look to him to be a pounder for us. So I think in that regard, I think he can come in and definitely do some of the things I was able to do, in terms of going out there, getting those tough yards, pounding, being a physical presence and creating a physical atmosphere on the offense. I think he could do a lot of those things.
DP: I think he's being labeled as sort of another Tommy Vardell, the Stanford running back who was a bust with the Browns. But he's a better running back than Tommy Vardell.
JB: He's a lot better running back and he's more athletic than Tommy Vardell. Now Tommy Vardell had an incredible combine and I think that really put him over the top. But when you look at what he did on the field he was really a straight line guy, that had little vision, he didn't have good hips, he wasn't able to change direction at all. I think that was pretty clear cut when you watched him. When you look at Gerhart, it's a different situation. He's a better pure running back and Vardell was really a fullback. This guy is a tail back. There's a big difference there.
Video: Bettis on Roethlisberger suspension
Quote of the Day I
"Everybody has private moments at a party having a good time. That wasn’t for the record. You can take anything and throw it up there and that’s news? And I’ve heard dozens of people say similar things about Tim Tebow. It’s clearly not for public consumption."
-- NFL Network's Rich Eisen on news outlets airing an unauthorized video of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
Quote of the Day II
"Riding around in a motorcycle without a helmet ... that pretty much defines him."
-- NASCAR analyst Darrell Waltrip on Ben Roethlisberger
Video: Chris Webber shares great Michael Jordan story
From the Locker Room
Missives from the DP.com chat room
Ben Roethisberger: His contract is huge; he has multiple injuries, including concussions; he is 28 and not exactly training for the Gatorade Ironman; he has taken a ton of hits in his career college/pros. Move him ... if you still can | samdonovan
Toby Gerhart is a stud. Better than just a goal line back, just like Bettis and Cedric Benson | gom
He's willing to play a position other than QB; Tebow might have a career. I think he'll pull an Eric Crouch and if he's lucky, may end up in Canada. | don Blackhawks shafer