When the clothes clash with the claims

When popular Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger held a blink-and-you-missed-it news conference Thursday to proclaim his innocence of rape charges, his appearance should have been manipulated to agree with what came out of his mouth.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at a news conference Thursday in Pittsburgh. He denied a rape allegation, but his visual image failed to bolster credibility.

It wasn’t.

By way of background, the public learned this week that a 31-year-old woman has filed a civil lawsuit that names more than a half-dozen people, including Roethlisberger. She alleges that he raped her in a Lake Tahoe hotel penthouse in July 2008, when he was staying there for a celebrity golf tournament. Roethlisberger,27, was served with court papers when he returned to the Nevada resort this month - a year later - for the same tournament.

For the Thursday news conference, his first public comment on the allegations, Roethlisberger wore a chocolate four-button pinstripe suit. Forget, for a moment, the odd choice of dark brown in the middle of the day in the middle of July. The entire look was a disservice to his cause, from the suit and the open-collar striped shirt to the garishly displayed pocket square with contrasting trim and the stubble on his face.

Ben should have sought to project the image of an altar boy on a job interview. Instead, he served up wealthy playboy heading to a weekend in Vegas. Ironically, he looked as if he were dressed for a hot date - not the ideal image to conjure when you stand accused of a sex crime.

Give him credit for attempting to look serious and upstanding. Casual attire would have all but said, “I’m guilty,” even if the truth were otherwise. But there was something slighty disconcerting about Ben’s appearance, a ham-handed conspicuousness to a contrived look. Rather than causing one to consciously hear his words and think, “He’s telling the truth,” it caused one to observe his appearance and subconsciously think, “Something isn’t clicking here.”

Roethlisberger issued a strong denial in his 60-second statement, but he failed to use his attire as a tool to enhance credibility. When accused of a crime, a fellow who maintains his innocence should come across as respectable, responsible, and traditional. Nothing projects that like a two-button navy suit. A collared white shirt reinforces the message, and a conservative necktie conveys professionalism and the sort of polish at odds with a guy who would be inclined to commit a sexual assault. Cleanly shaven jowls and neatly trimmed facial hair beat just-rolled-out-of-bed scruffiness every time.

To say that Ben has a sympathetic audience in Pittsburgh, aka Steeler nation, would be a huge understatement. Public sentiment initially expressed in media interviews in his home city suggest a community as adoring as ever. But those in Nevada who may have to weigh testimony and evidence in a civil proceeding are less likely to have the same bias that could tip the scales of justice toward acquittal.

When you’re making an important statement, it’s always a good idea to make sure your appearance bolsters your message - especially when you’re a public figure who has been accused of a crime and you’re publicly stating your innocence.

While judges and juries are the final arbiters of innocence and guilt in most societies, the court of public opinion is often the determining - if not the last - word on whether one who stands accused is exonerated and exalted or toppled from a pedestal with irreparable damage. Consider that although a jury decided a few years ago that Michael Jackson was not guilty of charges of sexual molestation, it became clear that he had won the court battle but lost the war for his reputation.

So, perception often trumps fact, and perceptions often are formed in the subconscious by visual cues and social norms. What else can explain the American mythology surrounding the presidential electability of candidates who are modest in height and have facial hair?

Roethlisberger has an Atlanta-based sports lawyer, David Cornwell, working to ensure a favorable outcome for him. But if the case goes to trial, hiring a smart stylist would be one of the best moves the two-time Super Bowl champion has ever made.