After weeks of speculation surrounding the fledgling league

T. J. Watt Jersey , the AAF finally suspended play in 2019 on Tuesday"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsSteelers Film Room2018 NFL Draft AnalysisLatest NewsLatest NewsAlliance of American Football suspends operations eight games into inaugural season New,19commentsAfter weeks of speculation surrounding the fledgling league, the AAF finally suspended play in 2019 on TuesdayEDTShareTweetShareShareAlliance of American Football suspends operations eight games into inaugural season Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsWhile the future once appeared bright for the Alliance of American Football, the realities of the recent investment from Tom Dundon became starkly apparent after it emerged that the majority owner had decided to suspend operations just eight weeks into the inaugural season. Initially hailed as the savior of the AAF when it was reported he had invested $250 million into the league just a few months ago, Dundon opted to pull the plug when it became clear that he would not be getting the immediate cooperation from the NFLPA that he was looking for. Seeking a formal affiliation with the NFL that would guarantee the fledgling league players at the fringe of NFL rosters and also significantly increase the value of his investment, Dundon’s attempts to leverage the NFLPA into giving him the agreement he wanted have unsurprisingly fallen flat.His decision to end play at this stage of the season appears to have come as a surprise to the rest of the AAF, including co-founders Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian, with Polian issuing this statement on Tuesday and reported by Darren Rovell of The Action Network.AAF employees were informed of the league’s suspension via a somewhat impersonal mass email sent out to players Chukwuma Okorafor Jersey , coaches and staff members alike. A note that also hints at the AAF’s hopes to return with new investment in 2020.And as the AAF disintegrates, the truth behind the way the league was poorly managed is just starting to emerge. While some reports have attempted to lay the blame for league’s failure at the feet of the NFL and NFLPA for failing to negotiate with the AAF, it would seem that most blame Dundon for the league’s premature end.For players like former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jamar Summers who was one of the AAF’s standout performers, the exposure the league gave him should be enough to earn him a spot in an NFL training camp this year. But for many of the other players in the league, their best shot of ever playing professional football again might be when the XFL launches in 2020. Trying to wrap my head around why the going trend is to slam Ben Roethlisberger."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsSteelers Film Room2018 NFL Draft AnalysisLatest NewsLatest NewsCommentaryA Letter From the Editor: The Ben Roethlisberger bashing continues, but why?New,142commentsTrying to wrap my head around why the going trend is to slam Ben Roethlisberger.EDTShareTweetShareShareA Letter From the Editor: The Ben Roethlisberger bashing continues, but why?Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsThe media can twist the truth Mason Rudolph Jersey , this is true from the national media covering a presidential race, all the way down to a blogger who runs his own website. Everyone has a take, and while some are hotter than others, those takes can become ingrained in our subconscious, and in some instances can become truths.For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the hot takes have been flying off the shelves like hot cakes, and since Antonio Brown started his campaign to get himself out of town, one name has been bashed more than any other. Not Mike Tomlin.Not Kevin Colbert.For the national media James Washington Jersey , not even Antonio Brown.No, the new target is none other than Ben Roethlisberger.Ben bashing is nothing new to Steelers fans. They endured his motorcycle accident which nearly took his life, the rape allegations in both Nevada and Georgia, and now they are hearing the bashing coming from all angles regarding his leadership and being a good teammate.I am not here to tell you Ben Roethlisberger has been a saint since being drafted 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft, but I also know Roethlisberger has done very little to deserve this type of criticism at all angles.At every turn you hear former players like James Harrison, Ryan Clark and most recently Isaac Redman and Joshua Harris bash Roethlisberger for being a poor teammate and a crappy leader.Where does this all stem from? Is the genesis of these comments/feelings out of jealousy? Jealous of Roethlisberger’s perceived power in the locker room? Jealous of the treatment Roethlisberger has received inside the organization regarding contracts? Or is this all from Roethlisberger’s comments he makes on his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh?From all reports, dating back to his rookie season, Roethlisberger hasn’t changed much. He has never been the workaholic like Peyton Manning. He might not take a hometown discount like Tom Brady. He might not have the cerebral approach to the game like so many other quarterbacks before him. But this isn’t new.Roethlisberger might be the last one in Terrell Edmunds Jersey , and the first one out, and why does this not bother the man upstairs who signs the checks? Because he wins. Do fans not want to hear these reports about Roethlisberger, and to hear him target teammates through the media/radio? Absolutely not, but look at his head coach as a man who uses the media, and his weekly press conference, to send subtle remarks to his team, and specific players.Again, Roethlisberger hasn’t changed much throughout the years. He is no longer the ladies man running around downtown Pittsburgh. He is married with three small children. Roethlisberger is more guarded now with who he trusts and surrounds himself with Ryan Shazier Jersey , and do you blame him?Just like all the other times Roethlisberger was the target of such criticism, it will slow down. But in the meantime, the media is teeing off on Roethlisberger claiming he is the reason for such disarray and dysfunction in the Steel City. As for me, I’m not buying what they are selling. Why? As I said multiple times in this article, Ben hasn’t changed much...