Ben Roethlisberger injured in accident - Page 2

The NBA has it in their contracts about skiing and motorcycles. I would bet the NFL does too. That's why guys lie about tripping over their dog when they break something because if it was known they did it with bikes or the like the team can nullify the contracts.

I couldn't care if he competes in the superbikes competition or slaloms down Everest. Just wear a freakin' helmet!

Then Big Ben shouldn't have signed his contract and went to go work on roofs for the rest of his life.

Oh, please, you're not talking contracts. You're saying athletes need to minimize risks, period. As if their lives are more important than anyone elses. That's a sickness.

From what I have read, Ben's contract states that he is allowed to ride a motorcycle. Apparently, he would not sign a contract that had said he could not ride. However, he does have a dangerous activity clause, and if he was riding the bike like a moron, they (Steelers) could get money back. Although that will not happen for a while, as they say Dan Rooney is a pretty good owner and it's pretty heartless to go after someone who is missing teeth.

As much as I hate to say it, but sports and "real life" are just not the same. You are responsible for rest of your team, I agree with Overlord that the decision is selfish. Plus, contracts like those which forbid dangerous activities are just part of the job. If you don't want your "personal freedom" taken away, you can go work a "real job". Like it or not, professional athletes are different than you and me. If you want the big paycheck, the fame, the glory - well sometimes you gotta sacrifice a few things for a few years.

Part of minimizing risk is in their contracts. There are a whole list of things in the collective bargaining agreement they can't do.

But even if it wasn't there they should minimize the risk. Sports that can take out your knees and head should be avoided. A team has a big financial investment in a player. They owe it to the owners and other players not to be stupid.

It's not saying their lives are more important - just different. It is some people's "personal freedom" to smoke cigarettes, but certain jobs outlaw that. Not all jobs allow you every freedom you want. It's up to you to decide how important that job is.

Great point.

I guess when you're 24 and have just won a Super Bowl, you might have a tendency to think you're invulnerable. But the reality is, you don't know much when you're 24.

I love how money trumps everything else. Because he makes more money, his life needs to be protected more.

As if he hasn't already made more money for the Rooney's as they've payed him.

I don't know whether to agree with you or call you retarded. I mean, the points you make are valid. It's selfish to willfully ignore the risks involved in riding withbout a helmet, but that's not something that's only applied to athletes. And you're right - sports and real life aren't the same. Sports don't mean dick in the grand scheme of things. I don't know much about Ben Roethlisberger but if he had a wife and kids, who do you think would be more affected by his dying in a motorcycle wreck - his team or his family? I mean it sounds like you're saying it's perfectly reasonable for me, who works in an office, to ride without a helmet and risk leaving my wife and daughter behind, but if I were a professional athlete it'd be selfish because my team has a financial investment in me. Just from reading that post alone it sounds like your world view is extremely jacked up.

??? He'a a very costly and valuable investment. Of course he needs to be protected.

No his job requires him to use his body. He needs to take care of it. He is being paid to take care of it. NFL careers are short. I don't see how it is too much to ask not to ride a motorcycle, ski, ect. for the length of an NFL career. They are being compensated for it.

There is an expectation(and contract) that Ben won't do things that will injure his body. Ben chose to ignore this and now his NFL career is possible over.

JG, unless you are independently wealthy (such that you can pay for your own medical care), have no family, friends, or colleagues who depend on you, and don't contribute to society, you have an excellent reason to not ride a motorcycle without a helmet.

Obviously, just about everyone has obligations to others that make decisions to conduct their lives dangerously rather selfish: this thread just happens to be about the reasons why, in Roethlisberger's case, he acted in a particularly moronic fashion.

Just about everything means "dick" in the grand scheme of things, since eventually we will all end up as cold, atomized dust particles in the endless vacuum of space.

I'm not retarded. At least not clinically.

It's selfish of anyone to ride without a helmet, because it increases the danger of an already dangerous activity. It's not reasonable for anyone, but I wasn't talking about Joe Average in an office, you, or even myself. Plus I don't give a shit about the financial investment a team has made into a player.

I wasn't speaking to anything other than him being an athlete. My main point, and point of frustration, is people comparing professional sports (the big three, NFL, MLB, and NBA especially) to real jobs. There is no comparison. GFC stating that no job should be able to take away "personal freedoms" is just not true. A lot of jobs have requirements, dress codes, etc that you must adhere to, so you can work there. Sure, some of those happen at the jobsite, but something like smoking (which several major companies are banning for insurance reasons) is something that you can do, on your own time, that can effect your job.

