Super Bowl XLV Preview

Team History
It is impossible for me to pass up an opportunity to write something about the upcoming Super Bowl. After all, it is a contest between two storied franchises - the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of which is my favorite team. The Packers legacy was forged with legendary coach Vince Lombardi when the modern Super Bowl era began. He had the good fortune to have quarterback Bart Starr and running backs Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor as members of the first two Super Bowl winning teams. Of course, the rosters have changed through the years with the likes of James Lofton, Brett Favre, and Reggie White donning the green and gold for the small town in Wisconsin. Now, they are led by everyone's favorite QB of the present and future - Aaron Rodgers - while the defense features linebacker Clay Matthews, Jr. and defensive back Charles Woodson. The Steelers' rise to success came several years after the Packers rise to prominence. Their leader, Chuck Noll, drafted the right players to fit his team's identity with QB Terry Bradshaw, RB Franco Harris, DL Joe Greene, and LB Jack Lambert. Most of the team stayed intact during their run of four titles in six years from 1974 to 1980.

Both franchises experienced some rather dark years in the 1980s after their superstars retired from football. Sure, there were a handful of playoff berths, but neither team was ever considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Then, the decade of the 1990s brought about a return to prosperity. Green Bay was able to pry Favre away from Atlanta in 1992 for a first round pick because the Falcons were sure that Jeff George was the answer at QB - oops. Mike Holmgren's Packers brought home a Lombardi trophy to Titletown in 1997 by defeating Bill Parcells' New England Patriots. Bill Cowher invigorated the Steelers franchise with a new enthusiasm in the early 90s. The Steelers didn't break through with any Super Bowl victories until the past decade (when they got two more), but the foundation for the two franchises have been rock solid for the better part of two decades.

But, that history has little to do with the upcoming weekend's game. It is merely a talking point for the media. What effect will Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, Chuck Noll, or Terry Bradshaw have on the outcome of this game? Zero. It only affords reporters the opportunity to interview each franchise's longtime veterans on this most over-hyped week of the season. The focus should be on each team's current roster, not the glad-handing of retired professionals. There are 106 players (let's not forget the coaches, too!) who are dying to win a Super Bowl ring. Let's make this week about them. They are the ones who are building a team's history before our very eyes.

Offense / Defense / Special Teams
The game itself will feature two excellent defenses. Green Bay's defense has made vast improvements over the second half of the season. While Clay Matthews' sack numbers have slightly declined since his torrid early season pace, the overall team concept of defense has solidified. B.J. Raji has become a force in the interior defensive line. A.J. Hawk is an exceptional athlete that has progressed in becoming an every-down linebacker. The strength of the secondary is Charles Woodson. His ability to play any secondary position allows defensive coordinator to provide multiple looks intended to confuse the opposing QB and offensive coordinator. Tramon Williams was worthy of a Pro Bowl selection and has nearly become a shutdown corner.

Pittsburgh has been steadier throughout the year with solid but unspectacular line play, allowing James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley to be formidable pass rushers. The secondary has some holes that can be exploited. Bryant McFadden gets picked on quiite often as a result of CB Ike Taylor's superb one-on-one defending. Troy Polamalu provides unprecedented playmaking ability that can affect opponents' gameplans.

It is quite astounding that the Packers made it to the Super Bowl with the number of starters that are on injured reserve - RB Ryan Grant, TE Jermichael Finley, and LB Nick Barnett are the most prominent names. In total, 16 Packers are on IR. Pittsburgh has suffered many injuries on the offensive line, the worst of which was last week's high ankle sprain (and broken bone) to Pro Bowl C Maurkice Pouncey. Also, Pittsburgh insiders believe that there is a lingering injury affecting all-world SS Troy Polamalu's play. He and his flowing hair usually run miles each game, forward and back, sideline to sideline to mask the opposing QB's ability to read the defense. But, the Steelers have chosen to use him primarily 15-20 yards from the line of scrimmage in playoff games.

