Roethlisberger Involved In Motorcycle Accident (Steelers)

yahoo.com ^ | 6/12/06

[beyond the sea]

Roethlisberger Involved In Motorcycle Accident

http://news.yahoo.com/s/wtae/20060612/lo_wtae/9356067

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was injured in a motorcycle accident on Monday morning.

The Steelers confirmed the accident for Channel 4 Action News.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said the accident happened on Second Avenue near the 10th Street Bridge.

A witness told Channel 4 Action News that Roethlisberger went over the handlebars, hit the windshield of another vehicle and then hit the ground.

Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet, according to the paper.

[spectre]

Mr. Spectre broke his left knee and right foot a couple of months ago. He walked to the car, drove home..walked in the house and could barely stand from the swelling and pain within a few hours. I got him to the ER.

So Ben "standing" up doesn't mean much to me as far as the seriousness of his fractures..BUT that said, Spectre is fully recovered now. Just some stiffness. But he's not 24 either :)

sw

[SoothingDave]

You'd almost think people were so afraid of bikers that they take joy in hearing of their accidents.

This thread is about the Steelers' quarterback and his folly. Take your persecution complex elsewhere. No one is taking joy from this news. Don't be an ass.

SD

[HamiltonJay]

Well... he's alive, and at least by this report looks like no brain issues, and nothing critical so he can count his blessings.

[Hegemony Cricket]

Awww, man, that's harsh. NO SOUP FOR YOU! :-)

[Salamander]

To be totally fair, in any given cross section of society, there will be "unhappy marriages".

Given the sheer number of people who died in the towers, the odds are very good that at least *some* of the widows may consider that "getting killed and making me rich was the only good the SOB ever done me".

Some of the dead hubbies may have been abusive, womanizing scum.

Dying in a national tragedy does *not* automatically elevate you to sinless sainthood nor does it erase what kind of person you may have been before that day.

There are -always- two sides to every story.

Now suppose *you* were a widow of a horrible, abusive man who died that day.
Do you consider it possible that you *might* just want to cash in on his death a little since in life, all he gave you was misery?

How do you -know- that these women are not of that subset?


[and no, I'm not a "Coulter zealot"]

[Salamander]

You've obviously missed the *other* thread which is now locked.

People are cawling out of the woodwork to positively crow about the "stupidity" and "folly" of riding -any- motorcycle.

I don't have a persection complex.
I have, however, seen friends die because of car drivers who didn't bother to wait til they'd passed by before pulling out of a driveway/intersection/ramp.

My "persecution complex", as you call snidely call it, is nothing more or less than real life, first hand witness experience.

And yes, some of the posts are morbidly gleeful.
I'm quite disappointed that you can't [or refuse to] see that.

[shempy]

Let it go or address it in a thread that is related to the topic of Ann Coulter. This isn't a topic in any way related to Ann Coulter. Or illegal immigration, or creationism, or gun rights, etc. Some posters have a way of spamming ANY thread with their own "hot issue" of the moment. I am surprised nobody said, "Ben should know better than to leave his head as unprotected as Bush has left our southern border." These issue whores just polute other threads. Responding to them just pollutes it even further.

[dcgard]

Pittsburg, blame good ole Ed..

Figures:

AMA applauds new Pennsylvania helmet law

July 9 – The AMA commends Pennsylvania's legislators and Gov. Ed Rendell for modifying the state's helmet law to allow adults to ride without helmets under certain conditions.

Following more than two decades of effort with the support of the AMA, ABATE of Pennsylvania succeeded in getting legislation through the General Assembly and onto the governor's desk to change the helmet law.

Rendell stated on the campaign trail last spring that he would sign the legislation into law if it cleared the General Assembly and he became governor. Rendell earned the governor's seat, and on July 6 he kept his campaign promise, signing the bill into law.

Under the new law, which takes effect in early September, motorcyclists 21 or older who have had a motorcycle operator's license for at least two years, or who have completed an approved motorcycle rider safety course, may decide for themselves whether to use a helmet. Passengers 21 or older riding with riders who meet the requirements of the law also have a choice in helmet use.

[Salamander]

"I am surprised nobody said, Ben should know better than to leave his head as unprotected as Bush has left our southern border."

LOL!

Duly noted.....:))

[rintense]

I don't have a problem with motorcycles or those who drive them. I do have a problem, however, with the 'nanny state' argument about helmets. Clearly they save lives. I have no sympathy for any rider who rides without a helmet and gets injured- regardless of who is at fault. A motorcycle versus a car will lose everytime.

[SoothingDave]

You've obviously missed the *other* thread which is now locked.

Obviously.

People are cawling out of the woodwork to positively crow about the "stupidity" and "folly" of riding -any- motorcycle.

I've said right on this very thread that someone paid millions of dollars for their body in proper working order is foolish to ride a motorcycle. That doesn't mean I'm happy he got hurt, I'm devastated. But it does point out his folly.

Sorry you don't see this.

I have, however, seen friends die because of car drivers who didn't bother to wait til they'd passed by before pulling out of a driveway/intersection/ramp.

And you think the car drivers did this on purpose? Or is it that motorcycles lack the visibility of larger vehicles?

You seem to be suggesting the former. If so, you are a kook.

If you, instead, are only bemoaning the reality that motorcycles will get involved in accidents and the riders will get seriously hurt, then you need to deal with the world as it is, not how you wish it might be.

An athlete paid millions of dollars should not engage in foolish behavior.

SD

[BJClinton]

That was aweful, cruel and vicious.