I think it was irresponsible of him to do something that could jeopardize his career and life. It would be irresponsible of you too, but if it happens to you, it won't be the main sports story of the day. It doesn't make you any less important, just not as newsworthy. Something I guess we should all be thankful for. As we discuss the faults of those in the limelight everyday.

After seeing that interview with Ben about riding without a helmet, and him saying 'since it's not against the law, I know I don't have to wear it, so I don't. If it was against the, I'd wear it all the time.'...

I hate to say it, but with ridiculous statements like that, he deserved what he gets.

It's that type of attitude that ruins everything for the rest of us smart people.

Loyalty to the owners? Ever notice that only the players are expected to exhibit any sort of loyalty in the NFL. Its such a fucking bullshit arguement.

I was really into getting a bike 2 years ago but my wife was dead set against it. Her brother nearly died in an accident years ago so I had no chance of winning her over on that one. Part of me would love to see how it feels to ride helmetless, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Seeing a big name like this advocating riding w/o helmets is beyond belief. I hope he'll reconsider his attitude after this.

Did somebody say Busey?



Roethlisberger's contract has what they call the Paragraph 3 which state's "Without prior written consent of the Club, Player will not play football or engage in activities related to football otherwise than for Club or engage in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury." That sound's like "don't fucking ride a bike!". The thing is, from what i've been reading the Steelers most likely wouldn't be able to receive any of Roethlisberger's bonus money because, unlike Kellen Winslow's contract for example, his "contract does not does not expressly refer to a breach of Paragraph 3 and/or an injury resulting from motorcycling as grounds for recovering all or part of Roethlisberger's signing or option bonus." Instead his contract says he would be required to refund part of his signing bonus if he "voluntarily retires not due to a NFL football related injury." Fat chance on that happening.

I can think of quite a few athletes I'd just as soon have end their careers in motorcycle/skiing accidents....

I hope none of you people EVER end up arguing Conservative politics about how the government needs to stay out of our lives. Job-site regulations are OF COURSE fair. You're on the job, you do what you're told. It's wrong for a company to ban people from driving a motorcycle or smoking in their free time. For Christ's sake, we're in America and you're arguing for corporations being able to control the free time of their workers.

So, you believe carpenters, plumbers, roofers, garbagemen, restaraunt servers, chefs, policemen, firemen, landscapers, floor traders, theater ushers, mall security, secretaries, busboys, HVAC engineers, architects, bartenders, bag boys, stock boys, dancers, craftsmen, repairmen, servicemen, Army Rangers, Marines, Midshipmen, the guy who stands outside portillos taking drive thru orders, etc. should all not be allowed to ride motorcycles?

You forgot to add prostitutes.

If those people sign contracts saying they won't then yes.

The above people you mentioned are easily replaced. Staring QB's capable of winning the Super Bowl aren't.

And if you don't see that playing sports is different than working at Portillos or a stock boy, then arguing with you is pointless.

Again, man. Priorities...world-view.

Jacked. Up.

If Toothlessberger's is out for longer because of his knees being injured than because of the head injuries what will you people say then. That he shouldn't have been riding without shin-guards and kneepads?? What if he had gotten these injuries from driving his car?? Would you say he's "stupid" for getting in his car to go for a drive?? Would you say that he was engaging in "risky behavior" and demand to know why he had the balls to get into a car? This is getting fucking retarded. The guy had an accident, they happen in life TRUST ME I KNOW. All this "the team is so important" stuff is bullshit. The owners can just lock you out of the stadium if they choose at any time but the player is supposed to be loyal till the end?? Retarded. Corporations should not be able to control an individuals rights, compensated for or not. The flipside to that is Ben is responsible for his actions and may lose money, or worst-case scenario he could be let go from the team if the owner so chose to do.

This is so typical of a North Shore spoiled douche. There really isn't a difference between Ben Roethlesberger and a stock boy. They both have families, they both have people who care for them. But your feeling is that because one person is wealthier, their lives mean more than others. Fucking pathetic.

And again, cut the contract bullshit. You didn't say contract, you said "Profesional athletes need to minimize risks when they are being paid so much. Bikes and skiing are automatically out. You can get hurt at many things, but these can end careers." That's outside of a contract, you just think that they should not be able to do what they want in their free time.