Neither special teams unit generally makes significant plays. I think both teams would be happy if they plodded through the special teams game and didn't allow a big play.

The offenses may be just dynamic enough to overcome very slight weaknesses in defenses. Aaron Rodgers can throw the ball into such tight windows. Of course, it helps that each member of the receiving corps can get open. Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and even RB Brandon Jackson notched better than 40 receptions. This just goes to show that Green Bay can pick you apart in a number of ways. The running game, which had become an afterthought for much of the season, is gaining steam in the playoffs with James Starks filling in admirably as the go-to guy. He's going to find some tough sledding this weekend against the league's best run defense. Expect the Packers to give him the ball early to see if they can maintain a balanced attack. If not, they would be just as comfortable using 4WR and 5WR sets to spread out the Steelers, hoping to force Dick LeBeau (Steelers defensive coordinator) to use more nickel and dime packages. I'm sure that LeBeau would prefer to use a 3-4 base defense where he can mix up the playcalling with more exotic pressure packages. RB Rashard Mendenhall made Jets defenders miss all last week, but I wouldn't expect him to surpass 120 yards in the big game unless he breaks a long run. He won't be able to grind out 5+ yards as often as he did last week, especially behind the patchwork Steelers offensive line. WR Mike Wallace has big play capability, but has been awfully quiet in the postseason, as has Hines Ward. Tight end Heath Miller will be a tough draw for any Packers defender. He is the Steelers' best hope at opening up the passing game for the other receivers. Ben Roethlisberger's consistent knack for extending plays could frustrate the Cheeseheads' pass rushers if he continues to get loose to make throws downfield.

Super Bowl Minutiae
If you look at the past five Super Bowls, those quarterbacks that are making their Super Bowl debuts have had their difficulties, with the exception of Drew Brees last year.
Year      QB                                   Rating
2009      D. Brees                          114.5
2007      E. Manning                      87.3
New York Giants / New England Patriots. Yes, Eli Manning got MVP Honors, but it wasn't until the 'helmet catch' that the Giants believed they could win.
2006      P. Manning                      81.8
Indianapolis Colts / Chicago Bears. Peyton Manning may have also received MVP honors, but it was a total team effort that won the title for Dungy and company.
2006      R. Grossman                   68.3
Indianapolis Colts / Chicago Bears. Rex Grossman played poorly throughout the game for the NFC champion Bears despite being handed an early lead by Devin Hester.
2005      B. Roethlisberger            22.5
Pittsburgh Steelers / Seattle Seahawks. Ben Roethlisberger could have put the game away in the 3rd quarter, but woefully underthrew a corner route that allowed the Seahawks back into the game.
2005      M. Hasselbeck                67.8
Pittsburgh Steelers / Seattle Seahawks. Matt Hasselbeck also experienced the first Super Bowl game jitters and threw a costly interception that promptly set up a Steelers 2nd half touchdown.

The last few Super Bowls have featured a game-changing play late in the game, but I don't expect that to happen on Sunday.
2009 - New Orleans Saints / Indianapolis Colts - Porter's interception of Manning
2008 - Pittsburgh Steelers / Arizona Cardinals - Holmes' toe tap in the end zone
2007 - New York Giants / New England Patriots - David Tyree's helmet catcfh

Tale of the Tape
Subject                           Green Bay                           Pittsburgh
#6 seed                                  +
Linemen                                 +
Nickname                               +
SB Experience                                                                 +
Playoff Beards                                                                 +
Home crowd                                                                   +
Signature food                       +                                       +
Scandals                                -                                        -
Tutoring                                                                         +
Karma                                   -                                         -

