The NFL Investigated Ben Roethlisberger For Possibly Being On His Cell Phone During The Game Last Night

If IF he was using phone, reaction he gives is of a man who just saw himself featured on live-streamed telecast. https://t.co/xjJyTY7udd

— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) October 2, 2015

Real-time info for you... @gregaiello says league ops did go to sideline to investigate and took a photo of what Roethlisberger was handling

— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) October 2, 2015

Alright NFL, let me save you a little time on this. Ben Roethlisberger was on his phone. Investigation over. Move it along. Nothing to see here. I know, I know, Big Ben shouldn't be texting mid-game. While there was no chance he was going to play, he is still getting paid to be there and he should be conducting himself professionally. However, if you want him to act professionally then put a professional product on that field. How can I fault Ben for being on his phone when literally the entire viewing audience were on their phones? Hell, if he wasn't on his phone he probably would have been trying to drowned himself in the Gatorade bucket. That's how insufferable that game was last night. Ben Roethlisberger felt comfortable enough to look at his phone because there was only a microscopic chance that he was going to miss anything. That's an NFL problem, not a Ben Roethlisberger problem.

The only logical reason to fine Ben Roethlisberger would be if he was looking at his phone during Josh Scobee field goals, because that would be pure negligence. That would be an unforeseen level of disrespect to the game that has paid him so handsomely. Can't have your attention elsewhere when Josh Scobee is embarrassing himself on more consecutive kick attempts than Charlie Brown. If Roethlisberger was too busy messaging some 18 year old broad on Tinder or betting the under on his own team while that was going on then the NFL should not only fine him, but call his service provider and cancel his data plan. Should probably ship his cell phone to New England to get the Tom Brady destruction treatment too. Regardless, these players are only human, so when a really, REALLY bad kicker is the most exciting part of a professional football game, expect the players that can't lace 'em up to be checking Twitter to see if there's anything better going on. I don't just speak for myself when I say that's what everyone else was doing. 

P.S.  Anyone with a brain can see the thing in his hand is a laminated wristband with play calls on it, but I couldn't let the facts get in the way of my take on this one.