A friend from Pittsburgh sent this.

http://www.comcast.net/sports/index.jsp?cat=SPORTS&fn=/2006/06/12/411546.html



PITTSBURGH - Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has said he dislikes wearing a motorcycle helmet, was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash and taken to a hospital Monday.



No idea how bad it is yet. But if it's really bad, it'd be a damn shame.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Not good at all :(

He should have had a mother as a nurse. Most nurses hate motorcycles, because any accident has potential to turn ya into drooling vegetable.

Being a huge Steeler fan, I've been following this as closely as I could. Last I heard he was in serious but stable condition and in surgery. I have heard thusfar he's had to have stitches to close wounds, a broken jaw, and a concussion, any more info anyone sees would be great to hear.

from espn.com

Pittsburgh media outlets reported that Roethlisberger was in surgery for a broken jaw. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, citing a police source, reported Roethlisberger also broke his left sinus cavity, suffered a 9-inch laceration to the back of his head, lost teeth and has knee injuries from hitting the pavement. A plastic surgeon has been called in, the source said.

Well that's good to hear b/c I had heard he had shoulder injuries too. Who cares what he looks like as long as he can still throw.

It sucks that this would happen to anyone. And it happens too frequently. When I was in Chicago this weekend I saw a biker with his helmet strapped on the back of his bike. All I could think about was 'Boy thats doing you alot of good on your BIKE, dipshit'. I'll have to look for a study that was done a while ago. It was the correlation of serious injuries to not wearing a helmet.

I can't remember when but they recently passed a law here in PA that bikers don't have to wear helmets. And far too many do not =\ Big Ben was a big spokesman for the law.

2 years ago

Man that sucks, not a steelers fan and definately not a big ben the football player fan. but my heart goes out to Ben the fellow human.

http://www.magpie.com/nycmoto/hurt.html

I don't know what their study size, location, etc was, but they have some info on helmeted riders around point 45.

and another link...
http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-Safety/crash.htm

Regardless though... Big Ben, get well soon! I need ya on the field come football season.

"He was talking to me before he left for the operating room," Jones said. "He's coherent. He's making sense. He knows what happened. He knows where he is. From that standpoint, he's very stable

Thats a really good sign that no major neurological damage occured, thank the good lord.


and also....
Some fans also gathered at the hospital, including Juanita Clark, who sells Steelers' paraphernalia, and her daughter
I can skip the paraphenalia. how much does she charge for the daughter?

No sympathy..... A star with so much at stake? Cower even lectured him about helmets... His career is deservedly over.

his career isn't over as far as they are reporting and what an asshole you are gloating in the misfortune of another.

sure he should have been wearing a helmet or not been riding a motorcycle at all, but that doesn't mean he deserved it. Let alone he wrecked because of someone else, not because of acting like an idiot on the bike or joyriding.

Well, he should have been wearing a helmet. It's not right to laugh over someone elses misfortune, but helmets were invented for a reason.

WHo said anywhere I laughed ya' asslejack? I said I had no sympathy for his situation. Of course I do not want him to be injured(THAT much - go broncos), but the dumb kid should have known to wear a helmet. Now he has very well potentially thrown a hall-of-fame career right down the shitter 'casue he had to be "cool". In that I have no sympathy for him.

I agree, but you did seem a little too 'Gleeful' about reporting the end of his career.
A broken nose and jaw do not generally end a career.
However, I'm sure we'll get to see lots of public safety announcements from "Big Ben" about the virtues of wearing your helmet.

Well lets hope then he is out until after Nov. 5th when they play the Broncos.. I would be happy with that.

I don't know, I feel I have to much to loose owning and riding a motorcycle, never ceases to amaze me that extremely rich, professional people, think they might as well risk it all. Its the same thing with all these stars who all of a sudden become pilots.

Anyone can do what ever they want but wow. I've passed on motorcycles and plan to for the rest of my life. Its a numbers game, and the numbers are not in favor with motorcycle/vehicle accidents.

Hope Ben gets better, I enjoy watching him play.

I tend to agree with you Ibudin and in fact the older I get the less I find myself willing to be as "risky" as I once was. I can't believe it :(

What surprises me is the fact they didn't have a clause in his contract preventing him from bikes. Remember Winslow? Or (I can't think of his name) the Yankee 3rd baseman who blew out his kneee playing a pickup game of basketball and it violated his contract so he got released. Most of these guys are very restricted by what they can do.

