Dumb, Dumb, Dumb

When I heard Ben Roethlisberger was hurt when his motorcycle hit a car, my first thought was who was driving the car? Marvin Lewis? My second thought was how stupid can someone be? You're making millions of dollars with the possibility of millions more playing football. Why are you jeopardizing it by riding a motorcycle a month before training camp, and doing so without a helmet? As a friend of mine who rides once said, "It's not if you'll wreck, it's when and how bad." Well, early indications are that Roethlisberger may not miss time because of it, but that just means he was incredibly lucky. Kellen Winslow was out for the entire season last year after his wreck. Jay Williams hasn't played in three years after having one.

As someone opposed to the nanny state, it's fine with me if people want to ride motorcycles, and I personally disagree with helmet laws or for that matter seat belt laws (at least for adults). If you want to mess yourself up by smashing your unprotected skull against pavement or going through a windshield, have at it. However, that doesn't mean I won't call you stupid for riding a motorcycle (especially Suzuki's fastest production model crotchrocket) without a helmet. Roethlisberger made the point last year that he was a safe rider, and he could be. So what? Motorcycles are dangerous as much for the other traffic as for their own riders. For one, they are hard to see. Plus, fender benders tend to be quite a bit more serious than if it's in a car. A small wipeout in a car is unlikely to send me head first into a curb. (When the BenOnABike issue came up last year, Joey Porter had the best comment: "The concrete is undefeated") Let's put it this way, a few years ago, my pickup was hit broadside by a woman coming out of a parking lot doing about 50 mph who just happened to not see me until it was too late. Think what would have happened if I had been on a motorcycle instead of safely ensconced inside a truck?

I just don't understand wanting to take the risk. A minor injury for me could be a huge one for an NFL quarterback. A broken hand for me would just make typing harder (two broken hands might cause me other problems). For Roethlisberger, it just might affect his ability to hold a football. If I wrecked a motorcycle even as bad as Jay Williams, I might miss a bit of work, but I wouldn't be out of work for a full year, let alone three. It probably wouldn't affect my future earnings that much either unless I came out like a vegetable (even then my coworkers might not notice). A little different for Ben. Even out for one year could have pushed back Roethlisberger's first contract extension which will be significantly more than what he gets now. A Jay Williams injury and he's viewed as damaged goods. Real smart to risk that just to have the wind blow through your hair.

If he was just an individual athlete, I would just mention the stupidity of risking your paycheck and say it's his tough luck. However, as a member of a team, there's a certain level of selfishness in such risk taking. If I had such a wreck, it might inconvenience my coworkers who have to pick up my slack while I'm healing, but it isn't likely to affect the bottom line. Even if it was someone with actual importance to the company were to miss time after an accident, it probably wouldn't ruin the company's fiscal year. If Roethlisberger had been out for the year, it would have affected a whole lot more people than him. I would pretty much write off the season for the Steelers, and I actually like Charlie Batch who would most likely be the starter in his absence. I also liked Tommy Maddox, but after his performance last year, I would cringe if he came back to be anything but third string. Yet, if Roethlisberger had torn up his knees worse than road rash (and it might still be too early to tell), that's what Pittsburgh would be looking at. Who else could they get with training camp a month away? Kerry Collins is the only quarterback of any account that's still available, and I don't see him as an upgrade over Batch. His bike riding would have put his teammates in a poor position for this year. I realize it's a free country and his neck, but I think team athletes have to recognize that when they sign a contract, they do have some responsibility to their team and teammates. One of those responsibilities is avoiding injury off the field.