PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) -- During his weekly radio show Tuesday on The Fan, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had some strong words for NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and his report that Roethlisberger cracked his ribs during the Dec. 9 game in Oakland.
Rapoport responded by saying he is sticking by his sources.
“As far as the report goes . . . it was my understanding that this kind of went back to the X-ray machine, the faulty X-ray machine in Oakland . . . there was this sort of question of whether he had bruised ribs or cracked ribs,” Rapoport said Wednesday on The Fan Morning Show.
"I was told he in fact did have cracked ribs and that is what I reported. I am very confident in my information as I am with everything I report and I will stick with exactly with what I reported.”
Rapoport added he doesn’t have a personal relationship with Roethlisberger, but thinks he is a great football player and enjoys when Roethlisberger speaks out, even if it means he’s the target of the criticism.
“Yes, sometimes I seem to be the one that gets criticism for stuff I report on him, but I would so much rather that than him smile and kind of not say anything and just hide behind being some fake guy,” Rapoport said. “If we’re going to criticize players for what they do on the field whether they don’t perform or what they say in the media, then if they don’t like what we report they should be able to say it, too, and I honestly don’t mind it.”
Back in 2013, Rapoport reported Roethlisberger was unhappy in Pittsburgh and wanted to be traded to the Arizona Cardinals. He believes that is where Roethlisberger’s issue with him began. Rapoport admits he probably should’ve worded the 2013 report better.
“I would say that situation with Ben it was to my understanding it was basically Ben voicing a serious level of frustration which I would say in my infancy doing this job I reported, now I probably would’ve reported that a little differently maybe and expressed it as Ben being frustrated rather than what he actually said because people say a lot of things in frustration.”