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When last we heard from Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, he was explaining that an extended European golf vacation will somehow help him get ready for the NFL season.

Speaking from Yankee Stadium, where dodging foul balls could, in theory, prepare him to avoid the meat hooks of defensive linemen, Roethlisberger says that he feels bad for the starting quarterback of one of the teams that carries the “New York” name.

Not the one who won his second Super Bowl in February. The one who could be losing his job to Tim Tebow.

“It’s gonna be tough,” Roethlisberger said in comments that aired tonight on NBC SportsTalk. “You know, I feel bad for the Sanchez. It’s gonna be tough for him, I know him and Santonio are down working out now, but we’ll see how it works out. I guess you can never count Coach Ryan out.”

Yes, he said “the Sanchez.” Maybe it’s like “the Iraq.” Such as.

“I think it’s tough for him that he’s a guy that’s a franchise-type quarterback, they pay him the money to be here, they have a lot of faith in him,” Roethlisberger added. “I think he’s a good quarterback. And then you bring a guy in that the fans are gonna be cheering for, they’re probably gonna be chanting ‘Tebow’ from the first game. I just feel bad for a guy that is a franchise quarterback like that.”

But if the Jets thought the man to whom Ryan previously referred as “Sanchize” really is a franchise quarterback, Tebow would be wearing teal right now.

Besides, Ben would be wise to keep his hat-stretching head low on this one. After all, Tebow beat Roethlisberger and the Steelers in the playoffs. When Sanchez had the chance, he failed.