I won't debate the helmet situation. I've known of folks that crashed with em and died, without em and had no problem. It depends more on the type of crash you have (high siding or laying it down).

I got my first bike when I was 8, grew up racing dirt bikes, then moved on to street bikes. I'm 40 now and the only trip I've made to the hospital (knock on wood) was when I was 11, crashed, and the handlesbars went between my goggles and the top of my helmet and split the skin over my right eye. I've got well over 100k miles on bikes in those years.

I live in GA which has a helmet law, so I wear one. When I'm at Myrtle Beach or Panama City for bike rallys and the temp is 95+, I don't wear mine.

I still have a Harley Davidson Night Train that I ride to work when the weather is nice since it gets 40+ MPG and my Altima only gets 29.

What amazes me is the folks I see riding in shorts and a T-shirt. I learned along time ago it's best to have something between you and the pavement. Sweat wipes off alot easier than road rash ;)

During my Red Cross days I spent a lot of time at the county morgue, where bikes were called 'donorcycles.' We got more than a few cadaver donations from motorcycle wrecks the 5 years I worked there. It's foolish not to wear a helmet, but it was his choice. Given the location of his injuries, I wonder if he'll repent of his helmetless ways and advocate for wearing them.

Ok Big Ben is a grade A dumbass... I hope they cut him

QB was warned he might be jeopardizing contract
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Pittsburgh Steelers officials warned quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in writing last year that he might jeopardize portions of his contract, and could suffer financial implications, if he continued to ride a motorcycle.

League and team officials confirmed for ESPN.com on Tuesday night that the Steelers last year sent a letter to Roethlisberger's representatives stating their concerns and the possibility his contract could be affected if he was injured while riding a motorcycle. Agent Leigh Steinberg confirmed for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Steelers sent such a letter.

It is believed the letter was intended to serve dual purposes: To apprise Roethlisberger in writing of the team's stance on what it considered a perilous activity, and to place the club on more solid legal footing were the Steelers forced to try to recover prorated signing bonus money or even base salaries if the quarterback failed to fulfill his contract because of a motorcycle-related injury.

The contract Roethlisberger signed as the Steelers' first-round choice in the 2004 draft does not include language which specifically precludes the quarterback from riding a motorcycle. But the standard NFL contract, in general terms, prohibits players from engaging in off-field activities that pose "a significant risk of personal injury."

In the wake of a motorcycle accident last spring that sidelined Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow for the entire season with a serious knee injury, Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher cautioned his quarterback about riding a motorcycle, especially without a helmet. Roethlisberger said, however, that the activity alleviated stress and emphasized that he was a careful operator, and that he typically rode in groups.

Winslow's contract did stipulate he could not ride motorcycles, and his injury cost him millions of dollars in bonuses the team withheld and in incentives that he could not earn because of his inactivity.

The situation with Roethlisberger will likely be moot if he does not miss significant time with the facial injuries he suffered in Monday's accident. Steelers officials believe even more strongly now that Roethlisberger, who last season became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory, will be sufficiently recovered in time to participate in most of training camp and to play in the season opener.

Even if Roethlisberger were sidelined for a prolonged period, it is not certain the Steelers, who have a long history of taking care of their players under the ownership of the Rooney family, would have attempted to recoup a prorated share of his signing bonus. The letter, however, might have provided more leverage in an arbitration action, had Roethlisberger defaulted on the contract.

In the wake of the Roethlisberger accident, some league teams are likely to become more specific in contractually forbidding players from engaging in certain activities.

Buffalo Bills safety Troy Vincent, the president of the NFL Players Association, said Tuesday that the union does not oppose teams using such specific language but noted it should be done on a case-by-case basis.
__________________

Roethlisberger, who last season became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory,

Should read "with the help of NFL official's"
And yes i'm a bitter Seahawks fan!

I am not a fan of motorcycles, but what is next? They can't go hunting? They can't scuba dive? I guess they should just walk around in a bubble of celaphaine (sp). Maybe they should all drive those hybrid cars that run on banana peels :)

If I were a owner of a pro team you bet I'd protect my million dollar investments. It's not like you have to sideline your extracurricular activities forever. How long do most guys last these days, late 30s?, 40?, some a l ittle longer? Give me a break, if you don't want to take care of yourself and protect your body then you wouldn't be playing for me. That's how I feel :(

Maybe they should all drive those hybrid cars that run on banana peels :)

Those cars don't stand up to government crash tests.
Violation of Contract if you drive one.
Return the signing bonus please.