When the tears clear from laughing my butt off I'm hitting abuse.

[Salamander]

I [used to] know people who died of massive head injuries sustained in car wrecks. [whilst buckled up, of course]
In a perfect world, we'd not only wear seatbelts, we'd wear racing restraints and helmets while driving our cars, too.

I've seen race cars literally disintegrate at hundreds of mph yet the driver gets out of the wreckage, smiles and walks away.

Why should the rest of us not have that kind of "protection"?

The obvious answer is to educate -car- drivers about motorcyclists.
The certainly take great pains to educate *us* about *them*.

WV just passed a law that gives a mandatory "six months" jail time to any car driver who kills a biker by hitting him/failure to yield right of way/reckless driving.
They're very proud of this new law.
Think of that.
A whole six months.

That's what a biker's life is worth.

[the same victim, if killed while driving a car, will get you a *lot* more jail time]

My state will never repeal our helmet *or* seatbelt laws and even if they did, I'd still wear mine.

Why?
Because I *choose* to.

[OLD REGGIE]

(ELECTROWOMAN)"Riding a motorcycle is not selfish. It's just something you do (or don't). As for the person who said riding is inherently unsafe, you don't know what you are talking about. You clearly don't ride. Riding is as safe as YOU want to make it."

I've been away all day and this is the first I heard of it (Fox News). Any and idiot who thinks their head, sans helmet, is the toughest thing on the road is lacking something. Maybe not selfish, just stupid.

Just the other day, during motorcycle week in New Hampshire, a cyclist crossed over the divider and crashed into a Jeep. The Jeep rolled over onto three cyclists who were doing nothing wrong. The score? 4 dead cyclists and no serious injuries to the occupants of the Jeep.

I believe Dave is making the point that Big (Stupid) Ben was being selfish in that his actions have a great impact on many others. A foolish action on his part is therefore selfish.

[HOTTIEBOY]

And yes, some of the posts are morbidly gleeful.

I see it, plain as day. And it is sickening. Just like the thread of the Judge that was shot in Reno. One poster asked if he was a liberal judge. A fine display of conservative morals and values, it is.

I ride a motorcycle at breakneck speeds on occasion. I reach speeds of 160+ in a matter of seconds and feel my front tire tap back down when I brake for an upcoming sweep. Indescribable acceleration awaits the exit of the turn.

But all of this is done on a racetrack where it belongs with full race gear. I am not a "bad ass biker" hell's angel type, nor am I a "squid". People like that represent 1% of the bikers on the road today. That 1% gives 99% a bad image.

I drive on the street like I am invisible to all and I am constantly braking, swerving and trying to get out of the way of cagers who are oblivious to their surroundings. It is too bad that someone sees my high performance motorcycle and instantly puts me in a category of 19yo squid who thinks the highway is his race track and that I have a death wish. My hobby is dangerous, but so is anything else.

BTW to some on this forum. Don't ever walk down a flight of stairs again. You could trip and break your neck.

[MarkeyD]

A high school friend of mine's son was the #1 draft pick as a pitcher for Montreal (now Washington). He was in a motorcycle accident and it ruined his career.

[SoothingDave]

I believe Dave is making the point that Big (Stupid) Ben was being selfish in that his actions have a great impact on many others. A foolish action on his part is therefore selfish.

Exactly. He's got a fine organization and the world's best fans heavily invested in his well being. And I don't mean just money.

Sadly, he was very strongly asked to put away the bike during his career. Had he been driving Plexico Burress's ridiculous monster truck (the kind you might see hauling a cement mixer), this would have been a blip in the sports pages.

SD

[agrace]

Charlie Batch did have a good showing last season - as third string QB he replaced a stinky Maddox who had replaced an injured Big Ben - before he was injured too. Hopefully he'll step up this fall.

[Salamander]

"You seem to be suggesting the former. If so, you are a kook. "

How nice.
Ad hominem.
I am *so* surprised.

FYI, I have seen drivers at intersections look at a line of car traffic coming with an [unfortunate] biker ahead of them.
Rather than wait til the line of traffic passes by, or wait to cut in front of *car*, they will invariably cut out in front of the biker, instead.

Hubby and I have both seen the other drivers look us straight in the eye, ignore the flashing of high beams/motor revving/horn blowing warning and pull out -anyway-.

Why?

Because they'd rather take a chance with a light weight bike hitting them than a 2 ton vehicle.

Yes, they DO do it on purpose.

"If you, instead, are only bemoaning the reality that motorcycles will get involved in accidents and the riders will get seriously hurt, then you need to deal with the world as it is, not how you wish it might be."


Give me a break.
I've stood beside the caskets of more people killed by careless car drivers that you'd ever imagine.
Don't give me some half-assed sermon about "reality".

After you've held a dying friend's bloodied body while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, get back to me and we'll discuss "reality".

The woman driving the van that killed 2 of my friend's in '97 had to choose between hitting her brakes and possibly bruising her little dog who was lying on the floor at her feet or killing my friends. Guess which choice she made. Does that sound "on purpose" enough to you?
Did they somehow fail the "visibility test" because she "didn't notice" 10 Harleys right in front of her?

And just in case you think that qualifies as a plausible scenario, what of the drivers who intentionally pull into and cut off the 2000+ bikes that make the WV VA Hospital benefit ride every single year?

We aren't "visible" enough?

Even with state police escorts, flashing lights and "motorcade warning" vehicles?

[SoothingDave]

Yes, they DO do it on purpose.

Thanks for the evidence. Be careful out there. You never know who might be waiting to run you down. LOL

SD