Dumbass Roethlisberger

The story:

Big Ben in serious condition after motorcycle accident

Interestingly, check out this May 2005 interview:

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ESPN: How much do you view riding a motorcycle as a risk?

Roethlisberger: I think it can be a risk. It depends on how you ride. I don't ride a sport bike. If I'm riding a sport bike and trying to do tricks, and going 200 miles down the highway, that's probably pretty stupid. But when you're riding a Harley or a chopper and you're riding with a group of people and you're not on the highway and you're cruising, you're relaxing. I don't think its as much of a risk as people make it out to be.

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Levastire shared this quote:

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Roethlisberger was between radio interviews and on his black 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa -- large, racing-style bike -- and heading toward an intersection on the edge of downtown. A silver Chrysler New Yorker traveling in the opposite direction took a left turn and collided with the motorcycle, and Roethlisberger was thrown, police said. The other car was driven by a 62-year-old woman, police said. They didn't immediately release her name and no charges were filed.

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I guess he got bored with Harleys. So much for safety.

Pennsylvania has had helmet laws for 35 years, and 2 years ago, that law was repealed. That's some of the stupidest shit I've ever heard.

Surprising that they Steelers didn't have a clause in Ben's contract about motorcycles, since they knew he was a rider before he came into the league. Bike accidents have happened to a lot of people, but when it happens to the winning Super Bowl QB, that opens a lot more eyes. Hopefully this will get that stupid state to put back the helmet laws, the teams will get more clauses, and people will just generally attempt to be safer.

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Originally posted by Falix
Pennsylvania has had helmet laws for 35 years, and 2 years ago, that law was repealed. That's some of the stupidest shit I've ever heard.

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No shit.

Maybe they'll realize their stupidity when they grasp the fact that they may have severely hindered their chances at a repeat.

People are blowing this WAY out of proportion...saying he won't play at all this year and shit like that. While I agree that it's dumb to not be riding with a helmet on, its not like he was speeding and acting like a jackass while showing off(see: Kellen Winslow) and wrecked on his own. Someone turned into him and smashed him. He flew up into the windshield...helmet or not, you're still getting fucked up. The worst of his injuries is a fractured jaw, which he can easily come back from by the time the regular season starts. He should be able to make half of training camp too because it starts at the end of July for the Steelers.

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People are blowing this WAY out of proportion...

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The worst of his injuries is a fractured jaw, which he can easily come back from by the time the regular season starts.

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From Wikipedia:

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Police sources have indicated that Roethlisberger suffered fractures to the jaw and left sinus cavity, as well as a nine-inch laceration to the back of the head, the loss of many teeth, and minor injuries to both knees. His facial injuries were severe enough that witnesses on the scene did not immediately recognize him, even after he identified himself as "Ben".

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I think you might be underplaying it a little with the "worst of it is a fractured jaw". He took a pretty big digger without a helmet on. I would be far more concerned about the presence of a persistent head injury coupled with the fact that he's pretty young and this will probably give him a good shake up.

Edit: The minor injuries to the knees were confirmed as road rash rather than joint injuries which is good, but see above in regards to that nasty head hit that he took. He was also in surgery for his nose and mouth for seven hours.

In the news this morning on the radio they said that he had a fractured jaw and a broken nose and an eye witness said that he got thrown into the windshield of the car and rolled off and apparently she went up to him and said "What's your name baby?" and he apparently said Ben and then tried to stand up and collapsed.

Injuries to the head are always serious as far as I'm concerned. But I'm sorry just dumb on his part for not wearing a helmet. People always say that bikes are safe and that may be true it's everything or everyone else around you that makes it unsafe.

Oddly enough when it comes to helmet laws, states have this weird tendency to tie motorcycle helmet laws and bicycle helmet laws into the same legislature... which eventually results in the laws being repealed mostly due to the desire by people to not get tickets if they want to ride a bicycle around without a helmet heheh. It's a very weird and very common phenomenon, it'd be interesting to see why Pennsylvania's law got repealed.

