Beard Trim Latest Example That Ben Roethlisberger Never Comes Off Relatable
After injuring his elbow, which resulted in missing the rest of the 2019 season, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said he wouldn't cut his hair or his beard until he could complete an NFL caliber pass to one of his teammates. It was a symbolic gesture to show his commitment to being back for 2020 and enabling the Steelers to be a contender again.
On Sunday, at Valley Knox High School, he did it, throwing passes to a few teammates, including Juju Smith-Schuster, Ryan Switzer and Ryan Switzer. Part hype video, part declaration that he's back and a small attempt to humanize himself in light of COVID-19, he got his beard trim by a local barber and friend, who called it a personal favor.
Perhaps the first hint that this wasn't going to work was the fact his Twitter account was prominently featured in the video. That account has famously blocked just about anyone who has ever said anything even bordering on criticism.
Misspell his name? Blocked!
The account is so proactive that most people have no idea they are blocked until it's mentioned and they check to see if it's true, which is largely the only run it gets. In order for anything Roethlisberger tweets to be actually seen, the official Steelers twitter account has to tweet it out for him.
Roethlisberger didn't do anything wrong in this case. In a pretty harmless publicity effort, he got his beard trimmed to announce he's back, trying to get fans excited.
That is until the governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, was asked about the haircut, in light of the pandemic.
"My concern is just a general concern. Anybody who puts himself or herself into harm's way is something that I think we ought to try to avoid. When you go to something like a barbershop and you're not protected, I don't care who you are, the chances of that virus actually wreaking havoc on your life increases."
Wolf doesn't even mention Roethlisberger's name, answering the question entirely from a general perspective, so as not to directly criticize the Steelers quarterback. That's clearly something he's trying to avoid, going for the larger point.
"I don't personally think any Pennsylvanian ought to take that chance. I certainly don't want to take that chance myself."
Nevertheless, there are headlines from various outlets that suggest Wolf slammed Roethlisberger. TMZ uses the world 'scolded'.
And there are fans in Pennsylvania taking this as a slight to the Steelers and people it as a political lever. Obviously, when the governor discusses a topic, it's inherently political, but there are some who are trying to make this into an act of political rebellion against the current restrictions in place over concerns with the pandemic.
The reality is that Roethlisberger likely just saw this as an opportunity to fire up his fanbase and an attempt to make himself more relatable, more human. And like most everything when it comes to Roethlisberger, it doesn't work.
This particular situation isn't his fault. The same Roethlisberger, fully bearded, did a public service announcement advising people to stay home months ago.
Unfortunately for Roethlisberger, in staying true to his pledge, looked so unkempt, as he's trying to talk with his wife and family about what they are enjoying about being together at home in the situation. It looked more like a deranged drifter broke into someone's home and held the family hostage, assuring them he'd let them go if they just filmed this with him.
Roethlisberger has always wanted to be liked and his attempts always go awry for one reason or another. He doesn't understand why he's not held in the same esteem as some of the other great quarterbacks in the NFL. A player like Aaron Rodgers has issues with his family, is reputed to be difficult to deal with because he knows how smart he is and isn't afraid to let coaches know. Still, he's got national ad campaigns and is largely viewed positively. Roethlisberger isn't.
It's acknowledged Roethlisberger is a quarterback and will likely be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but people just don't embrace him. Whether it feels like he's trying too hard or something happens completely out of his control, it doesn't work. He never receives the benefit of the doubt and he's largely dismissed. It simply never works out for the Steelers quarterback and perhaps that's the most relatable part about him.