#6 Seed: The only other #6 seed to enter a Super Bowl (like the Packers are doing this year) won it. It was Pittsburgh, defeating Seattle 21-10 in Super Bowl XL. The #6 seed was favored by the Vegas line in that contest, and Green Bay is a 2.5 point favorite in this one, too.
Linemen: No team has ever won a Super Bowl that started one of its five intended offensive linemen from training camp. That's the mountain the Steelers need to climb with Chris Kemoeatu being the last man standing.
Nickname: Titletown is a far better nickname than Sixburgh (or potentially Stairway to Seven).
Super Bowl Experience: Pittsburgh certainly has the experience edge of the big game with 18 players attempting to win their third ring with the team.
Playoff Beards: For the superstitious, playoff beards are in vogue (thank you hockey players for this tradition!) and Aaron Rodgers made the crucial error of dispensing with his facial hair this past week (Former Pittsburgh QB Neil O'Donnell parted with his 'Grizzly Adams' look right before Super Bowl XXX, and the Cowboys picked him off three times en route to a 27-17 victory). Big Ben has maintained his beard. Brett Keisel...well, I wouldn't call it maintenance. After seven months, his beard is just awesome.
Home Crowd: Steeler Nation will travel better than Cheesehead fans to Cowboys Stadium. Although it won't quite feel like a home game, I'd expect 65-70% of the crowd to be Pittsburgh fans.
Signature Food: Bratwurst or Primanti Bros' signature sandwich? Tough call...I can't pick.
Scandals: Picture-gate or Miiledgeville? Which will have an effect on the game? Neither. Once the ball is kicked off, both scandals will be the furthest thing from players' and coaches' minds.
Tutoring: Aaron Rodgers is turning to Trent Dilfer for advice? Yikes (Dilfer is widely regarded as the WORST quarterback to win a Super Bowl game). Meanwhile, cancer survivor and tough as nails RB Merril Hoge is in Roethlisberger's ear from time to time.
Karma: Rodgers being mum about his new helmet that may prevent concussions (check out this link to Julius Peppers' headshot on him last week - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guG2vd-uAfY). Roethlisberger's indiscretions. They're both endangering public safety.

Predictions
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Aaron Rodgers will experience early game butterflies. Look at last week's contest versus the Bears. Once Rodgers got beyond the pre-scripted plays (of which there are usually fifteen), he looked uncomfortable and was playing 'not to lose' as opposed to keeping his foot on the throat of the defense like he did the previous week against the Falcons.

Being a Steeler fan, I will openly admit a bias when making predictions. So, let's put it this way. If I project a score using only my head, I'd say Green Bay wins 30-24. But, it's difficult to not factor in my heart, so I'm going to say Pittsburgh 27, Green Bay 23. I believe that the Steelers will take the lead into the 4th quarter and hang on for dear life...similar to the AFC Championship game against the Jets. I don't think it will offer quite the offensive fireworks that last season's Steelers 37-36 regular season victory did. But, I don't expect either defense to dominate play. It won't be a game for the ages. Rather, it's a matchup between two solid teams that did what it took to get here.

The prize at the end of Sunday.  Everyone wants it...a precious few get it.

A Brutal Rivalry Renewed

I've had the good fortune to attend a handful of regular season NFL games. However, my first playoff game was a week ago at Heinz Field to witness my favorite team - the Pittsburgh Steelers do battle against the Baltimore Ravens. I chose to write this article not to provide a synopsis of the game, but rather, to discuss the atmosphere of a playoff game.

All I can say is thank goodness that the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Winter Classic this year. You may say, what in the world does this have to do with playoff football? Well, without the temporary bleachers that were erected behind the south endzone, I probably wouldn't have gotten tickets. My wife and I got seats a few rows up with a view directly between the goalpost uprights. They provided a fantastic perspective of the field of play, one that you rarely get on television.

The matchup that we witnessed was between two bitter rivals who have equal part respect and loathing for one another. The Baltimore Ravens franchise came into existence in 1996, when Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell decided to chase the money and move the Ohio city's beloved team to Baltimore. The Steelers and Browns shared a rivalry that lasted not for years or decades, but generations. People from each city usually use colorful language when describing folks from the other town. When the Browns disappeared, the Steelers were left without a natural rival.  But, by the beginning of the new century, Baltimore proved to be the replacement for the rival Browns (even though Cleveland got its franchise back in 1999).

