[bigboydan]

reports are comming in this morning, that Ben Roethlisberger just had an accident on his motorcycle today.

[bigboydan]

heres the story on this one:

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been in a motorcycle accident in Pittsburgh this morning.

Witnesses told authorities that the player's motorcycle collided with a car near a downtown intersection and that Roethlisberger's head hit the windshield and was bleeding. Roethlisberger has said in the past that he prefers not to wear a helmet when riding.

ESPN.com's John Clayton reports that early indications are the injuries are not life-threatening.

One witness told KDKA television that Roethlisberger was conscious but appeared disoriented before he was taken from the scene to Mercy Hospital.

A Steelers spokesman is at the hospital and confirmed Roethlisberger is being treated there, but wouldn't provide additional details.

if he's hurt bad. i wonder who will be the Steelers starting QB this year.

[Mudcat]

I know this is going off on a tangent but, I never got the attraction of motorcycles. Even when I was a kid and lots of other kids would look at them and say, "Cool!" I would look at them and say, "Bad method of transportation."

And if Ben rides without a helmet then, I dunno, whatever.

Hopefully he's okay.

[picantel]

Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on Monday.
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Roethlisberger was in serious but stable condition in an operating room, said Dr. Larry Jones, chief of trauma at Mercy Hospital. Jones spoke before going into surgery.

The team confirmed to WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh that Roethlisberger was involved in the accident, which happened around 11:30 a.m. ET.

KDKA-TV and WTAE-TV were reporting that Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and flew over the handlebars, hit his head on the windshield of another car before falling to the ground. One witness said he was groggy, said his name was Ben and was bleeding from the head.

"He was alert and conscious," Ernie Roman, shift commander for the Allegheny County emergency service, told the Associated Press.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is reporting on its website that a veteran city police officer said Roethlisberger hit the windshield "with pretty good force."

Roethlisberger was taken to Mercy Hospital, according to the reports, and there was no word on the extent of his injuries. Pittsburgh police have closed the streets surrounding the scene of the accident.

Roethlisberger, with a 22-3 regular-season record and 4-1 in the playoffs, became the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl when the Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks in February. The Steelers went 15-1 during Roethlisberger's rookie season in 2004, advancing to the AFC Championship Game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

The 24-year-old Roethlisberger has said in the past that he prefers not to wear a helmet when riding his motorcycle. He has pointed out Pennsylvania's 35-year-old state law requiring helmets to be worn was amended to make helmets optional.

In May 2005, Steelers coach Bill Cowher lectured Roethlisberger on the dangers of riding without a helmet.

"He talked about being a risk-taker and I'm not really a risk-taker. I'm pretty conservative and laid back, but the big thing is to just be careful," Roethlisberger said at the time. "I'll just continue to be careful. I told him we don't ever ride alone, we always ride in a group of people, and I think it makes it even more safe."

[isetcap]

Eating his words will be harder than eating that glass windshield.

Contracts need to start saying, "No motorcycles".
Winslow was mentioned but take a look at Jay Williams career now.

It also should be pointed out that Pennsylvania must be the home of idiot lawmakers for amending a law to make helmet use "optional".

[rolemand]

the only comparison between Winslow and Ben are that they didn't have helmets on.

Winslow was basically just learning how to ride a motorcycle and managed to get into the accident all by himself. According to reports some idiot swerved in front of Ben causing the accident.

[isetcap]

the only comparison between Winslow and Ben are that they didn't have helmets on.

Winslow was basically just learning how to ride a motorcycle and managed to get into the accident all by himself. According to reports some idiot swerved in front of Ben causing the accident.

Hmmm...let's see, it's Big Ben riding around in Pennsylvania without a helmet. I would suspect that the unadorned head of Ben might cause some head-turning in that region and that head-turning might cause accidents. The idiot that swerved couldn't be more idiotic than Ben himself.

[Knoxy]

It also should be pointed out that Pennsylvania must be the home of idiot lawmakers for amending a law to make helmet use "optional".

Harley Davidson calls that place home so I imagine they had just a little bit to do with that.

[scottyy11]

anyone who rides with no helmet should have their sanity questioned

[rolemand]

The idiot that swerved couldn't be more idiotic than Ben himself.

Not the point I was trying to convey - comparing Ben's accident to Winslow's - but fair enough comeback.

[Tchocky]

Serves him right for not wearing a helmet. I've been in a couple of motorcycle accidents myself. I was thrown off my bike when I lost control of my bike and hit the curb off Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles. Luckily I was wearing a helmet and sustained no injuries. Steelers should not have won the Super Bowl anyway...everyone knows the Seahawks got robbed.

[daystrom]

Maybe both of them were trying to sip their coffees while dialing their cellphones. any nitwit who rides without a helmet deserves no sympathy regardless of whose fault it was. The Steelers hopefully had on Ben`s contract - no hazardous activites - not when youre getting paid zillions. Otherwise he`ll have to say he was washing his truck a la Jeff Kent.