If I were a owner of a pro team you bet I'd protect my million dollar investments. It's not like you have to sideline your extracurricular activities forever. How long do most guys last these days, late 30s?, 40?, some a l ittle longer? Give me a break, if you don't want to take care of yourself and protect your body then you wouldn't be playing for me. That's how I feel :(

I can definately see your point. I do believe that most NFL calibre players do this without being told. But performance on the field is what should count in my eyes. If you get hurt off the field then you don't get your money. Or you have to give it back. Simple as that.

Personally I hope all the Atlanta Carolina and Tampa Bay players are riding naked on fast motorbikes, doing some sort of part-time bomb defusing, and maybe a little bit of alligator wrestling..... it may be the only way my Saints get to the playoffs :)

I can definately see your point. I do believe that most NFL calibre players do this without being told. But performance on the field is what should count in my eyes. If you get hurt off the field then you don't get your money. Or you have to give it back. Simple as that.



Thats basically what they are saying...you take up what they deam dangerous hobbies (skiiing, motorcycles, race cars ect..) you will for go you pay if you get hurt doing them. They can't stop you other than yell at you and warn you but once you get hurt, the ball is in their court, which I totally agree with.

Keep in mind no NFL contract is guaranteed(sp) you sign a 10 year 70 mil. deal you basicaly get 7 mil. a year broken down into 16 payments. if on IR or the PUTP list due to game/practice injuries you still get paid. you miss a game due to suspensions or other off field issues the team can withhold the 1/16 for everygame missed.
The NFL has a Non Football Injury list it can place Ben on if he's unable to go come september. under the rules of the NFI list he will then be uneligible to collect his compensation even though the contract remains in effect for the duration of the NFI.

My cousin's buddies from med school (2 of the 4 doctors anyway) put him back together. He was kicking himself int he ass for moving his practice to Maryland and not staying in Pittsburgh hah.

I would hope that they had someone who was "out" of med school working on Big Ben :)

Well you'd be surprised.

Doctors do go to med school yes. Then they have residency for a few years, then surgeons have to go through another program (Fellowship) for several more years. This is a highly selective process and not all of them make it. However, while they are in residency they are indeed doctors, they practice medicine, they perform surgeries... but they are learning their specialty. Some surgeons don't get out of the "school" phase until their mid 30s.

But when you're in residency you are "out" of med school ;)

I heard on the radio this AM that Big Ben is changing his tune on the whole helmet issue. They are saying he is going to pull through and should be fine.

Yes, they are out of Med School ;)

Well you'd be surprised.

Doctors do go to med school yes. Then they have residency for a few years, then surgeons have to go through another program (Fellowship) for several more years. This is a highly selective process and not all of them make it. However, while they are in residency they are indeed doctors, they practice medicine, they perform surgeries... but they are learning their specialty. Some surgeons don't get out of the "school" phase until their mid 30s.

But when you're in residency you are "out" of med school ;)

Fild :) my wife is a doctor ... I'm familiar with it ....haha!

Doh! wasn't sure :)
my bad.

It sucks that this would happen to anyone. And it happens too frequently. When I was in Chicago this weekend I saw a biker with his helmet strapped on the back of his bike. All I could think about was 'Boy thats doing you alot of good on your BIKE, dipshit'. I'll have to look for a study that was done a while ago. It was the correlation of serious injuries to not wearing a helmet.


There are two sides to theargument, tho'.

I will not wear a helmet, and have gone down twice. The second one, when I woke up in the hospital I was told that it was fortunate that I was not wearing a helmet or I most likely would have had a broken neck. I have seen helmets that are worth their cost, and have also seen those that would split in two if dropped from shoulder height.

I am adamant that those under 18 should wear them, and all these kids on these scooters should as well; but, I think adults need to be able to make that decision for themselves. Do I want to take an extra measure of safety precaution, or do I want to be unable to hear what is happening around me, and have sweat pouring down my neck and face?

good ones have vents.


I have never heard of somone having a neck injury becuase they were wearing a helmet. I have however scraped people off the highway that weren't becuase of massive head trauma.