Tim Tebow
Ben Roethlisberger
This weekend, the NFL will see arguably its most popular player square off against its most popular franchise.
There’s no question that when Tim Tebow’s Broncos face the Steelers on Sunday at 4:30 p.m., it will attract the highest TV ratings out of all four games on the slate.
This AFC wild-card matchup also puts the spotlight on two quarterbacks who get just as much attention off the field as they do on the field. However, Tebow and Ben Roethlisberger stand on opposite ends of the spectrum in the public eye. In fact, when the two meet at midfield in Mile High for the coin toss, Tebow could take the North Pole and Roethlisberger could choose the South Pole and that still wouldn’t illustrate the full contrast of how they are viewed by the public.
Tebow is unwavering in his commitment to his faith. Though he isn’t afraid to get his jersey dirty on gameday, Tebow is almost looked at as too clean for football like Will Smith was too clean for rap.
Roethlisberger has twice been accused of sexual assault. Though he’s won two Super Bowls and is looked at as a hero in Pennsylvania, Big Ben is looked down upon outside the steel curtains surrounding Pittsburgh.
With that said, you’d figure the dark portrait that the media paints of Roethlisberger would be hard to handle. At least more than that of the glowing one the media has framed for Tebow.
But when asked about the attention Tebow gets from the media, it was Roethlisberger who was quoted by The Denver Post on Wednesday as saying:
“It’s got to be tough. Every time you turn it on, you see something about Tebow. I can only imagine what it’s like for his teammates. Just watching today, it’s the Steelers versus Tim Tebow. No, it’s the Steelers versus the Broncos, so I can only imagine what it’s like for him with all the eyes and the attention on him and the pressure. It can’t be fun. I feel for him a little bit.”
Well, there’s no doubt it’s difficult being Tebow or Roethlisberger these days. However, one player’s character has yet to be tarnished. The other’s has been tarnished to some degree.
Despite the good and bad depictions of both players, they do share similarities on the field. When asked this week about Roethlisberger, you’d think Tebow was describing himself at the time he led Denver to a seven-game winning streak.
“He makes a lot of plays,” Tebow told The Associated Press. “Sometimes you’ll watch and you’ll say, ‘Man that guy is really a playmaker and a winner and he finds a way to get the ball out and get it to his receivers.’ Sometimes, it doesn’t always look the prettiest, but he does a great job at it, especially in crunch time. That’s usually when he’s at his best.”
So as it turns out, the weekend’s most anticipated playoff game will also be its ugliest. And its most symbolic.
Photos by The Associated Press
