5. Legacy Doesn't Matter

I am here to put a damper on one of the more overblown stories of Super Bowl XLV, the question of what will the legacy be for either quarterback if they win the Super Bowl.  I hate the term legacy with a current player because a writer/analyst always lives in the moment and describes what the player has (or hasn't) accomplished in the past year.

Tom Brady has won 3 Super Bowls and that will be apart of his legacy when he retires, but right now, people see Brady as the guy who married Giselle Bundchen, has too long of hair, and recently is not very clutch in the postseason.  Peyton Manning is on pace to have one of the best statsitical careers of any quarterback, and has one Super Bowl win. But right now, people still have visions of New Orleans Saints' cornerback Tracey Porter running back a Manning interception to seal the Super Bowl for the Saints. The NFL is a 'what have you done for me lately' league therefore legacy is not important until retirement.

If the Steelers win, Ben Roethlisberger will have his third Super Bowl win in six years. That is a great accomplishment, and he will be considered one of the best winners in the NFL. People will force themselves to include Big Ben in their top five quarterbacks lists even when statistically he hasn't done much. But what people forget is the Steelers are an old football team. Many of their guys start to head into to the twilight of their careers in the upcoming seasons. It would not shock me if this will be the last time we see Big Ben on the grandest stage for multiple years as the Steelers quietly rebuild through the draft.  Does it diminish his legacy if it happens?  Hell no. Win or lose, Big Ben has a bright NFL future.  

The legacy issue reaches a bigger deal with Aaron Rodgers. A Packer victory ensures Rodgers a spot in the Top 5 quarterbacks discussion, and people begin to tout how great Rodgers is in the postseason. Fair or not, Rodgers gets put on a brand new pedestal just because of one win at age 27. Another reason some people on the national stage believe he needs to win the Super Bowl is to become as popular as Brett Favre... Child Please. First off, the Favre questions need to stop, let Aaron be Aaron.  Second off, why does it matter?  People love the guy, he is the most popular athlete in the state of the Wisconsin, hands down.  So what if nationally, he isn't on Favre's level yet, he will be. Additionally, if Rodgers were to lose on Sunday, he has a loaded team that could be back next year, or the year after. The Packers are stacked at every position with young talent. Just so Rodgers doesn't turn into Jim Kelly, I will be perfectly fine with it. 

The reason why the word legacy is passed around like Charlie Sheen's crack pipe is it's an easy topic. Usually, people choose their sides defending them to the death.  There is an old saying 'don't judge a book by its cover.'  So then why does the national media judge an NFL player when the book isn't even finished. Let's wait and see what happens with Roethlisberger's and Rodgers' careers before we anoint their legacies. 

-Charlie. 

Big Ben In a Class of His Own

Ben Roethlisberger has played in more big games in his short NFL career than most quarterbacks play their entire lives, and somehow, he always comes up huge when it matters most.  This past Sunday Big Ben made two huge completions that iced the AFC Championship and sealed another trip to the Super Bowl for the Steel City.  The thing that has really boggled my mind the last few days though is that Ben played an absolutely terrible game right up until that last drive.  I mean, it was a stinker.  And yet, somehow, the media hasn't made one mention of it.  If you listen to Sportscenter or NFL Live you would think that Roethlisberger carried that team the entire game, when in actuality the defense dominated the Jets in the first half and did enough to stay atop down the stretch.  That is how the Steelers win; they rely on defense and a running game to just keep them in the game despite mistakes by their quarterback, and then in the last two minutes Big Ben comes alive and makes a play to win the game.

I've been thinking about this since Sunday.  Has their ever been a player, in any sport, who consistently puts up below average numbers but is still considered one of the best to play the game at his position because of that "clutch factor".  I can't even think of one; not on the level of Big Ben.  To give you an idea of how bad he played Sunday, take a look at his stat line.

10/19, 133 yards, 0 TDs, 2 ints, 35.5 passer rating

Its crazy that two clutch completions at the end of the game can mask a stat line like that.  What if the teams had been reversed.  What if the Jets had won the game, what if  Mark Sanchez had put up those stats but made a few plays when it mattered most?  I'd bet my bottom dollar that ESPN analysts would have been saying "The Jets won in spite of Mark Sanchez, he is their glaring weakness going into the Super Bowl."

Now, let me clarify something before I get harassed with comments for a week.  Winning in the NFL is everything.  Super Bowl rings have been and will always be the true test of a great quarterback.  Stats don't get you anywhere if you can't come up big in big situations.  I know this, and in fact I agree with it.  I think Big Ben is a top 5 quarterback in the NFL.  What boggles my mind is that fact that I know how bad he usually plays and I still think that. 

Again, has there ever been another player that can hoodwink so many people with a few clutch plays?  I say no.