I have written about professional sports contracts before, and how the news tends to focus on the guys that make fools of themselves rather than on those that have a good work ethic.

Some of you may remember the bonehead move by Kellen Winslow who has yet to have any sort of worthwhile professional career because he keeps doing stupid things, such as doing stunts on a motorcycle without strapping on his helmet.

Ben Roethlisberger, whom I had assumed to be a much more intelligent person and who has been undeniably more successful as the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has proven he is even dumber than Kellen Winslow. This is a shame, since I have enjoyed watching the start of Roethlisberger’s career over the last two years.

This morning, Roethlisberger was out on his motorcycle and got in an accident. Eyewitness reports state that he was not wearing a helmet and that he was ejected from his bike and hit the windshield of a car. He is in the hospital for a head injury that is not supposed to be life threatening, but the team has not made an official announcement yet.

These players are idiots. I recognize that folks who enjoy their motorcycles tend to be fanatics, and there is nothing wrong with this. The problem, though, is that riding a motorcycle is an inherantly risky behavior no matter how good of a driver you are and no matter how careful or experienced you are. When you are Bob from Accounting, a broken leg is an inconveniance and an expense. When you are a starting quarterback or other professional athlete, however, it can end your career. Many professional contracts prohibit unnecessary risky behavior in the off season, and with good reason. Teams invest a lot of money into these players, and it just seems silly to jump on a bike without wearing a helmet and cruise around risking your career.