I never said that I AGREE with what the companies do, I just said that they do it. It's a fact of life right now. If you want a job, and that company has you sign a contract that says you can't do something, then you can't do it. If you don't like the rules, don't sign, motivate others to join your cause, etc. But if you sign it - live up to it.

You sign your name on paper, you agree to live by the rules for money paid to you. No one forced Ben, or Winslow, or Williams to do it - they choose to. The argument from me was never if it's right or wrong (as both a smoker and a rider, I think it sucks), but it is part of life. Maybe it needs changed, but I didn't know that was what this was about - I assumed this was about Ben and his responsibility to his contract and his role of a professional athlete.

IMO, he has a responsibility as a professional athlete whether he likes it or not. Not everyone agrees with that, but it is just my opinion. It goes back to the Barkley TV commercial about being a role model. I don't think athletes should be role models - but they are. They are idolized by young and old alike.

Ben's staunch and public stance on not wearing a helmet may have influenced young adults to not wear one. I know he shouldn't have to think about that before he speaks, but no one is going to not wear a helmet because a lumberjack or plumber says they don't wear one, but they may not wear one because Big Ben says he doesn't.

I think it's silly that athletes are held to these higher standards, (but much like no smoking because of insurance policies at large companies), it is the way the world is. You can argue that it shouldn't be, you can argue that he should be free to do whatever he wants. But while making that argument, you must accept the way things are right now. Professional athletes influence what others do. It's stupid, and those you make their decisions based off some guy who can throw a football or morons - but they exist.

Total side note:
This quote from the AP: really annoys me. Based off the the injuries he has, he had to be going under 40mph (if he was going any faster, he would be a pancake right now). Actually it doesn't even matter his speed. If he had a piece of junk going 80, it's the same as "the fastest" going 80. It's just irresponsible journalism.

In addition, there were numerous other athletes in his profession, who realized the dangers and tried to warn him. His peers are telling him not to do it! His peers seem to realize the opportunity and chances they have been given and know sometimes you must "sacrifice" (I use this term lightly, because not riding a motorcycle is not really much of a sacrifice) for your greater good (for your family and kids). Sometimes you must "sacrifice" things you like to do, because you won the DNA lottery. Like it or not.

Wealth has nothing to do with it. The differance between a stock boy and QB is that one of them requires an immense amount of skill and the other can be replace by a 16 year old. Mentally challenged people even bag groceries

And the bus boy doesn't sign a contract saying he won't engage in risky behavior that would cause him bodily harm. Also nobody pays to see the bus boy play, pay to get his autograph, or buys food at the store because of him.

While they both support families(for the sake of argument) and sniff, have people that love them, Ben puts people in the stadium and fills up bars. With a hurt Ben the stadium will sell out, but other places like bars, liquor stores, and grocery stores will see a dip on Sundays with a shitty Steelers team.

I don't know about the helmet laws. Yeah, they would save lives in cases of minimizing head injuries. But in a motorcycle accident at anything over 30 mph, I see the rider being thrown from his bike, and I don't care if you have a helmet on or not, you're getting fucked up.

He was not wearing a helmet and broke his jaw. What if he was wearing his helmet and instead fell wrong and broke his leg? People would still be calling him a dumbass but for a different reason.

If it is in his contract not to ride, then he should not ride. Someone mentioned earlier that it says in his contract that he can ride, so he is not really to blame. He broke his jaw - so what? He'll be back in no time. it could have been worse (and would not have anything to do with wearing a helmet or not). he could have broke his throwing arm and no helmet will protect that.

I don't ride. I know a lot of people who do. I see mototcycle rally's all the time here and hardly no one is wearing a helmet in those. I saw someone earlier who said if there are national seat belt laws, why are there not national helmet laws. That is a great point. But I still stand by the belief that national seat belt laws have nothing to do with saving lives, they are only in place to make more money to buy more police cars.

I hope Big Ben is okay, and from the sounds of it, he will be.

