Six games, says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Depending on the progress Roethlisberger makes, the suspension could be longer or shorter. However, even if he does clean up his act, it will be hard to believe he’s truly sincere.

A few days ago before the suspension came down, Roethlisberger stated, “I absolutely want to be the leader this team deserves, valued in the community and a role model to kids. I have much work to do to earn this trust, and I am committed to improving and showing everyone my true values.” A little late Ben, don’t you think? You already had one life-changing incident to do that.

Ben Roethlisberger had been warned and chided plenty about his motorcycle-riding hobby. Terry Bradshaw had advised him personally to “ride it when you retire.” Big Ben was also lectured by Bill Cowher, and insisted to his coach that he was not a risk-taker and always rode in groups. In an ESPN interview with Suzy Kolber prior to his near-fatal accident in 2006, he explained that he didn’t wear a helmet because it wasn’t required by law. That may be true, but that’s only if you have a Pennsylvania license for at least two years. When he crashed, Roethlisberger was riding alone, didn’t have a valid license, and, of course, wasn’t wearing a helmet.

Had Roethlisberger made a statement about promising change and being a valued role model in the community following his crash, it would have been appropriate. Instead, however, his choice of words back in ’06 actually seemed to foreshadow more negative things to come.

Here’s some of what he said:

“I am sorry for any anxiety and concern my actions have caused others, specifically my family, the Steelers organization, my teammates and our fans… I never meant any harm to others nor to break any laws. I was confident in my ability to ride a motorcycle and simply believed such an accident would not happen to me.”

While he was apologizing, what stands out from those words is simple: He was confident, and believed it would not happen to him. Yes, he’s referring to the accident, but what he said reflects the point of view of so many athletes who find themselves in trouble. It’s also exactly what Roethlisberger is guilty of having done for earning a suspension from the NFL.

“You are held to a higher standard as an NFL player”, Roger Goodell said as a part of his letter to the Steelers’ quarterback. While nobody is accusing Roethlisberger of being a criminal, he put himself in those positions where the sexual assault charges arose. (There’s no need to continue to harp on the incidents. Reading about Roethlisberger on The Smoking Gun is bad enough). He has been careless with his actions, his lifestyle, and totally apathetic to the responsibility he carries as an athlete and a human being. He has not learned his lesson from what nearly cost him his life, and as a result, there’s no reason to believe he’s suddenly ready to.

You would think that, with all that happens in terms of athletes being in the wrong place at the wrong time, guilty or not, they would learn their lesson. You would think that Ben, nearly dying four years ago, would be extra cautious in all avenues of life. You would think he would be doing anything and everything to protect himself both personally and professionally. You would think…