[bigboydan]

lets not forget to add jeff kent to this list.

he too was injured (broken wrist) and was DL'ed over a motorcycle injury. although, it wasn't reported that way in the records, and the union helped him get away with it.

[Illusion]

He's not seriously injured, so what's the big deal. It's not like he's gonna miss the regular season.

[BrentCrude]

Don't these Jethro Bodine's have a brain where they can weigh risk and reward factors?What incentive is there for a guy making $$$$$$$$$ to risk maming himself where he never plays ball again?Was he trying to save money on gas by riding a bike?hehe!He doesn't have to buy a Harley to get babes and be cool,they would jump his bones if he drove a Yugo.

It's just like someone like Michael Jordan going overboard on gambling.The guy doesn't need money.By gambling he really can only lose.Why would a guy with 180 million need to make more money by risking the bundle you alrready have salted away.How many Humvee's does a guy need where won money would improve your lot in life when you already have a vault of money.Some company that would give him a cool million for pitching their product might back out because the CEO is a Mormon or something and he wants a guy doing his ads with a spotless reputation.There goes easy money for Jordan that you didn't have to risk any money to make.

The problem is that nobody in the media,academia or politics talks common sense like me because it's not politically correct.We are a nation of brain dead idiot savants where the government wants us to be trained to do one thing good and be so stupid in other aspects that you live a totally dysfunctional life.

[Willie Bee]

Latest article I saw said 'serious but stable condition' with a busted nose and busted jaw.

[bigboydan]

Latest article I saw said 'serious but stable condition' with a busted nose and busted jaw.

then odds are he won't miss the season this year then.

[daystrom]

a busted nose and busted jaw.

Who was the other driver, Romanowski?

[onlooker]

Maybe he should play football with out a helmet. Not to bright on his part for riding with out a helmet.

Maybe the teams will start to put a clause in the player contracts about riding Motorcycles or something. Seems these players are not that great of riders, and thats a high risk for teams.

[bigboydan]

heres the latest update on Roethlisberger:

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is in serious but stable condition in a Pittsburgh hospital after suffering a motorcycle accident Monday morning. The 24-year-old signal caller has a broken jaw and nose, has lost some teeth along with knee injuries after hitting the pavement.


Roethlisberger has a broken left sinus cavity and suffered a nine-inch laceration to the back of his head according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The second-year player has stated in the past that he enjoys riding his motorcycle without a helmet, and Pennsylvania has a law that makes helmets optional to riders.

[Chuck Sims]

Ben was riding a Suzuki Hayabusa. The fastest bike allowed for street riding by Suzuki.

[onlooker]

Ben was riding a Suzuki Hayabusa. The fastest bike allowed for street riding by Suzuki.

...and without a Helmet on. Very smart Ben.

Big Ben or Bent Ben? We need a new name for this guy.

[isetcap]

"He talked about being a risk-taker and I'm not really a risk-taker. I'm pretty conservative and laid back, but the big thing is to just be careful," Roethlisberger said at the time.

OK, so that's why you picked up a suzuki hayabusa. So you could lay back and be conservative. Makes sense. I wonder if the cop gave him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

[bigboydan]

I wonder if the cop gave him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

good point as well as a good question bud. i'm betting against the cop giving him one.

[Dark Horse]

Hmmm...let's see, it's Big Ben riding around in Pennsylvania without a helmet. I would suspect that the unadorned head of Ben might cause some head-turning in that region and that head-turning might cause accidents. The idiot that swerved couldn't be more idiotic than Ben himself.

Not too many people would have recognized him. To most folks he's known only with helmet...

[Illusion]

Not too many people would have recognized him. To most folks he's known only with helmet...

Exactly, maybe he should have been wearing a helmet.

[Dark Horse]

Most no-helmeters talk about the wind in their hair, but Ben was just going 'incognito'.

[SBR_John]

Didnt Winslow have his contracted voided? Whatever happen to him anyway?

[presley177]

lets not forget to add jeff kent to this list.

he too was injured (broken wrist) and was DL'ed over a motorcycle injury. although, it wasn't reported that way in the records, and the union helped him get away with it.

lol he got hurt "washing his truck"!

Aaron Rowand got hurt flying off a cliff on a dirt bike(.....) and his once hell of a throwing arm turned into just an average if not below average one after the fact.

[bigboydan]

Didnt Winslow have his contracted voided? Whatever happen to him anyway?

i'm not sure how that all went down offhand John. what i do know is he's still a cleveland brown though.

[isetcap]

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/CLE/8786805
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7889697/
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baske...s-buyout_x.htm

[MrX]

Just heard on ESPN that Big Ben didn't even have a valid motorcyle license. He was on an expired learner's permit and had never been licensed to drive a motorcycle. Good one.

[isetcap]

Just heard on ESPN that Big Ben didn't even have a valid motorcyle license. He was on an expired learner's permit and had never been licensed to drive a motorcycle. Good one.

This is because having a valid license in Pennsylvania is optional.

[Chuck Sims]

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Winslow reworked his deal that includes incentives that allow him to recoup much of the bonus money he forfeited because of his stupidity.