Teams should have a say in off-field antics

Look for future NFL contracts to include a two-wheel clause in the fine print given the toll motorcycle accidents are taking on players as of late.

The latest accident, as most football fans know, happened to Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger fresh off a Super Bowl win in his sophomore season in the pros. The 24-year-old was riding on a Pittsburgh street when he crashed with a Chrysler New Yorker. The accident left him confined to a hospital bed for a week after hours of surgery. He suffered a broken jaw, lost several teeth and had other facial injuries.

And, like most of my friends who like to ride, he wasn?t wearing a helmet seeing Pennsylvania has a relaxed helmet law and many riders like the feeling of freedom they get with the wind whistling through their hair. I?ve argued with my friends up and down about the possible downsides of riding without a helmet, i.e. brain damage and death, to no avail. I do this out of concern seeing I won?t even ride my bicycle any long distance without a helmet. But, hey, this is America, so do what you want.

That is, unless I?m paying you millions of dollars to be my franchise player. Even before Roethlisberger there was Kellen Winslow Jr. of the Cleveland Browns, who has already missed a season due to a motorcycle wreck. He may or may not be able to return to a competitive form this season. The same is true for Big Ben, who suffered mainly facial injuries; however, with any major trauma injury comes questions of how complete a recovery one will have.

I?m sure I?ll butt heads with cyclists over this but I think team owners should restrict such activity. Some teams already tell their players they cannot be involved in any pick-up games outside official team practices.

This ban outside the chosen sport includes many other sports besides football. Even in Warren County, where kids play for free, there are restrictions on what outside activities athletes can compete in outside their chosen sport. I know that athletes on the high school soccer team are not allowed to play indoor soccer with the city league during the year, just for one example.

And, why is this? It?s to avoid injuries off the field which could sideline them in their chosen sport. How much more pertinent is this to a team which is paying mega-bucks for a player whose health the entire franchise is depending on?

If I?m an owner I start putting cycling clauses in all my contracts. If a player wants to feel the wind in their hair then they will have to sign a paper giving me a partial refund of signing bonuses and freeing me of having to pay any future money if they are hampered by a motorcycle injury. If you want to be Easy Rider, then wait until you retire a rich man on my money then ride like the wind into your well-funded retirement.

I don?t care if you?re the best rider in the world, there?s no guarantee of safety. I?ve worked many cycle wrecks in my career here and I?d say about 90 percent have been caused by cars and were not the fault of cyclists. Most involve motorists not seeing a cycle or turning in front of them. And yes, show me every study in the world but of the cycle wrecks I?ve seen here, those without helmets generally suffer much worse injuries.

Hey, cycle all you want without a helmet, that is, unless I?m paying you to play on my team. In that case, you play and ride by my rules.