Super Bowl 2011: Why It Won't Pay for Ben Roethlisberger To Be Named MVP

Ben Roethlisberger is listed by oddsmakers as being among the players participating in Super Bowl XLV with the best chance to be named MVP. However, even if the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback has an MVP performance en route to defeating the Green Bay Packers, it is extremely unlikely that endorsement deals would follow.

Roethlisberger has been black-listed by Madison Avenue after a sexual assault accusation (plus a prior similar situation) led to what became a four-game suspension this past season.

Although ESPN has been running during pre-Super Bowl programming a This is SportsCenter spot with Roethlisberger, he has become a marketing persona non grata.

Based on recent history involving such athletes as Kobe Bryant, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis and Tiger Woods, Roethlisberger could remain that way for several seasons.

Immediately out of reach for Roethlisberger would be a Super Bowl MVP endorsement that dates back to Super Bowl XXI in 1987. That year, Phil Simms was the first MVP to be asked as part of Disney's "What's Next?" campaign, "What are you going to do next?"

Since then, only two Super Bowl MVPs have been prevented from looking into the camera and answering, as confetti rained down, "I am going to Disney World (or Disneyland)."

First, Ray Lewis (Super Bowl XXXV) was bypassed by family-friendly Disney because of his ties to a double-murder investigation the previous year.

Disney, instead, opted to feature his teammate, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer.

The second was Deion Branch (Super Bowl XXXIX). Blame that one on Janet Jackson, whose "wardrobe malfunction" at the previous Super Bowl half time show led Disney to opt out of advertising during the next Big Game.

Aaron Rodgers is the player best positioned to score MVP-related endorsements. The Packers quarterback has already snagged what is believed to be his first national marketing deal, a "Got Milk?" print ad (alongside Hines Ward of the Steelers) scheduled to run in USA Today on February 4.

Indeed, Rodgers could follow quarterback Drew Brees (Super Bowl XLIV), whose MVP award enabled him to boost his endorsement income from about $4-$5 million to its current $10-$11 million level.

Peyton Manning (Super Bowl XLI) has had the most success. He currently ranks No. 1 among all NFL players with an estimated $14-$15 million in annual endorsements.

However, even among quarterbacks who have won 23 of the first 44 MVP awards, post-Super Bowl deals have been hard to maintain.

Eli Manning (Super Bowl XLII) scored some endorsements, but peaked at about $9 million in annual deals and, in effect, never left the shadow cast by big brother Peyton.

Even with Peyton no longer under contract to Nabisco, the current Oreo Double Stuf Racing League campaign still finds Eli overshadowed—this time by Serena Williams, Shaquille O'Neal, Apolo Ohno and John McEnroe.

Tom Brady (Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII) did not score significant national endorsements until 2010, six years after his last Super Bowl MVP. He earns about as much as Eli, not Peyton, from marketing deals. 

Other Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks such as Joe Montana, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Steve Young and Kurt Warner did not fill their national marketing rosters until after they retired. 

Signing national endorsements has become even tougher if the player is not a quarterback. 

Among the most recent honorees, Santonio Holmes (Super Bowl XLIII, who has had a series of legal problems), Dexter Jackson (Super Bowl XXXVII), Terrell Davis (Super Bowl XXXII), Desmond Howard (Super Bowl XXXI) and Larry Brown (Super Bowl XXX) were all virtually ignored by Madison Avenue dealmakers.

Therefore, a word of caution to Clay Matthews and Troy Polamalu, both of whom have a national endorsement (Unilever's Suave and Procter & Gamble's Head & Shoulders, respectively), as well as to James Starks, Greg Jennings, Brandon Jackson, Rashard Mendenhall and Mike Wallace: Being listed as favorites by oddsmakers to be named MVP of Super Bowl XLV will not necessarily score endorsement deals. 

Contact Barry Janoff at [e-mail] or http://www.NYSportsJournalism.com