The recent history of the rivalry has been fairly even. Ray Lewis has been the heart and soul of the Ravens team since its inception. Primarily due to their stellar play on defense, the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000. The Steelers once proud Super Bowl tradition was invigorated by championship wins in 2006 and 2009. The two teams have combined for nine of the last eleven AFC North division titles (Cincinnati won it in 2005 and 2009). The teams mirror one another with their styles of play - you can count on facing a hard-hitting, stout defense any time you face either one of these teams.

Yet, when these two teams square off against one another, the hitting is turned up more than a few notches. We all know the vicious hits that have been a part of the fabric of this rivalry. The first few images that come to mind are Willis McGahee being nearly decapitated by a torpedo strike from Ryan Clark in the 2008 AFC Championship. I can't forget a regular season contest in the 2008 season where Ray Lewis tackled Rashard Mendenhall so hard that his scapula broke. I don't think I've ever heard of that injury occurring in an NFL game before or since. The most deflating hit came in the 2006 season when Bart Scott came untouched for one of the Ravens' nine sacks of Ben Roethlisberger. Both players still mention that hit. Scott lauds himself for knocking all the air out of "Big Ben," while Ben recalls that was probably the hardest he's ever been hit. Then, there is the incessant jawing between the combatants. Hines Ward gets under opponents' skin with his aggressive play at the wide receiver position. Ed Reed and company give it right back to the man with the ever-present smile. You get the point - it's nasty. Smash mouth football at its finest.

Both teams stepped onto Heinz Field that freezing cold day (game time temperatures were in the low 30s) with something to prove. The Steelers wanted to keep the Ravens down by defeating them for the third time in as many tries in playoff games. Baltimore wanted to show that they were the team to be reckoned with, and that Joe Flacco can win a meaningful contest with the game on the line.

 A glimpse from afar of the tailgating scene outside Heinz Field

For the majority of games that I’ve attended, you walk in and see some late-arriving people get to their seats. When we finished tailgating with friends nearly an hour before gametime, it was as if a sea of people began moving towards the entrances to the stadium. You'd better get in, get your seat, lock in your chinstrap because the epic battle was due to begin. By the time the anthem was being played, you could feel the wave of emotion in the crowd. The fighter jets flying over elicited an ovation that drowned out the end of the Star-Spangled Banner. 

 

The starting defensive lineup being announced to the delight of a Terrible Towel waving crowd

The home crowd was ecstatic when the Steelers scored a touchdown on their opening drive. As the first half progressed, the fans were very antsy because the Ravens had hung 21 points on their team, thanks primarily to two turnovers that set up Baltimore for quick scores. As the half came to a close, Pittsburgh missed a field goal after sustaining a decent but unspectacular drive. The best way I can describe the vibe at halftime was seething. There were a lot of grumbles. There were a select few who were choosing this moment to begin increasing the vulgarities towards men wearing purple jerseys in the stands. And, I overheard one individual guaranteeing a Steeler victory.

What the crowd needed was a spark...something to get everyone back in the game. For the beginning of the third quarter during regular season games, you would regularly see many seats open seats due to restroom lines, the need for more food, or last call for alcohol. Not tonight. There were still some seats open, but the crowd was ready and waiting for something...anything to happen. Pittsburgh got the ball to start and began driving, but stalled before reaching scoring range. When Baltimore got the ball back, they decided not to go into an offensive shell and mix up the playcalling. On a third and long, a safe play turned into disaster for the road team...and started the next 90 minutes where the crowd was in a frenzy. The short pass to Ray Rice, a man who never fumbles, was stripped by safety Ryan Clark and recovered by LaMarr Woodley. Two short plays later, Roethlisberger pump faked, then hit a wide open Heath Miller for an easy TD pass. The crowd had arrived!