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Originally posted by Liathano
its not like he was speeding and acting like a jackass

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Actually, the very fact that he was riding a motorcyle without a helmet INHERENTLY means he was acting like a jackass.

That is just plain and fucking STUPID. Furthermore, the example that sets for kids ("Hey, Super Bowl Champ QBs don't need to wear helmets so obviously its not a big deal!") is potentially disastrous.

And sorry, you don't get paid millions to throw a ball around or smash into other guys in tight pants. You get paid millions as part of a social contract that you'll uphold certain standards that make you worth cheering for and watching on TV with the family.

In this situation, I think the helmet aspect is almost comical. I mean, in football you wear a helmet because you don't want to get your face pounded into -grass-, or get hit by a -person-... yet the idea of flying 60mph into pavement doesn't justify that same level of protection. Hmm, ok :P.

Ben should consider himself lucky if he makes it back for the first game of the season, and any of the season at all. Hopefully he'll do some public service and encourage people to wear helmets.

So, it's looking like Big Ben might not have even had an actual motorcycle license(he had a learner's permit, but that expired on March 29th, but had never taken the written/driving tests for the license). ESPN is also listing that he suffered "minor injuries to his knees". Oddly, I'd been hearing on the local radio all day that he'd shattered both his kneecaps on impact. Guess we'll find out the truth, soon enough. Regardless of wether or not that last bit is true, I can see this as being the kind of injury that will plague him for the rest of his life. Both my knees are pretty bad off, and Liathano knows all about knee injuries, too!

The knee injuries were confirmed as road rash rather than joint injuries. The major damage was to his face and head, which is hardly better. It is true that he did not have a valid license or permit for his motorcycle at the time of the accident. Way to go Big Ben!

The point is, he'll miss 2 weeks of training camp, and thats it. big fucking deal. if he wants to ride without a helmet, thats between him and the team that pays him. and if kids decide to not wear helmets just because the winning QB of the Super Bowl didnt, then they're pretty big morons too.

To quote one of my professors, "The masses are asses."

The point is, his jaw is wired shut because it was broken in more than two places.

I won't bother debating the stupidity of riding a motorcycle without a helmet because I feel it should be obvious. The "Well, it's not a law!" defense that Rothlisberger used in his interview suddenly seems awfully stupid given the broken jaw, nose, ruptured sinus cavity, fistful of missing teeth, and nine inch gash on the back of his head.

Steelers' training camp begins July 26 if I recall correctly. Your estimate of him missing two weeks of camp is ridiculously optimistic given that a fractured jaw typically takes two months plus to heal. Also consider he's going to be eating nothing much heavier than pureed applesauce for this entire time.

"Stupid" is also a bad word to use to describe children. Try "impressionable". Being impressionable seems stupid to you because you are not a ten year old that idolizes Big Ben.

Rothlisberger did something stupid and ate crow, end of story. The possibility of him not starting the season is already being discussed due to the possibility of him reinjuring his jaw, which is poorly protected by NFL helmets.

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Originally posted by Liathano
The point is, he'll miss 2 weeks of training camp, and thats it. big fucking deal. if he wants to ride without a helmet, thats between him and the team that pays him. and if kids decide to not wear helmets just because the winning QB of the Super Bowl didnt, then they're pretty big morons too.

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It is nice to see that fanboyism is not only in the computer game world. :)

If this wasn't a Steeler, I think your reaction might be different.

I am a Steeler fan, and frankly, this level of stupidity just makes me angrier because of it.

Kids who emulate his non-helmet wearing stupid ass are not the morons. They are children. Even since the time of Aristotle, children and the mentally insane have been held to a different (lower) standard for rational judgement. People like Ben should know better, and he should damn well know that a huge chunk of his salary only exists because people want to be able to watch the sport with their family and have reasonably decent people playing the game. That's part of the social contract. You get massive millions that honestly you don't "deserve", in exchange for not being an idiotic fuck up. It is a pretty good deal, really.