[QUOTE=Starving Dog] I saw someone earlier who said if there are national seat belt laws, why are there not national helmet laws. That is a great point. But I still stand by the belief that national seat belt laws have nothing to do with saving lives, they are only in place to make more money to buy more police cars.QUOTE]

That was I that made the point. Your belief about seat belt laws blows my mind though. I would tend to think they exist to keep people from flying through windshields. The whole "make more money to buy more police cars." thing sounds very conspiracy theory-esque. Does the government have ways and schemes? Sure. But I also think they'd like to stop people from flying through windsheilds. And I repeat my previous statement, there needs to be a nationwide helmet law, especially for the psychos who ride the crotch-rockets (like Ben was in this case).

For the last fucking time, Anya, we're not talking about contracts. We're talking about the idea of corporations regulating people's free time. If you sign a contract agreeing not to ride a motorcycle, you will not be given the money in your contract if you then ride one.

Wehman and Anya, as someone said in this thread, Roethlesberger would not sign a contract disallowing him to ride a bike. Therefore, the contract arguement is in the toilet, anyways.

What you're saying is that because these people are athletes, they are better than us and therefore their lives need to be protected more than your average American. Bullshit. You can replace a QB just as readily as you can replace a carpenter or stock boy. Whether or not the replacement of those positions is as good as the previous employee isn't something the previous employee has a NEED to worry about (though it is common courtesy to do so in any profession). Ben Roethlesberger's life is no more important than that of the guy who pressed the button to approve my gas sale this morning.

If you have a real problem using examples of lower-class professions (which is a mark on you, BTW. You're demeaning human life which serves your needs but doesn't entertain you), how about a lawyer or doctor? Since they're always on the clock (in the way that lawyers always have clients and doctors always have patients), are they obligated to not ride bikes, to not fly unless nessessary and only buy autos with the most stringent safety features built in? If you're having a great surgeon do a bypass on you, but are forced to use a less experienced doctor at the last minute because the great one had a motorcycle accident, do you then start petitions to disallow doctors from participating in any activity which may harm them?

The whole role model point is an old and - IMO - a silly arguement. If Ben Roethlesberger pushes your kid to ride a crotch rocket without a helmet, that's your fault as a parent, not his. He is under no obligation to raise your children for you and is entitled as a tax-paying American to be free to ride bikes how he wants, drink till he can't stand up and curse on live television, if he so chooses. Do we want our favorite athletes to be exlempary citizens? Of course we do. That doesn't matter, though.

This is yet another area where we as sports fans are all made to look like meatheads. Money and fame trumps all other areas of worth. The fact is, he's just some guy who was stupid enough to ride a bike without a helmet. There are millions of others just like him and their lives are just as meaningful as his.

I have to say this, if I was a chief of medicine, or a nurse, and my hotshot neurosurgeon rode a crotch-rocket with no helmet, I'd be pissed, just as if I was a coach or a teammate, and my hotshot qb did the same thing. I would have no legal recourse, but would certainly be aggravated that a guy I really counted on took such insane risks with his life. The same goes for anyone, GFC. I don't think anyone who goes through those actions is considering the thoughts of others that rely on them, whether they make 20k a year or 20 million. So, Anya is right, in that a quarterback is blatantly irresponsible with those actions, but you're right as well, in that so would any one else be. Ben deserves no defense on this in my opinion, nor would any one else from any walk of life.

It's irresponsible for anyone to ride a motorcycle, then? I don't agree with you, but at least that idea isn't loaded with hypocracy.

I mean, we can get to the point of saying almost anything remotely dangerous is irresponsible, and therefore selfish of anyone to do. I'm well aware that it's dangerous to ride a bike. My only point is that it's not any more terrible when a QB gets injured than if it was one of your relatives.

Riding a motorcycle is dangerous. Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is irresponsible. In my opinion anyway. And you might have difficulty debating your last point with a steelers fan, many of whom would rather their mother or children were on that bike instead. Not that I'm saying they're right, just saying fans of a recent superbowl winning team tend to get a little crazy.

Which speaks to my point of a few idiot sports fans making us all look like jerk-offs.

Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is irresponsible, no doubt, but it's perfectly legal in Penn, so it doesn't matter.

I was the one who said that, but it looks like part of that has been proven wrong.

Just to clarify, I never made such a claim, so I am going to assume that is directed as Anya.

This where I find you very wrong. I made no reference to parenting. Being a parent and a role model or two different things. I am a parent, and a very open one who discusses everything with my son to fully prepare him for life. But, that doesn't stop him from looking up to those who are held in the spotlight. Yes, I can explain to him that actors or athletes are just that - but kids don't always listen to their parents. Even kids with the best parents and intentions can be led astray because of the flashier side of life. The whole "your a bad parent" argument is IMO old and silly. I do not want him to raise my child, in fact I never even said anything close.