After the ensuing kickoff, a television timeout afforded the Heinz Field public address system to simply say, "You want it, you got it," before beginning the rallying cry for Steeler faithful. The jumbotron went black then the images of Steeler highlights began rolling as the chords of "Renegade" by Styx could not be heard due to the throng of screaming and yelling amongst the Pittsburgh faithful. As the music went from placid to the drum beats that kick off the rocking part of the song, the Terrible Towels united as one.  It was precisely at this time that we learned why these bleachers were temporary. As the crowd throbbed, so did the stands to the tune of the entire section of bleachers pulsing back and forth nearly a foot each second. We all looked at each other like "What? Really?!" My wife only said, "Just land on your butt if we're going to fall" as we were about 12 feet off the ground.

The offensive huddle pinned deep in its own end.

The home team did not disappoint by getting the gift of a terrible read by Joe Flacco that resulted in an interception that once again positioned the Steelers for another quick score - this time, a Hines Ward touchdown catch. He promptly searched out a fellow #86 in the crowd to hand-deliver a memory to a lucky fan. The score at the third quarter was 21-21. The Pittsburghers had all the momentum and their defense had stymied a diverse Baltimore offense with only 92 yards through three quarters.

You always expect that the fourth quarter will decide the Steelers / Ravens games and this was not going to be an exception. Both teams mustered a field goal, but each team continually shot itself in the foot with dumb penalties and other gaffes. Baltimore had a punt return for a touchdown nullified by a holding penalty. There was an audible gasp of horror during this play until everyone saw the yellow flag on the field. Marcus Smith was incensed that he was called for holding and visibly upset on the sideline.  Meanwhile, big money receiver Anquan Boldin failed to catch a sure touchdown pass on the goal line that would have given the Ravens a four-point lead midway through the 4^th quarter.

As the Steelers began to approach midfield with four minutes to go, the palpitations of the crowd could be felt. The game is in our hands. This can be won.  Then, came a sack on first down.  Loss of nine.  Second down was a perfect pass to rookie Emmanuel Sanders, but the ball was separated from his leaping attempt by Ed Reed – incomplete.  So, it’s 3^rd and 19.  The play doesn’t come in from the sideline quickly enough forcing Pittsburgh to call a time out to avoid 3^rd and 24.  My goodness, the slippery slope that the game was headed down…all of a sudden, the possibility that Baltimore could get the ball back with two minutes and three time outs against the Steelers’ inconsistent secondary was becoming a reality.  Then, lightning struck.

Roethlisberger fires a long pass to rookie Antonio Brown, who gets one step behind the Baltimore cornerback.  58 yards later, the crowd erupts as Brown pins the ball to his helmet to secure the catch before going out of bounds.  Most of us didn’t even see how he pulled it in, but we knew that the big play just happened.  The crowd was able to revel in the glory of that play during the two-minute warning.  The previously half-naked guy (who smartened up and put on his clothes) hugged me like a long-lost brother.  It was a sense of euphoria.  Five plays later, Rashard Mendenhall made a tough goal line run to punch in what proved to be the winning score.  It felt like the end of the film “Rudy.”

Of course, we had to rely on the defense one more time…and they didn’t disappoint.  Ziggy Hood’s third down sack put the Ravens in a precarious 4^th and 18, also forcing John Harbaugh to call his final timeout with just over a minute to go.  An abbreviated version of “Renegade” was played, but the crowd didn’t need any prodding.  The screams of DE-FENSE were growing in intensity, not lessening.  As the 4^th down play transpired, T.J. Houshmandzadeh easily shook William Gay’s coverage to get wide open for what would have been a first down pass.  But, he dropped the ball that was well-placed by the Ravens’ quarterback.  As T.J. stormed off the field in obvious frustration that he let his team down, Heinz Field nearly imploded.  Ravens fans scurried out, Steelers fans were able to celebrate another playoff victory over their archrival.

A postgame view of the jumbotron underneath the giant ketchup bottles

The regular season tilts that I’ve seen pale in comparison with the Steelers / Ravens playoff game.  It was well worth the price of admission.  There may not have been any breathtaking hits to recollect (no, the headbutts between Ike Taylor and T.J. Houshmandzadeh don’t count), but the magnitude of each play was its own scene in a five-act drama.  The postgame wave of relief, giddiness, joy, and festival-like atmosphere extended from the stadium in every direction in a web-like fashion.