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Originally posted by Talsek
In this situation, I think the helmet aspect is almost comical. I mean, in football you wear a helmet because you don't want to get your face pounded into -grass-, or get hit by a -person-... yet the idea of flying 60mph into pavement doesn't justify that same level of protection. Hmm, ok :P.

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I was thinking the same thing. That just adds to what a fucking moron he was.

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Originally posted by Gadiantor
Ben should consider himself lucky if he makes it back for the first game of the season, and any of the season at all. Hopefully he'll do some public service and encourage people to wear helmets.

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I certainly hope he has to do a LOT of community service. Hopefully that will be his punishment for driving without a license.

I don't think it's that unreasonable to think that he will only miss a couple weeks of training camp. That doesn't mean he'll be in pads and taking hits, it means he'll be at training camp and practicing in some capacity. Probably watching tape, learning playbook shit, throwing, etc. As long as his knee injury really is just roadrash or some other minor thing, it's entirely reasonable that he'll be cleared by doctors to run around a little and throw a ball. I think the only thing that might hold him back is if MRI's show internal bleeding or something of that sort. I'm not condoning his behavior in any way, I think it's retarded to get on a 900+ lbs piece of machinery capable of going well over 150 mph without a helmet. I have a feeling that a big high-profile accident like this may go a long way toward the owners being able to talk the NFLPA into agreeing to some sort of standard "Dangerous activities" clause in the contracts. But there's no telling. I wonder if the league/team with bitchsmack him with hella fines for the whole no-license thing. I guess we can only wait and see, I think people are going to use tact and we're not going to hear about any punishments until he's out of the hospital though.

Big Ben was asked if he was going to wear a helmet if he were to ride again. With all the injuries and broken teeth and all that he unsurprisingly said...

"hmm mmm hhh hmm huhhh hmmm huh"

Update

An interesting article on the current standing of all of this from ESPN. and an interesting quote, a letter from Ben to his fans:

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"In the past few days, I have gained a new perspective on life. By the grace of God, I am fortunate to be alive, surrounded by loved ones and lifted by the prayers and support of so many. I am sorry for any anxiety and concern my actions have caused others, specifically my family, the Steelers organization, my teammates and our fans.

I recognize that I have a responsibility to safeguard my health in the offseason so I can continue to lead our team effectively. I never meant any harm to others nor to break any laws. I was confident in my ability to ride a motorcycle and simply believed such an accident would not happen to me. If I ever ride again, it certainly will be with a helmet.

My deepest appreciation goes out to the Steelers organization and my teammates for the compassion they have shown me. The physicians and support staff at Mercy Hospital were simply amazing, and I will forever be grateful for their caring treatment.

I want to assure everyone I am committed to a complete and timely recovery. I look forward to being at training camp in Latrobe and to winning football games this season."

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We all know what happened to Big Ben after his motorcycle accident - some busted teeth, a lot of blood, and a good chewing out by Bill Cowher. But what would've been the outcomes for other NFL quarterbacks in this situation?

Drew Bledsoe – He would have come under scorching criticism from Terrell Owens.

Eli Manning – Archie would have intervened and forced Philip Rivers to get on the motorcycle.

Donovan McNabb – He would have come under scorching criticism from Terrell Owens.

Mark Brunell – He would have thanked God for giving him that wonderful experience and would have tried to baptize the driver of the car.

Brett Favre – He would have received enormous national coverage and sympathy, and then participated in mini-camp the following week, throwing seven interceptions.

Brad Johnson – Nobody would have noticed.
Jeff Garcia - He would have come under scorching criticism from Terrell Owens.

Rex Grossman – This is a trick question, because Grossman wouldn't have been on the motorcycle. He would've been at a surgical clinic having arthroscopic surgery.

Josh McCown – Matt Millen would've traded for a wide receiver to replace him.

Chris Simms – People would've thought he was Brad Johnson.

Michael Vick – The media would be commenting on how he face-planted spectacularly, and no other quarterback could've done it.

Drew Brees – He would've been traded or cut because, hey, when you've got Reggie Bush you don't need any other players.

