Ben's best PR — win big

By Joe Starkey, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Sunday, October 17, 2010

If you think time has done a miraculous job of healing Ben Roethlisberger's broken image, wait 'til you see what winning does. One victory, maybe two, and the man will have gone from pariah to messiah in six months.

That is not an endorsement of Roethlisberger. It's just the truth, so far as it relates to the greater part of Steeler Nation.

Surely, you remember what it was like around here six months ago, in the wake of the second sexual assault allegation within a year against Roethlisberger (never charged) and a subsequent NFL-imposed suspension.

You probably remember that polls showed fans heavily in favor of trading Roethlisberger, whose likeness had been removed from a Pittsburgh Zoo display and replaced by Mario Lemieux's.

You might recall that Roethlisberger's brand-name beef jerky had been pulled from the shelves and that talk-show lines lit up with irate callers. One woman even called a show wanting to organize a bonfire of No. 7 jerseys (I believe that would be a Ben fire).

Big Ben's Q-rating was lower than JaMarcus Russell's passer rating.

By 1 p.m. today, you'd never know it.

Though he hasn't let on, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin undoubtedly will have the offense — not the defense — introduced to milk the moment, and some 60,000 humans will rise as one to cheer their prodigal quarterback.

You might not like that. You might consider it odd, offensive or downright sick. Which is your right, of course. Reportedly, a small group of protesters will make their voices heard outside the game. Others will refuse to cheer. Some might boo. Some might even try to bring in signs deriding Roethlisberger, though Heinz Field security is on the lookout for those.

This is America, so everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, just as Roethlisberger was entitled to due process in the wake of the incident in Milledgeville, Ga.

Opinions vary. The truth does not. And the truth is this: Most fans do what comes natural, meaning they quickly forgive their heroes. Check the case histories of Ray Lewis in Baltimore and Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles.

The recipe for redemption is quite simple: Behave well and win big.

Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, put it succinctly and accurately when we spoke Thursday.

"Ben's actions need to speak more than anything," Tollner said.

So far, in the six months since NFL commissioner Roger Goodell slapped him with a suspension, Roethlisberger has done everything right. He has sought respected mentors such as Merril Hoge and Bill Cowher and appeased every autograph seeker and inquisitive reporter in sight. He has kissed babies, posed for more happy photos than Donald Duck and gone out of his way to be as different from the jerky Ben as he could possibly be.

The man has either begun to change or has convinced people that he has begun to change. When it comes to public perception, what's the difference?

California-based quarterback trainer George Whitfield Jr. worked with Roethlisberger during the four-game suspension and came away raving about his patience with fans. Whitfield said people would interrupt drills to engage Roethlisberger.

"A normal athlete, or a normal person in the work place working on a project or something, might not like being interrupted and might say: 'Hey, let me finish, and I'll talk to you in a bit,' " Whitfield said. "Ben would stop every time. He'd take the marker and sign the autograph or pose for the photo. He'd chat people up. His arm would cool down, but he'd start right back and get back into training. Never a complaint."

Cowher, who interviewed Roethlisberger this past week for a piece that will air on the CBS pregame show, recently told me he is convinced that Roethlisberger's desire to change is real.

"I believe that, yes," Cowher said. "Where he's at right now, he's been very much grounded. I think he's still got a long, productive career in the city of Pittsburgh. I think people, through the course of time, will see where his heart really is."

But let's be honest: They are much more interested in where his arm is and where his passes land. And I can tell you, from watching practice Friday, that Roethlisberger's arm is fine and that his passes were crisp and accurate.

Should be an interesting day. I'm guessing that by the end of it, six months ago will seem like six years ago ... and nobody will be burning No. 7 jerseys in the parking lots.

The Ben fire's just about out.


Photo credit: Reuters