The Student of the Game

Late Monday morning, QB for the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers “Big” Ben Roethlisberger was involved in a wreck where his motorcycle collided with a car and he was thrown from his bike causing his head to collide with the other vehicle’s windshield. Roethlisberger’s surgeon stated in a press conference that there were several contusions and abrasions, 2 lost teeth with several chipped, and a broken jaw and nose. Witnesses at the scene of the accident declared that while the accident was the fault of the other driver, a 62-year old woman, Big Ben was also not wearing a helmet.

Let it begin that I am over-joyed for the QB, his mother, father, family, and friends that he is alive and has escaped this potentially life-threatening ordeal relatively unscathed. Mad props to the doctor who spent the several hours in surgery repairing Ben’s face. It is VERY fortunate that this event didn’t end as it often seems to with young talented athletes with them dying or suffering a career postponing or career ending injury.

Now the following I will concede, readers, without question. There is not enough “Duh-de-Duh”s in an entire SEASON of the “Mind of Mencia” . . . there’s not enough dunce caps left in the country . . . there’s not enough crappy pass interference calls made by NFL refs — OK — that is exaggerated . . . but the point is . . . there’s not enough of the previous 2 items to express the stupidity that Ben didn’t wear a helmet. I would be the FIRST to get in line and declare that there should be a federal law that mandates EVERY MOTORCYCLIST IN THIS COUNTRY wears a helmet.

To every member of the rabid shark news media who made sure to state this even within HOURS of the crash . . . before the 2004 Rookie of the Year had been listed as being in stable condition. You are absolutely right!

But that, friends, is where it ENDS!!

Now while I’m all about slamming people in ANY column, sports show, or editorial . . . it’s about doing so wisely. Even before Roethlisberger’s surgery was complete, there were writers and analysts jumping on Ben’s case for claiming that THIS incident makes him a “bad role model” or that this incident makes him no better than Kellan Winslow — LUDICROUS!!

Kellan “The Damn Soldier” Winslow was a jackass who had just recovered from a previous serious injury who was going 60 in a Hardee’s parking lot (with no helmet) screwin’ around on his bike taking TRUE unnecessary risk. If you want to link motorcycle antics with bad role-modeling — ladies and gentleman, THERE IS THE EXAMPLE! When a dude is essentially KO’d by a little old lady in traffic . . . that is NOT THE SAME THING.

Now there are those who say that because Ben wasn’t wearing a helmet that he is a bad role model — that MAY have been true . . . until this accident. Now all the young boys thinking that motorcycles are cool and head gear isn’t will see the celeb get F’ed up in a crash and now have something to make them understand what could happen to you physically as well as the other intangible BS you could face like crotchety old farts saying, “I told you so” instead of being concerned for your well being.

Then there are those who think that Big Ben should FORFEIT a portion of his salary because of his actions. Technically speaking, there is a clause consistent with essentially EVERY SPORTS’ PLAYERS’ contract (including the NFL) that makes the player liable should he do something outside of the element of the team to injure himself — like being mauled down by the little old lady from Pasadena without wearing a helmet.

To all those retards out there who claim this — I hope Big Ben runs out of the tunnels while smiling ear to ear with his repaired grin on NFL opening day and throws 3 TDS and 300+ yards (no offense, Dolphin fans) to proverbially offer the idea to those people to CRAM the punitive fine notion DIRECTLY where the sun don’t shine. If he DOESN’T miss any games, he’s caused the team NO HARM!! If he lays his thing down on opening day he’s caused his TEAM and fellow PLAYERS no harm.

Then there are those, like Hall of Fame Steeler QB Terry Bradshaw and former Super Bowl Redskin QB (and alleged NFL Analyst) Joe Theisman who hold it against Roethlisberger that he is riding a motorcycle AT ALL!! Now while I personally am not a “biker” by any stretch of the imagination, to expect people to do something safely and demand they are not allowed to do it at all is a HUGE difference. I don’t believe it is right to impose such injunctions when people do what they are doing while taking safety precautions. If the Steelers really want to, impose a “helmet” clause in the contract and compromise with the young QB.

Now for all those who don’t understand why athletes feel like they want thrills . . . like they are being reckless (lacking a better term) just because they sport a Harley. 6 months out of the year, from August to December, from pre-season training’s start to regular season’s end, the fans not only demand — but teams invest MILLIONS to guarantee — that these players train, practice, workout, play, and compete with reckless abandon despite risk of injury or pain. Then the season ends . . . and these people who PAY these players to push EVERYTHING to the LIMIT are surprised when some of them get a touch of cabin fever in the off-season!?

Now while I am not such an individual who is an NFL athlete, I know how “itchy” I get when I’ve gone a few weeks without playing my Saturday Pick-up Games at Red Bug Park. I can only imagine that it is multiplied when you are doing it at the highest level and are talking about a matter of months.

Champions of these schools of thought such as Theisman want make Ben a VILLIAN where he’s REALLY a VICTIM for merely riding a MOTORCYLE?!?!? Yes, fine — the without a helmet thing is his fault — but you want to call this guy a bad role model when there are players who (in no particular order):

• Have torn there teams apart just because he wasn’t happy with his contract (Former Eagles/Cowboys WR Terrell Owens)
• Been brought up on Murder Charges (Ravens Defensive Captain LB Ray Lewis)
• Been brought up on Drug Charges (Raven RB Jamal Lewis, Dolphin RB Ricky Williams, etc.)
• Been involved in domestic violence with their spouses/girlfriends (Buccaneers RB Michael Pittman, Colts DB Nick Harper, among others)
• Been arrested 4 times in 7 months (Bengals WR Chris Henry)
• Been arrested for DUI (COUNTLESS NFL PLAYERS)
• Passed Herpes onto a young woman while using an alias in order to seduce her (Falcons QB Michael Vick a.k.a. Ron Mexico)

In case my stance on it before WASN’T CLEAR ENOUGH — yes . . . Ben should have been wearing a helmet. There he was wrong and I will shout that at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh during the season with a bullhorn from a sideline seat. (It would be a small price to pay to get sideline tickets to see WR Hines Ward play). But for all those who want to make a guy who represents the dying breed known as the “Classy Champion” into the “next T.O.” for a mistake in judgment that was only exposed in an instance of bad luck, the statement that best suites you is even shorter than Roethlisberger’s name – “YOU ARE WRONG”. The sad truth is the possibility that the bitching of crotchety old media men who preached the “Evil Ben” garbage will be complaining still after Big Ben’s career is over. Not because of an allegation, not because of an arrest but because of an accident that wasn’t even his fault.