I'd like to begin by taking a moment to reflect on the tragic events that occurred on Tuesday morning in Pittsburg.
Steeler fans, I only hope that you can find even the smallest amount of comfort in the knowledge that our hearts are going out to you as you have been unfairly forced to deal with the sobering and harsh reality that your starting quarterback is a complete and utter moron.
Hold on, Steeler fans. There's no reason to put down your morning beer and start churning out grammatically incorrect hate-mail just yet because I want to be perfectly clear on this: I am not out to just gratuitously add insult to injury in the case of Ben Rothlisberger; although, I wouldn't put it past me.
Believe it or not, my purpose in choosing the idiocy of his decision to ride a motorcycle without a helmet goes far beyond my usual editorial staple of empty-minded sophomoric humor.
How so? Well, this particular situation also allows me to throw in a little irony.
You see, if there is anyone - and I mean anyone - on the face of the planet that shouldn't have a problem strapping on a helmet for an hour or two, a professional football player is at the top of the list.
For God's sake, the man has spent a good fourth of his life with a plastic cap over his head. The only two groups of people that could possibly feel more comfortable in a helmet are either wearing Army uniforms in Afghanistan or gold medals in the Special Olympics, so I'm fairly certain he's got a few lying around the house that would fit him quite comfortably.
And as if the pure convenience of his occupation wasn't enough, then at least you'd think that being a professional quarterback would lend him a certain degree of insight on the concept of applied physics.
I mean, in all practicality, what's the worst thing that could happen to a quarterback on a football field? Well, let's just say that, for the sake of argument, a 350-pound lineman named Bubba McFatkins charges through the offensive line and knocks the bejesus out of Rothlisberger at full speed.
Now, for the sake of argument, let's just say that McFatkins then proceeds to -oh, I don't know - sit on Rothlisberger's head for a few minutes. Can we all agree that this would be about the worst thing that could happen to a quarterback?
Okay. So say what you want about McFatkins. He's crass. He's over-aggressive. But even at his worst, the biggest lineman has nothing on the smallest car.
Point being: if Rothlisberger thinks his head is thick enough to protect him on the interstate, then it should be more than enough to do the trick on the gridiron.
Until then, the privilege of being a professional athlete comes with certain stipulations. Among them is the responsibility to your team and to your fans to stay in the best shape possible to be at the top of your game.
This isn't about the helmet law. It's about the law of common sense - and too many of our athletes are repeat offenders. You can't be a God on Sunday and a goober on Tuesday. The fans deserve better.
So there you go Pittsburgh. Get him better and keep an eye on him. We want him healthy, well-rested, and ready for Dwight Freeney to knock the bejesus out of him this Fall.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
