This doesn’t make sense. If I told you that with the first pick in the draft you could have a 28 year old 2 time super bowl winner and the majority of his contract is paid off; so even if it turns out he sucks, it wont castrate your team the way drafting a quarterback will first overall will. Or, with your number one pick, you can have an unproven talent who may turn out to be great, but may not and if you miss it will cripple you worse than a car accident. Why wouldn’t you make that trade?
Here is the downside that 2 time super bowl winner is Ben Rapeslotswomenburger. I think everyone who is only concerned about football thinks that this is a no brainer when they consider this an overreaction on the "Stealers" part and someone should jump in while the getting is good. Given the failure rate and consequences of failure in the draft especially with the number 1 overall, this is something the Rams should jump on faster than a catholic priest on blaming priests sleeping with choir boys on homosexuality.
However, I’d argue that this is not as bad a decision as you would think. First off, right now he is more hated than Tiger was because he actually raped women. So on those grounds of course you don’t want him. I mean the Ravens are proud to start two people who have KILLED PEOPLE. The difference is that these guys have either had success or paid the debt that people think they deserve, just like Vick, he hasn’t won yet but a lot of people think he paid his debt.
With Rothelisberger no one thinks that’s the case. Everyone thinks hes gotten away with rape…twice and will have only have a 6 game suspension. That’s not even enough for Stealers fans to feel good about him. He has a lesser punishment than the Phillies fans did (a city known for the most atrocious fans) for puking on that girl and her dad, and punching him, and a cop, and then throwing up on the cop.. .gross.
No one is going to forgive Rothelisberger until he wins. If you are drafting one overall or in the top 10, bringing in a “great” quarterback is not going to fix that, and until you do win you will upset your fans; and have the whole country upset with you. Especially after a year with a record high number of black outs; especially for teams drafting in the top 10 they cannot afford to alienate their fans anymore.
The best way I can put this in a flow chart form: Ben Rapes women à no one likes him à Steelers want to trade à your team trades for him à you suck because you are in the top 10, he is a loser and no one likes you or him (the additional factor that has to be taken into account is women, and how upset women will be at their men for supporting a person who RAPES WOMEN) à fandom which is already waning is low gets lower à you keep losing and you are forever known as a franchise of both loses and terrible people.
Given all that, I think you take on less risk by drafting an unproven talent and pouring tons of money into someone who may suck but at least is a good person, who you can trade later (unless they are as bad as Jamarcus Russel), and at least it looks like you are trying and trying to do it the right way
-Gordo (Senior Rantologist)
