1.    Redemption for Big Ben. Roethlisberger’s off field behavior has been nothing short of, should we say, active. Twice he has been accused of sexual allegations, though neither of the cases has been filed. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for the first four games of the 2010 season because of personal misconduct.

Why root for a guy that women love to hate? It’s like asking, “Why root for Michael Vick after holding events that let dogs tear each other apart?”.  Since the cases weren’t filed, you can conclude that the women didn’t have sufficient evidence to bring the cases to court. Maybe Roethlisberger did force the issue, but if that’s the case, why didn’t the girls sue for millions of dollar claiming they were raped? I still give Roethlisberger the benefit of the doubt. The two women weren’t confident enough that they’d win in court. Call me a sexist but those girls were looking for a quick pay out.

Image by Jeffrey Beall via Flickr

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After coming back from suspension, Roethlisberger has led his team to the Super Bowl. It’s the perfect way to help the city of Pittsburgh accept him again as a person. It’s a step in the right direction. The guy wasn’t even convicted. Vick was and yet we love his comeback story and his road to redemption. Winning and a few highlight reels have won us over. Why can’t a third Super Bowl ring in five years do the same for Roethlisberger?

2.    Troy Polamalu. Everything has been said about him, it almost feels like he’s overrated. Stats speak for themselves though. Since the 2005 season, the Steelers have played a total of 106 games – including wild cards, divisional and Super Bowls. Out of the 106 games, Polamalu has played in 85 of those games. In the 85 games in which he played in, Pittsburgh has won 60 times. That means when Polamalu plays, the Steelers are likely to win 70.60 percent of the time. That’s a higher than Shaq’s free throw percentage. Looks like the hype that comes with the Polamalu effect is justified, after all.

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3.    Dynasty. There’s no arguing that the Patriots were the best team in the first part of the decade. They’ve won three Super Bowls from 2001 – 2005. Now, the Steelers have the chance to do the same in the latter part of the decade. If they beat the Packers, it’ll be their third Super Bowl in the last five years.

4.    The supposed underdogs. After surviving the Jets in the conference championship, Las Vegas released odds for the winner of the Super Bowl. It listed Pittsburgh at plus 2.5. I couldn’t believe it at first given that the Steelers have won two of the last five Super Bowls. At the same time, it’s fair because they didn’t impress in the playoffs – winning by just an average of six points. With the unstoppable Aaron Rodgers coming to claim his first championship belt, the Steelers are underdogs. Who doesn’t want to see an underdog hold its own against the most unstoppable force in football right now?