Bryant & Tyson were much bigger stars. Roethlisberger is not a star in the same sense. He is never ranked among the top in his field despite having more Super Bowl wins than any active QB but Tom Brady. If Peyton Manning or Brady or Drew Brees or Brett Favre or Tony Romo or Donovan McNabb or one of the league's other golden boys & media darlings was to be accused, there would be a much bigger crap storm.

There was never any question of their guilt or involvement in the issues.

Yeah, right. Look at the Duke case. Look at the press that came down on them. And maybe that is what is making them wary. A bunch of college lacross players are going to disappear into anonimity. If Roethisberger beats this, the press can't afford to burn any bridges. He's only 28, and has won two Super Bowls and plays for a franchise with a tradition of success. He might never win passing awards or receive accolades, but the possibility of his being a significant part of a good (i.e. newsworthy) team for a long time to come means they will have to deal with Ben Roethlisberger for a long time. Unlike other fields, and even other players, the media cannot destroy him, because he is not their creation. They can tear down a politician or entertainer with immpunity, and undermine a player whose reputation depends a large part on media hype, such as Woods or Bryant (at that stage in his career) or Vick. For a player who has never been a glamor figure or superstar, but has undeniable and incontrovertible proof of his ability (i.e. a pair of Super Bowl rings), the media's influence is greatly reduced. Also, his refusal to settle with his previous accuser and history of headstrong behavior suggests he might not be the type to forget a blistering columnist lambasting him for an atrocious crime it turns out was unable to be proven. If a Pittsburg paper has to chose between never again getting an interview with one of the biggest current sports star in the area or firing a too-quick-to-accuse columnist to appease the legally vindicated star, well, I doubt the local sports pages have anyone with the kind of clout to win against they guys who has won a third of their Super Bowls.

I don't know. Being the first I've seen so far to play the race card is what I would call a classic example of "rushing to judgment."