Jake Delhomme – He would have survived and been okay, but people would credit Julius Peppers for saving him.

Alex Smith – He would've secretly been grateful for missing the 49ers' season.

Matt Leinert – He would've dropped drastically on the draft chart amidst rumors that he can't take a hit.

Matt Hasselbeck – He would've been embarrassed, because five seconds before the crash he would have predicted that he would beat the car.

Marc Bulger – (Long silence). I got nothing. There's not a single thing about Bulger that's interesting.

J.P. Losman – He would've overshot and missed the car completely.

Daunte Culpepper – Three years ago, he would have crushed the car and kept on going. Now, he would be injured and the driver of the car would have ended up with everything he was carrying.

Chad Pennington – He would've been injured. Duh.

Tom Brady – Angels would have descended and saved Tom from harm, and then after the other car stopped, Tom would have climbed into the back seat and given the driver a neck massage to calm her down.

Steve McNair – He would have walked it off, because Steve McNair is tough, man. He's really tough. Everyone would have been talking about how tough he is.

Carson Palmer – Kimo Von Oelhoffen would have been ticketed for an illegal left turn.

Charlie Frye – Trent Dilfer would take over the team, win a Super Bowl, and then get benched when Elvis Grbac decided to come out of retirement

Peyton Manning – During his first year back, the NFL would institute a special rule that nobody is allowed to touch Manning, and he only has to say the name of a receiver for it to count as a completed pass.

Vince Young – Pffft. As if anything could hit Vince Young...

Byron Leftwich – He would've been okay, but Fred Taylor would have been hospitalized with sympathy pains.

David Carr – He would've been fine. He takes harder hits than that every Sunday.

Trent Green – If you think that car would've made it past Willie Roaf and Will Shields, you're crazy.

Aaron Brooks – Al Davis would blame Art Shell and then fire him.

Philip Rivers – Nobody knows…nobody has any idea at all.

Jake Plummer – He wouldn't have hit the windshield at all, because Broncos only hit in the back.

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Originally posted by Bael
I think it's retarded to get on a 900+ lbs piece of machinery capable of going well over 150 mph without a helmet.

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Actually, a couple years ago(ending in 2002, i believe) these bikes were the fastest production bikes in the world, with a top speed out of the factory of around 230 mph. The news stories weren't entirely accurate about the bike itself. They also weigh about 600 lbs total, not 900, which is what gives them such a great amount of speed. They began putting governors on them for capping the speed around 200 mph, and you can actually put turbos on them...

Just a couple interesting bits about hayabusas. :)

He originally was a harley rider and said he wasn't into sports bikes. I heard that the Hayabusa was actually given to him but he still rode it so he seems to have changed his stance on styles of bikes.

I heard on the radio that he ended up not having to get his jaw wired shut, so recovery time shouldn't be as bad as far as weight loss and gaining muscle back.

But yeah.. I think it's completely irresponsible to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. I try and give people on motorcycles (helmet or not) an incredible amount of distance when I am on the road. But it just makes me sooo angry to see people riding without a helmet. :mad

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Originally posted by Kyla
I heard on the radio that he ended up not having to get his jaw wired shut, so recovery time shouldn't be as bad as far as weight loss and gaining muscle back.

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Yeah, that's why the surgeons put titanium plates and screws into his upper and lower jaw, along with various other places where he broke facial bones. Personally, I think he's still going to loose a hell of a lot of weight, because even with the plates holding his jaws in place, it's got to hurt like a mother fucker.

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahah

oh man, this is fucking perfect, the Pittsburgh police just released like the information on what the repremands legally will be for this accident...

The woman driving the car that hit him will get a ticket for "Failure to Yield."

But here's the funny part... Ben will be handed two tickets... the citations are for, "Operating a Motorcycle without a License" and "FAILURE TO WEAR A HELMET."

Apparently according to Pennsylvania law, "Only licensed cyclists can ride without a helmet..." Bwaaaaahahahahah, dumb bitch.

Details Here.

Interview with Bill Cowher