I, for one, was fairly certain that would have been the last game played at Heinz Field in the 2010-2011 season.  But, the New York Jets had different ideas, allowing Pittsburgh to host the AFC Championship game.  The crowd must have been as fired up for that showdown with the Super Bowl on the line.

It’s Easy to Forgive…and Forget, Apparently

Our society is one that embraces the slogan that it’s easy to forgive, but not forget.  I would suggest that at least two of our modern heroes have quickly had their deplorable actions quickly forgiven and forgotten.  I’m speaking of two NFL quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers and Michael Vick of the Eagles.  Give it a New York minute, and we can put Brett Favre of the Vikings in that category as well.

Years ago, Michael Vick was only known as a wildly popular athlete who played QB for the Atlanta Falcons when news of his involvement in a dogfighting ring in eastern Virginia came to light in 2007. He was about to enter the fourth year of a 10-year, $130 million contract. Many media reports stated that dogs at his "Bad Newz Kennels" were hanged, drowned, electrocuted, and shot. Initially, Vick denied ever being at the house, stating that he essentially turned over the residence to family members. As more details surfaced during the police investigations, Michael Vick looked more and more culpable, not only for owning the property where dogfights are occurred. But, there were witnesses who were willing to state that Vick was an active participant in some of the cruel actions performed on the dogs. Instead of facing a lengthier prison sentence, Vick pled guilty to dogfighting conspiracy, which carries a federal felony. He was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. 49 dogs were seized from the property, two of which had to be euthanized, 22 were sent to an animal sanctuary in Utah to lessen aggression towards other dogs, and 25 ended up in foster care with the intent to be adopted. Michael Vick served his prison sentence, staying out of the spotlight.

 Michael Vick electrified NFL fans as a running quarterback for Atlanta

When he was released from prison, he returned to the NFL by signing a modest 2 year-$6.6 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Immediately, there were a significant number of protests by dog lovers, regular fans, and of course, defamatory statements by PETA begging for boycotts of anything related to Michael Vick.  Even Eagles fans were divided in their opinion for bringing Vick onto the team. After all, what good could his presence be? He could not be considered any more than a backup with longtime starter, Donovan McNabb, at the helm. When Vick first entered the field in a preseason game in Jacksonville, he was mercilessly booed. His presence drew the outrage of many NFL fans. People still viewed him as a criminal. His fans were few and far between. Of course, America is a dog-loving society, which didn't help Vick's cause. As the 2009 season progressed, his reception became less and less of a distraction. Perhaps it was the manner in which he was used (only a sprinkling of plays each game as the backup QB), perhaps time just starting healing old wounds...but Michael Vick was no longer seen by the masses as a blight on society.

Vick was embroiled under intense scrutiny when federal charges were made against him for dogfighting.

In 2010, he was to serve as Kevin Kolb's backup after Donovan McNabb was traded to the Redskins. But, Vick got the opportunity to start by week 3 due to a combination of Kevin Kolb’s concussion-like symptoms and perceived ineffectiveness. The city of Philadelphia is now experiencing a lovefest with Vick thanks to his on-field performance…that is, before a rib cartilage injury forced him to the sideline for two weeks. But, he is once again scheduled to start the next game, despite Kevin Kolb being healthy. It looks like his story has come full circle and his return to the good graces of fans is complete. There may be a few that still hold a grudge, but those folks are in the minority.

Now Michael is back in the spotlight...due to his athletic exploits.

It has been well documented that Ben Roethlisberger has endured two separate allegations of sexual assault - once in 2008 at Lake Tahoe and again this year in Milledgeville, Georgia. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended the Steelers quarterback for four games for violating the personal conduct policy. While Ben was never formally charged with a crime, the NFL front office took these allegations seriously enough to sideline him for four weeks. The initial reaction in Pittsburgh was divided about 50/50 - half of Steelers nation supported him, thinking that he deserved a second chance. However, there was the other half of the fanbase who loathed him, some of which desired Roethlisberger to be off the team. There were significant rumors that the Steelers had floated their franchise QB out there as trade bait prior to the NFL draft in April. But, none of those trade rumors came to fruition.

