The Steelers and Bengals' AFC North rivalry runs deep, but one Cincinnati radio station took it too far.
700 WLW riffed on Ben Roethlisberger's past rape allegations and issued a state-wide warning for Ohio ahead of this weekend's game, according to TMZ. The Bengals will host the Steelers on Saturday as part of the NFL's Wild Card Weekend.
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Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a casino host in 2008, but the suit was eventually resolved. Roethlisberger was also accused of rape by a then-20-year-old student in Georgia in 2010, but he wasn't charged with anything.
With a reputation for having a sordid past, the Cincinnati radio station taunted the Steelers quarterback by running the faux alert to warn Ohio residents.
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"The Steelers quarterback has been spotted in the downtown Cincinnati area," the spoof warning says. "All females ages 18-40 are to use extreme caution, especially if heavily consuming alcohol. Males should also be on the lookout just in case."
It continues: "If you see Big Ben and he flashes little Ben you are asked to report it to authorities immediately."
The alert says it is a "severe Big Ben warning" that will be in effect until Sunday, and that girls with "boob jobs" should be extra cautious. While it's an attempt to poke fun at a rival and be light-hearted, the ad is a bit much.
Sexual assault is a very serious issue and one that goes deeper than a game being played on the field. Though many people will find humor in the alert, it's insensitive to those that have suffered from rape in their lives and makes light of a very real and troubling matter in the world.
Roethlisberger will look to let his game do the talking when he takes the field against the Bengals on Saturday.
