Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw are the two best quarterbacks in Pittsburgh Steelers history. Bradshaw won four Super Bowls while leading the Steelers in the ’70s, and Big Ben is seeking his third. You figure two men with as much in common as they have would get along well. That hasn’t been the case.
Bradshaw’s issues traced back to 2006 when Roethlisberger got into a motorcycle crash while not wearing a helmet. The crash nearly killed Big Ben and it ruined Pittsburgh’s season. Fast forward four years to Roethlisberger’s second rape accusation and Bradshaw was quoted as saying “he doesn’t like me and I’m learning not to like him.”
Well Big Ben has reached his third Super Bowl, Bradshaw’s employer FOX is broadcasting the game, and Roethlisberger is trying to use the international platform to change his image. Part of that change is meeting with Terry for an interview this week that reportedly cleared things up between the two men.
Frankly, it disappoints me that Bradshaw has seemingly gone soft. Terry reportedly blamed his criticisms of Big Ben on his role as a television commentator. Roethlisberger may be changing into a decent person, but there’s little doubt that all Bradshaw’s criticisms were appropriate at the time. Regardless of what happens Sunday, it will be hard for me to shake my feelings that number seven is a sexual predator. Hopefully he’s changed his ways.
