Getty Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger on the sidelines during a game in 2019.
On Monday Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger revealed a new look, marking a turning point in his recovery from elbow surgery.
On Tuesday, Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf criticized Roethlisberger—and by extension, his barber—for the shave and haircut in question, arguing that Roethlisberger was putting himself in harm’s way and increasing his risk of getting COVID-19.
Brooke Pryor of ESPN was first to highlight Wolf’s critique. “When you go to something like a barbershop and you’re not protected, I don’t care who you are, the chances of that virus actually wreaking havoc on your life increases,” Wolf said.
Ben Roethlisberger’s Barber Responds
Wolf’s critique prompted Roethlisberger’s barber—Carlos Norman of Norman’s Cuttin’ Edge Barber Shop in Sewickley—to respond publicly.
Statement on behalf of Carlos Norman, owner of Norman’s Cuttin’ Edge Barber Shop, on Ben Roethlisberger’s haircut and beard trim:
Norman says the shop remains closed and the haircut was given as a “personal favor” where no money was received or exchanged.
Notably, the response came via a statement delivered by Norman’s attorney, Marc Kohnen, who took care to point out that “Norman’s Cuttin’ Edge Barber Shop has been closed for business since the governor’s shut-down order, and presently remains closed, in full compliance with the law and state regulations.”
The statement goes on to say that “Mr. Norman and Mr. Roethlisberger are close personal friends, and Mr. Norman’s use of his free time during closure to provide a haircut to his friend was a personal favor where no money was received or exchanged,” all of which seems an attempt to sidestep any type of punishment for what could be seen as a violation of the governor’s shut-down order.
Many counties in Pennsylvania, including Allegheny, are currently in the “yellow” phase of reopening. And ‘personal care’ establishments like barbershops and hair salons are specifically prohibited from reopening until they get the “green” light from the state.
Kohnen’s statement goes on to try to spin the haircut/shave as an act of selflessness on the part of Norman, saying, “In most homes across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the rest of America, we are relying on the selfless acts of friends and family members to help get us through the ongoing pandemic. We should all look within ourselves to celebrate and be thankful for the existence of family, community, and personal friends to lend a hand in each of our lives at this time rather than promote stories that divide us.”
Haircut controversy aside, most Steelers fans remain excited about what Big Ben’s haircut portends for his football future. This past December, Roethlisberger made it known that he wouldn’t shave until he was able to throw a football again, which he did—to teammates JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Connor and Ryan Switzer—before getting his haircut.
Let’s get it big fella 🔥🔥🔥
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May 19, 1933: The ‘Pittsburgh Professional Football Club’ is Born
The shave/haircut controversy overshadowed the Pittsburgh Steelers’ attempt to highlight an important date in Steelers history, as May 19 marked the anniversary of the day that Art Rooney Sr.’s application for a National Football League franchise was granted.
As noted at Steelers.com, the cost of starting the “Pittsburgh Professional Football Club” was $2,500, with the team becoming an official member of the league on July 8, 1933.
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