Back in the summer of 2010, LeBron James, Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger each had a negative image in the eyes of the public.
James made the wrong call in hosting The Decision, an hour-long event on ESPN that revealed where he would be bringing his talents in the upcoming season. Vick was still receiving heavy scrutiny after spending nearly two years in jail for his connection to a dogfighting operation, while Roethlisberger was suspended the first four games of the NFL season for violating the league's personal conduct policy. However, the three star athletes managed to improve their image since then.
According to CNBC.com, the Q Scores Company has revealed that the public holds a more positive image of James, Vick, and Roethlisberger since the summer. The likely reason behind their improved status with the public? Winning.
The Heat haven't been dominating with its big three as much as originally expected, but the team has flirted with first place all season, and James' numbers have him heading for a third straight MVP have helped lower his negative perception.
Last year, Q Scores ranked Vick as the athlete with the most negative image, but after his terrific 2010 season — one in which he set career highs in passing yards, passing touchdowns and quartberback rating — the percentage of people that thought he had a negative image dropped from 61 percent to 49 percent. The Eagles had a 8-3 record in the regular season with Vick starting.
Additionally, Roethlisberger improved his positive image by nearly 35 percent after a 9-3 regular season record and carrying his Pittsburgh Steelers to the Super Bowl for the third time in six years.
Roethlisberger, Vick and James may be seeing their positive stock rising in the public eye, but there are other athletes who are slowing sinking into a negative light. Both Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have received a significant amount of negative attention due to their mix-ups with performance-enhancing drugs, and their numbers aren't increasing anytime soon.
