When will they learn?

June 13, 2006 | By Marc Lombardi | Discuss

When news broke Monday afternoon that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was involved in a motorcycle accident, I was stunned.

Roethlisberger broke his nose, his jaw, a few teeth, suffered a 9-inch laceration to the back of his head and may have slightly injured both knees. It's amazing he wasn't killed after flying head first from his 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle into the windshield of a Chrysler New Yorker driven by a 62-year old woman.

The first thing I wondered upon hearing the news was "what was he thinking?"

Didn't Big Ben learn from Jerome Brown? Didn't he learn from Pelle Lindberg? Didn't he learn from Derrick Thomas or Dan Snyder or any other athlete who lost his life in an auto accident? Didn't he even heed the lesson learned by Kellen Winslow Jr., who missed all of his rookie year in the NFL after tearing up his leg in a pre-season motorcycle crash?

What shocked me most is that, unlike when he takes the field every week for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet.

Just so we're clear on his thinking here: when playing a game where bone-crunching hits are levied practically every single down of play, and where rules are created every year to help protect quarterbacks and other players in a prone position – you wear a helmet; when you get behind the throttle of a 700 horsepower machine and put yourself into a situation where you have much less steel, plastic and something called airbags to protect you than everyone else on the road – you don't wear a helmet.

Yeah, that makes about as much sense as being down by two with a minute to go and running on 4th and goal from the seven yard line.

Under Pennsylvania Law, operators of motorcycles who are older than 21 and have been driving for two years or more are not required to wear a helmet. This was because in 2003 the law was amended when it was determined that in the event of a violent crash involving a motorcycle, brain injury was consistent whether the driver had his head protected or not. While I understand the science behind this and the resulting change in the law, I can't help but wonder why a person would still put himself at risk for an injury that may otherwise have been prevented for the sake of avoiding helmet hair.

Maybe it wasn't about ego or hair with Roethlisberger, but maybe it was. Keep in mind that this is a man whose profession requires the use of a helmet. Would it really kill him to wear one when he gets onto his bike? Not wearing one almost did.

There is a mentality in certain athletes (and celebrities) today who cannot help but satisfy that addiction to speed. The addiction to adrenaline. Where the first purchase after signing that huge contract may have been a house for Mom in the past, now it's an ultra fast Ducati or a custom-made Jesse James chopper.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-motorcycle. I'm just anti-lack-of-common-sense. The Fast and the Furious just makes me plain old furious.

Why risk it all? It just makes no sense.

My hope is that Roethlisberger comes out of this horrible situation unscathed (with the exception to the scratches, bruises and cuts that all will heal over the next few weeks). My sincerest hope is that not only he overcomes any fear to step back on the seat of his bike and gives it another go, but learns from what was almost a tragic error in judgment.

Ben: If it makes sense to wear a helmet when the New England defense is chasing you out of the pocket, please acknowledge the fact that it makes even more sense to wear a helmet when you put your health and welfare in the hands of someone who may be driving their car while eating a Whopper in one hand and using their hands-free cellphone to argue with his wife. You may feel safe in your own ability, but remember that there are countless morons (or Cowboys fans) out there behind the wheel.

And they're more dangerous than a blindside hit any day.

Your family, your friends, your fans and your teammates would certainly appreciate it if you learn from your near-miss with death.

Contact Marc Lombardi at mlombardi@phillypurge.com