Get Well Soon, Ben Rothlisberger

TWIT would like to wish a fast and full recovery to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  Yesterday, Big Ben underwent over seven hours of surgery to basically put his face back together after he was involved in a crash on his motorcycle early Monday morning.  Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet; in fact he said he preferred to ride his bike sans helmet.  In addition to his jaw, nose and other facial bones being broken, he also ended up with a nine-inch gash in his head.  Steelers officials say it's way too early to determine if Big Ben will be recovered by the time the 2006 football season starts. 

Roethlisberger was on his Suzuki Hayabusa - the fastest street bike manufactured.  Yes, he was riding a crotch rocket without a helmet.  How stupid is that? A man who wears a helmet as part of his [multi million dollar] job doesn't wear a helmet when he's riding his motorcycle.  It makes no sense to me, either.  Ben's mother was killed in a car crash fifteen years ago as she was on her way to pick him up - you'd think that might have made a slight impression on his safety. 

Some might think I'm being a hardass about this, but I'm not apologizing for my opinion. As of July 1, Kentucky will put into place the mandatory seatbelt law.  Up until now, if you were pulled over for something else and weren't wearing your seatbelt you could be ticketed for not wearing your seatbelt.  As of July 1, you can be pulled over by the cops if they see you not wearing your seatbelt.  Period.  No questions asked.  Yet in Kentucky, they don't have a mandatory helmet law.  First of all, let me say that I wear my seatbelts, and I know firsthand that seatbelts do save lives.  But now the cops are going to give me the blues if I don't want to wear my seatbelt, yet they could not cre less if I want to buy a crotch rocket like Roethlisberger and ride down the streets without a helmet?  Once again, it makes no sense. 

I hope Ben has learned from this terrible accident and will become a helmet wearer.  I have a feeling his Mom would want him to.