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I'm all for freedom of speech, but it works better for some than others. Most notably, the Steelers are wishing right now that Rashard Mendenhall didn't have a Twitter account.
Mendenhall weighed in after the death of Osama bin Laden, and he posted some tweets that many will never forget. He seemed to question whether bin Laden was such a bad guy, and whether there might be some kind of conspiracy behind the World Trade Center towers coming down on 9/11.
"We'll never know what really happened (on 9/11)," Mendenhall wrote. "I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style."
And about bin Laden, Mendenhall wrote, "It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side."
These are comments that could haunt Mendenhall for years. He'll get blowback from fans, teammates and opposing players. It also potentially could affect whether the Steelers re-sign him in the future. They might be willing to spend more money on a lesser back who does a better job of keeping his mouth shut.
The team issued a press release Tuesday morning, clarifying that the opinions of No. 34 do not represent those of the franchise in general.
"I have not spoken with Rashard so it is hard to explain or even comprehend what he meant with his recent Twitter comments," President Art Rooney II said. "The entire Steelers organization is very proud of the job our military personnel have done and we can only hope this leads to our troops coming home soon."
—Ian Allan
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Posted by ANDY RICHARDSON | May. 03 at 02:11 AM
Wow.
Posted by DAVID DIGREGORIO | May. 03 at 04:14 AM
Somewhere along the line he must have played a lot of football without a helmet.
Posted by DAVID DIGREGORIO | May. 03 at 04:15 AM
Like someone once said, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."
Posted by DAVID DIGREGORIO | May. 03 at 04:17 AM
He seems to identify more with Bin Laden than with the U.S. Unlike Michelle Obama, it seems like he has not yet experienced his first sense of pride in his country.
Posted by DAVID DIGREGORIO | May. 03 at 04:20 AM
Sorry. Cant help myself. Steel mind in steel city.
Posted by IAN ALLAN | May. 03 at 05:12 AM
I like the helmet line the best.