Ben Roethlisberger, on top of the world, bringing a sixth Lombardi Trophy to Pittsburgh.

Ben, apologizing for his actions, days before he learned of his four-game suspension.  Nice mullet.

Fast forward three months to Latrobe, PA, where the Steelers hold training camp at Saint Vincent college. The majority of the fans cheered Ben when they saw him emerge onto the practice fields. In the preseason, the home fans were very supportive with only a few detractors. On the road, the Denver fans loudly booed Roethlisberger as he took the field, and on several plays when Ben was under center. Roethlisberger then endured his four-week suspension in solitude, banned from the team facility and from having any football-related communication with players or coaches. As Ben returned to football in week six, he was welcomed to Heinz Field by the loudest ovation of any offensive player when his name was announced. There were reports of perhaps a few dozen people on hand wearing capes and masks protesting the return of Roethlisberger. Steeler fans have swiftly overcome their disgust for their quarterback's offseason activities. Even this past week, Dolphin fans didn't give Ben a raucous welcome. It looks like all has been forgiven...and forgotten.

Roethlisberger atoned for his crimes (well, at least to most Steeler fans) by putting up 3 TD passes in his first game of the year against the Browns.

Brett Favre has been a lightning rod for media attention over the past three seasons with his on again / off again retirement stances. So, he hasn't exactly endeared himself to Packers (or Jets) fans by jilting his former teams and waiting until the last possible moment to attend training camp. But, now the legendary quarterback is embroiled in an unexpected controversy. Rumors swirl about that Favre left voicemails for a former female Jets employee (and model) asking to get together. Favre has admitted doing so. However, a lingering rumor persists that Brett has sent photos of his genitals to the woman in question, which of course Brett denied. Aside from the public ridicule regarding the pictures, Favre hasn't endured undue negative attention for the allegations...even while being married to his wife, Deanna, who has fought a battle with breast cancer. People are more concerned with his current on-field performance than any of his off the field antics.

Brett Favre, after being picked up by three teammates on a private team plane, returned to Minnesota in search of another elusive Super Bowl title.

It didn't take Favre long to get over how bad he feels for putting the Vikings in a tough spot with his off-the-field behavior.

A week after the Favre scandal erupted, he suffered two fractures in his left ankle at his old stomping grounds.

I can appreciate sports fans' perspectives that they only want the best for their team. So, if Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, and Brett Favre give their respective teams the best opportunity to win, then fans can quickly forgive these men for their indiscretions. I will pose a different question to you. Sure, these guys are great football talents, but would you hold these men up as role models for your children? The reason I ask this is because sports figures (whether they like it or not) are heroes to many, including our kids. Each of these guys can be considered the face of their respective franchises right now. The spotlight on each man is very bright. But, think about it - dogfighting that gets you sent to federal prison, alleged sexual assaults, and inappropriate extramarital conduct - aren't these disgusting behaviors? How in the world can you consider any one of these men a leader, a role model? Impossible, in my opinion.

Celebrities, including prominent athletes, forget what impact they have on the rest of us. These men's disgusting actions have either been forgotten or soon will be. It is the enlightened approach to forgive a person for his past sins.  Forgiveness is fine, but forgetting their actions to the point where these players deserved to be treated as heroes is tough for me to swallow.  Athletes are placed on the highest of pedestals in our society.  I’m as guilty as the next guy for loving sports.  But, for once, I actually agree with Roger Goodell and believe that the integrity of the players needs to be held to the highest of standards.

There are heroes that walk amongst us in many different fields - science, religion, the arts, military, public service, and sports. These three particular men may be heroes on the sports field for their athletic prowess, but their character will never be worthy of praise or adulation.  True heroes provide an example of character for others to follow.