I find it so odd that you are so dismissive of giving responsibly to someone who is in the public spotlight. It comes with the territory. Should it? No.. but it does.

I don't remember anyone saying that Ben's life is more important than others. People have said that he is responsible for others financial well being, his own safety, and has tons of kids who look up to him. I'm just suggesting that maybe he should be a little more responsible in his decisions. It doesn't make him any less important than anyone. He is just someone who is famous, who did something dumb, and we are debating his actions. This, to me, is not some world reflecting debate - just whether or not Ben should have acted differently.

Just out of curiousity, I'm going to assume that being in Illinois, you're a Bears fan. Were you any more upset when you heard that Walter Payton died than when you heard anyone else you've never met died? I'll believe you either way, I'm just curious.

Owning a gun and leaving it loaded around children is also legal, but it is irresponsible. Of course there is a major difference between a gun and a motorcycle - but there are safer ways to do things. So it obviously does matter.

Not in the least. It was sad not because he was a great football player, but because he was a fantastic human being who did a lot of things in the community. I can empathize with his family's struggle, and I feel for them, but I empathize with anyone who loses a family member to such a tough disease.

Fair enough. The difference, of course, is that one is a physical danger to himself, while the other is a physical danger to people around him.

If I was next to you (I used to live in Naperville - which I think is close to Vernon Hills), I'd shake you hand and move on. I am all Ben'd out.

There are no regulations at my job to prohibit me from going out and getting drunk every night, but you can bet there'll be repercussions if it affects how I'm able to do my job. Any job you have, there's the responsibility to be there in a condition to do what is required of you. And your employer had every right to fire you for reckless behavior that affects your performance. Of course, it's much more likely to happen to the bus boy who stays out clubbing all night and is drowsy through his whole shift than to the multi-million dollar QB who won't wear a helmet on his motorcycle and misses part of training camp.

Okay - one more thing (then I'm off to go make fun of JJ Redick for being a tool).

The hot new item on the Ben story is that he did not have a PA motorcycle endorsement. This is the second non-story to be brought up (after what type of bike it was).

First off, he did have an OH endorsement (which is a lifetime endorsement) and I would gather roughly 50% of motorcycles riders don't have the endorsement. Hell, with your motorcycle temps (which requires a written test only), you can ride a bike you just have to have your helmet and can't take riders (at least in OH) and that's the only difference.

It doesn't make it right, but it does not effect your ability to ride at all. All it does is show a little more proof that Big Ben doesn't always make the brightest decision.

What if it comes out that Ben did absolutely nothing wrong. Like say what if he has his no helmet thingie and the lady driving the car was found at fault? Then would Ben have been "irresponsible?" I think that's where I would have to disagree. But everyones entitled to an opinion, unless you work for a corporation that doesn't allow because keeping your job is more important. /sarcasm.

I think it's already out that the lady was at fault. The question of responsibility goes back on him because he was making a dangerous activity even more dangerous by wearing a helmet.

I have been pretty surprised by all the "support" roethlisberger has been getting, although it is pittsburgh fans who are very protective of their steelers.

I see no reason to defend an idiotic move like this. I am glad he is ok, but seriously, WTF was he thinking. leave the contract argument out of it and the money and the fame, why the hell would anyone ride a motorcycle without a helmet in this day and age.

But...i guess it looks pretty cool, so maybe I can understand why he did it.

Stupid Toothlessberger, why in fucks sake would he want to do something totally legal. Then how in the fuck is he gonna explain his "risky" actions he made while driving in a totally legal fashion and getting hit by someone who was at fault. Man fuck him, doesn't he know he plays football. I mean Jesus Christ, who the fuck lets themselves get into traffic accidents. What a prick. Can't the irresponsible asshole drive Ferarri's 100mph like every other sports star. At least then he would have been less risky, and if he got into an accident then he could at least say "well I was wearing my seatbelt, and I'm sorry I killed somebody while doing 100 in my Ferarri but at least I didn't violate my contract."

People are retarded.

No permit for the bike huh? Jesus. How fucking dumb do you think he feels at the moment?

Jesus, riding a motorcycle without a helmet was dumb enough, but riding one without a legal permit or licence is Darwin Award stupid.