Roethlisberger flew over his handle bars and face first into a car's windshield this morning around 11:30 AM. Apparently it was a blind turn so it a no-fault accident but Roethlisberger obviously got the worst of it.

He was not wearing a helmet. Early reports are head trauma, broken jaw, lacerations on the neck, face, and forehead.

While I hope he is okay because this is awful and a potential life-threatening accident, it IS his own damn fault.

After seeing what happened to Winslow with motorcycles, Terry Bradshaw telling you how dangerous it is, and even your coach telling you it'd be safest not to even ride but to AT LEAST wear a helmet and still not wear one...it's your own damn fault.

I just woke up and heard about this. I was just about to post a thread. The story from NFL.com is here: http://nfl.com/teams/story/PIT/9493892

I'm gonna do as much searching as I can for more information on this. This is sad, really sad. You know, it's hard to judge an athlete when these things happen. The first two names that pop into my head are Jay Williams and Kellen Winslow II.

It'd be easy for me to run my trap and say, "Don't ride motorcycles, you idiots!" But when you're dealing with Type A personalities, like myself, you're dealing with thrill seekers. To be a successful athlete, the personality traits that make someone love motorcycles are the same traits that help Big Ben in the 2-minute drill.

I'd also be a hypocrite because I love my bike and I'll admit that during the day, I'm prone to not wearing my helmet. That has changed, my friends. Winslow and Williams happened before I bought my bike and were in the back of my head. Now they're in the foreground. I always thought that because I was very careful on my bike, I was fine, but I've been in many accidents that were in no way my fault. I now the extent of the "anything" someone is capable of in a car.

THIS JUST IN: Rothlisberger has a broken jaw that will sideline him for 7 weeks.

I'm still concerned about the slightest amount of head trauma. He faces enough in the NFL. I hope that he learned his lesson, as well. If his contact is a 26 paycheck contract, he loses 3.5 paychecks or a little less than 1/7th of his contract.

I hope this story will make any other riders on this site to wear their helmet and padded jackets.

lesson for the day... WEAR A GOD DAM HELMET YOU FUCKING MORONS OR ELSE YOU DESERVE TO DIE

couple years ago i saw someone die on the side of the road in a motorcycle accident... his head was smashed in and there was a lot of blood... if you dont wear a helmet you deserve every bad thing that happens to you...

Dunno bout deserving to die, but at Lower speeds the inury rate is much lower with people wearing helmets.... Now at higher speeds, (60+) the mortality rates start to come together, helmet or no.

Anyways, most of those guys have a no motorcycle clause in their contracts, but of course the teams are too stupid to not pay the fuckers. Winslow did at least and he still got paid.

Originally Posted by Marm

Anyways, most of those guys have a no motorcycle clause in their contracts, but of course the teams are too stupid to not pay the fuckers. Winslow did at least and he still got paid.

Yeah, you never now. Jaw Williams didn't get paid and he was the 2nd pick in the NBA draft. HE had a huge signing bonus, so he's not crying.

I see the point, though, Marm. The NFLPA is stronger than any other major sports union.

they need to make an example out of someone... say... not pay big ben for the 7 weeks he is out for... then once they see someone getting hammered for breaking the rules the other players will use some common sense when it comes to what they do

Originally Posted by Av8tor009

they need to make an example out of someone...

You're missing an important fact. The NFL doesn't pay Rothlisberger. The "they" that you speak of is one team owned by one man, Art Rooney, as cheap as he is, wouldn't do that to Ben. He's cheap, but he has his "guys."

the "they i speak of is the NFL owners... if one owner puts the hammer down on their star player for breaking the rules and ignoring contract stipulations... the other teams will follow the example...

But what's the reward for Art Rooney to take such a risk?

C'mon, be real here. All men may be created equal, but certain people seperate themselves from the pack as life goes along, period. Ben Rothlisberger is not Tommy Maddox, Mike Tomczak, Kordell Stewart, or Neil O'Donnell. He's all of them times five and plus a Super Bowl.

Marm, I heard that anything over 35MPH the helmet is basically wearing you for protection. In regards to head trauma, is it really 60?

PS, all NFL contracts have a dangerous non-football activity clause. No helmet on motorcycle = dangerous activity.