Relax. I’m not about to join the masses and write about how the Packers are destined to beat the Steelers on Sunday because Aaron Rodgers is taking it more seriously than Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben is a veteran to this type of situation. He is looking to win three Super Bowls before even turning 30. This is a familiar situation for Roethlisberger and his teammates, so I don’t doubt they’ll do what it takes to be prepared. As for Ben’s public image: I still think he could be more careful.
Stories have been floating around about Hines Ward hitting up strip clubs and Roethlisberger out singing at piano bars in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. The players are human, afterall, and every one of them is an adult capable of making their own decisions. However, fans and media naturally take more kindly to a player who is using his downtime in Dallas to relax and study, which is what Rodgers says he has been doing.
Can Big Ben not help it, or does he just not care? Does he absolutely have to go out and party and be spotted all over town having a good time instead of keeping a low profile? This is a guy who is less than a year removed from a six-game suspension for rape accusations that his teammates allegedly refused to support him with. At least wait before throwing yourself into the party scene for the media to feast on — that’s all I’m saying.
If Roethlisberger simply stayed out of the spotlight and took a couple weeks off from partying, people would have very little to say. Since Big Ben has decided to be Big Ben, he puts himself in position for the “no wonder he lost” and “he hasn’t learned his lesson” critics to come out of the woodwork if things don’t go Pittsburgh’s way on Sunday. Time will tell.
Photo Credit: Busted Coverage
