With sadness....

This a a hard one. I hate to admit it but I have lost some faith in someone.

Big Ben.

This photo was taken exactly one week before his famous "motorcycle crash" on the city streets. I happened to be in a bar following a friend's wedding reception for the "afterparty." Someone I know announced he was in the bar. I had my camera from the wedding.

He was playing a golf video game along the wall by the fireplace. He was with two rather large male "friends." The entire bar was filled with people looking at him but no one was going up to him.

I marched right up and asked if I could have a picture taken with him. He politely agreed. I held my friend's beer (Nature Boy was stuck at the bar getting ours), Ben wrapped his arm around me and said friend snapped the pic. I thanked him, ran away and into the adjoining bar where our friends were. I showed off my picture and everyone ran over to where he was. I was told he soon got angry at some of them and told them they ruined it for everyone and he wouldn't take any more pics...but I had mine.

Now it makes me sad. I was proud to have a picture of me with Big Ben. My parents have a copy in their home too. Nature Boy won't let me use any pics of him so I put it up here and no one ever even noticed it was Big Ben! You all probably thought it was Nature Boy.

So it comes to this. I don't want to have this picture up here any more. Instead of thinking what a nice person he was, I'm reminded of all of the bad decisions he makes in clubs, bars and hotels. As we all wait in Pittsburgh to see what the punishment will be, what the team will do if he's suspended, if any more accusations will surface, I just can't look at this anymore. So it is now being retired as my blogger pic. I hope to one day be able to look at it and see good things again; it's up to you Ben.