Mark Sanchez 17 Year Old: Why He Will Never Be As Hated As Ben Roethlisberger

Welcome to the NFL and the Big Apple, Mr. Sanchez. Sure, you just completed your second year, both spent as a starting QB and both ending with trips to the AFC Championship game, but now your career as a NFL QB has really begun.

That's right, Mark Sanchez is a news sensation today. People are Googling him to find out the story of his involvement with a 17-year-old more than they are the life-altering unrest taking place in Egypt.

A quick check of the mutterings going on about Sanchez finds little scorn aimed towards the young QB. It is becoming apparent that Sanchez shares that Teflon quality that can be found in guys like Charles Barkley and could be sold for a king's ransom to guys like Alex Rodriguez and Ben Roethlisberger.

Check out some of the qualities that provide Sanchez this Teflon coating.

10. The Right Side Of The Law

First things first, I think it is important to mention that unless something else comes to light, no laws were broken.

The legal age for consensual sex in New Jersey, where the two allegedly "made headlines," is 16.

9. Word Of Mouth

A) "I can say that he's one of the kindest people, and he's a genuine person,"

B) "No, this is not OK, and he then had sex with me. He said it was OK. He then left without saying anything."

Guess which quote was about Mark Sanchez and which was about Roethlisberger.

If you said "A" for Mark and "B" for Ben, congratulations. You are just like everyone else who follows pop culture. These are the words and statements we have come to associate with these two.

For better or worse—first impressions are a hard thing to break.

8. A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words (Pt.1)

Let's face it, when athletes transcend into public figures, the perception of their image is largely driven by women. Men forgive the athletes they already root for and continue to hate the ones they already hated.

Women see this picture, and they see a hunky, heroic guy who is single-handedly keeping chivalry alive. He is going to save rape victims, not create them.

7. A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words (Pt. 2)

On the other hand, Ben has pictures like this online. These are going to get Roethlisberger nowhere in the court of opinion with women.

They look at this picture and a see a bro-loving, hard-partying, womanizer. Well, that and a gaggle of cheap women that they could insult for five minutes like they have known them for two years.

They'll forget the women's faces, but they'll always be ready to remember Ben as a menace to humanity.

6. Location, Location, Location (Pt. 1)

When reports of Roethlisberger surface they invariably have to do with bars. 

In the recent Mark Sanchez story, he was said to have met the 17-year-old at a club.

Really, that tells you everything you need to know right there. Public perception is that respectful gentlemen go to clubs, and slimy, alcoholic womanizers go to bars.

5. Location, Location, Location (Pt. 2)

We just discussed the importance of the beginning location when mentioned in the reports of one's nightlife; of even greater importance, is the ending location.

Sanchez reportedly invited the 17-year-old to his New Jersey home—and his home is on a golf course. Only respectable citizens live on a golf course!

Roethlisberger's reports usually end in the bathroom—of the bar he was in.

4. Judging a Book By Its Cover (Pt. 1)

Look at that smile! That is the All-American smile right there.

You flash that smile, and you can say things like, "Your children are ugly," or, "I only care about you for your body," and people are going to think you are an all right bro-chacho.

3. Judging a Book By Its Cover (Pt. 2)

Look at that picture—and that is how Ben looked when he was trying to explain the allegations were false.

That picture says, "Hello. My name is Ben. I just moved in across the street, and I am required to tell you by law that I am indeed a sexual offender."

2. Size Matters

It is always harder for big athletes to come into favor with the public. To be liked by the public, big guys have to adopt the gentle-giant image (see Shaquille O'Neal). 

People are going to root for the smaller guy because they love underdogs. Put Doug Flutie in Roethlisberger's body, and people would have chided him for being a megalomaniac.

For a QB, Sanchez is a little on the small size.

Roethlisberger's nickname is "Big Ben" for crying out loud. He has never had a chance.

1. The Golden Rule

There are a thousand tried and true sayings that all essentially reaffirm the Golden Rule.

I think I'll quote Paul McCartney for this one, "And, in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

Mark Sanchez seems to get this better than Ben Roethlisberger (or at least he cares more). He treats people in a way that they aren't eager to bad-mouth him.

Sanchez makes people feel valued. Roethlisberger has had streaks where he makes people feel like objects and inconsequential.

From one Beatle to another, "Instant karma's gonna get you."