Fans should focus on the positives, not the gossip

Editor's note: The original version of this story was incomplete, and contained an incorrect headline that altered the meaning.

This column is going to be about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, I promise, but first it needs to be about Tiger Woods.

For me — for many — the story of Big Ben starts with Tiger.

There is a generation of golfers who grew up idolizing every movement Tiger made. I am part of this generation.

Tiger Woods, the one I knew growing up, is now a highlight reel in my head. There are particular scenes that stick out: Tiger at a tournament, striking a 30-foot putt so pure he nearly beat it to the cup, excitedly chasing after it, Tiger at a tournament, falling to his knees in celebration after a miracle chip-in at the most critical time, Tiger at a tournament, burying his head in the shoulder of his father after walking off the 18th a winner, and Tiger, at so many tournaments, exhibiting textbook trophy-accepting technique — receive, raise, smile big, lower, kiss, admire.

When I was in middle school I got a poster of Tiger Woods, crouched over the ball, sizing up a putt with a look of unshakable confidence.

These are images that made me want to play golf, but they went far beyond. They made me want to be great. They made me forget that there are limits, or at the very least they made me not care about limits.

And then, Tiger Woods became the villain. In a blaze of revealed mistress confessions and text messages, Tiger's personal life was embarrassingly exposed throughout the course of last winter.

This was devastating. It jeopardized the reality of those moments that inspired us. How could we let a man with such obvious and horrific flaws play such a dynamic role in our lives?

We couldn't.

I couldn't. I decided I would no longer be rooting for Tiger. I would be rooting against him. I found it funny his golf game seemed to disappear when he was no longer "getting any." I was one of many who were quick to make this observation when Tiger started entering tournaments again. I wanted very badly to trash my poster.

And then there is Big Ben — accused of rape in the summer of 2009, accused of rape in the summer of 2010 and suspended for four games at the start of the season.

Ben Roethlisberger, the Ben Roethlisberger who was 13-0 as a starter his rookie season and won Super Bowls in 2006 and 2009, now is the subject of hatred. It became apparent at some point during these playoffs that this is the way popular opinion had shifted. As the Super Bowl approached, more and more polls showed favoritism toward the Packers over the Steelers and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers over Roethlisberger.

Now that the Steelers lost the Super Bowl, there must be countless households feeling pleased that Ben Roethlisberger is, in our most recent memory, a loser.

My guess is there are kids out there who have idolized Roethlisberger, fallen in love with his intensity and toughness on the field. There probably are many kids in the Pittsburgh area and beyond who about five years ago received a poster of a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who made them forget about limits, or at least not care about them.

I never threw away my poster of Tiger Woods. When I moved to a new apartment, I brought it with me and hung it back up. I don't know if he will ever again play golf at the level I watched as a kid, but I'm rooting for it.

I hope fans of Big Ben — or for that matter or Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez or O.J. Simpson — or anyone else whose legacies have been tainted will similarly decide to focus on the positive images that inspired them.