TT should do this to keep our players safe!

[BigDmoney]

most people don't have your luck with the 34 years of safe riding. I alone know two people who have been killed in motorcycle accidents in the last 2 years and they were both very experienced riders. It's unrealistic to think that a 24 year old kid who has just been givin millions is going to be as safe of driver as you. I'm all for motorcycles, but I just think that these guys need to be told what they can and cannot to do a degree. For the majority of the people riding crotch-rockets, i would say it's much MORE dangerous that bunji Jumping or skydiving. Those accidents are for the most part rare.

[LaFours]

I agree with ATL. The minute you start regulating these types of activites you set a precedent that can then be used/manipulated by team officials (aka. Attorneys) in future situations (i.e. hunting, riding ATV's, parachuting, walking in Central Park past 7 p.m.) to prohibit/restrict the players from doing what they want. I also agree that NFL teams have a huge investment in their players (especially the good ones) but if they start putting all these clauses in their contracts based on the organization's fears of what might happen when they perform a certain activity you start into a slippery slope of limiting their freedom.

I for one am not a fan. If these guys can't take care of themselves who does the organization think they are to play the role of Mommy and Daddy?

[AtlPackFan]

Tony and BigDMoney,

We are never going to agree on the motorcycle issue so lets put that aside and we can agree to disagree.

I understand what you are saying...I just don't agree with regulating someone's off the field activities. I could agree with verbage in a contract that regulates HOW you participate in certain activities, but not the activity itself.

[woodbuck27]

You can't regulate everything in life as it's a free world within the laws.

If a professional athlete wants to act like a bonehead, then hit him/her where it hurts most. Take away the money, by instituting contracts that disallow careless practises with costly results, like Ben showed us today.

An athlete is expected to be in shape and that takes some time and common sense. Common sense also dictates that Big ben should be wearing a helmut, if he wants to enjoy a motorcycle.

[AtlPackFan]

You can't regulate everything in life as it's a free world within the laws.

If a professional athlete wants to act like a bonehead, then hit him/her where it hurts most. Take away the money, by instituting contracts that disallow careless practises with costly results, like Ben showed us today.

An athlete is expected to be in shape and that takes some time and common sense. Common sense also dictates that Big ben should be wearing a helmut, if he wants to enjoy a motorcycle.

Here, here! You regulate HOW the activity is participated in, NOT the activity. No safety instruction, no helmet, driving reckless = no money!

[Tony Oday]

Agreed Atl that is the truth ride the bike, dumb arses!!! you are worth millions!, but Saftey Saftey Saftey.

If I was an NFL team I would want to regulate the crap out of these guys and if they dont want the job with all of its restrictions Im sure they can go to the CFL and collect 100k in looney dollars...

[BigDmoney]

i can live with that. Helmets and a real safety class would probably have limited the Big-Ben an Winslow cases to a huge degree. i wish no ill-will on anybody and what happened to big-Ben is really scary and I prey he'll be fine. But i do get a big stupid grin on my face when I think about Kellen Winslow's stupid, novice-riding ass doing tricks in the parking lott and wasting a year of his life. He was punk in college (anyone remember him saying about 10 time "I'm a f'in soldier man!") and hopefully that accident woke him up.

[AtlPackFan]

i can live with that. Helmets and a real safety class would probably have limited the Big-Ben an Winslow cases to a huge degree. i wish no ill-will on anybody and what happened to big-Ben is really scary and I prey he'll be fine. But i do get a big stupid grin on my face when I think about Kellen Winslow's stupid, novice-riding ass doing tricks in the parking lott and wasting a year of his life. He was punk in college (anyone remember him saying about 10 time "I'm a f'in soldier man!") and hopefully that accident woke him up.

Agreed...Winslow was, and I would bet, still is a punk. I hope I am wrong but I seriously doubt the accident woke him up.

Helmet wouldn't have helped Ben's knees but it does sound as those Ben was on a bike that was way over his head with no instruction and no helmet. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Too bad TALENT doesn't necessarily equate to common sense!

[Homer Jay]

The bottom line is that you can't protect people from themselves. I'm all for teams protecting themselves in the contracts. There's an old song that goes "10 Feet Tall and Bullet Proof." Unfortunately, with millions in the bank and even more millions of fans, that's the feeling many of these young guys have. "Nothing will happen to me."

[the_idle_threat]

Re: TT should do this to keep our players safe!

In light of Big Ben trying to beat up a car with his face I think every team in the NFL should have company cars for their players that they are required to drive if they are employed.

Basically if you sign a contract with the GB packers you get this Escalade, Expedition, or big ole huge SUV/Truck. If you are on the Packers this is the only form of ground transportation that you are allowed to drive. You may substitute the vehicle for a limo if drive by a driver.

What would this cost a year? 1 million tops? this would be a nice incentive to be a packer and would protect our investment in the guys. Sure there is no 100% way to keep a player safe but man they invest millions into these guys and they are flying around on donorcycles!!!! CMON!!!!

What do you think? You make the roster you get a car to be safe in.

For safety, they should all be issued Volvos. Their choice of pink or powder blue. Only half of the fleet will be powder blue, though, so some will have to take pink.

[GBRulz]

More players have had their careers end directly related to their job, not off the field activities.

Take the Pro Bowl for example. Who was that guy from the Patriots a few years back that hurt his knee playing volleyball while at the Pro Bowl? it ended his career.

You can't regulate off the field activities, but from a team standpoint, i see nothing wrong with putting certain clauses in contracts.

[BigDmoney]

the bike that he was riding was 1300 cc's. Now i don't know much about bikes, but I know that's huge. And the dealer that gave him the bike said it was popular among first time riders. What the F is first time rider (or even a rider with less thana ton of experience) doing riding that beast. cockiness man!

[bbbffl66]

Remeber Robin Yount and his Harley were big hits in Brewtown!!! You just can't legislate out stupidity.

[K-town]

More players have had their careers end directly related to their job, not off the field activities.

Take the Pro Bowl for example. Who was that guy from the Patriots a few years back that hurt his knee playing volleyball while at the Pro Bowl? it ended his career.

You can't regulate off the field activities, but from a team standpoint, i see nothing wrong with putting certain clauses in contracts.

Michele: I think you're referring to Robert Edwards of the Patriots. This was right after Curtis Martin bolted New England for the Jets. Edwards was a very promising rookie (over 1,000 yards rushing), and was invited to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. In a touch football game sanctioned (and televised, I believe) by the NFL, Edwards blew out his knee. In fact, I think he almost lost the leg. He came back a couple of years later, and played briefly for Miami and Detroit (?), but essentially, the touch football game in the sand was the end of his career.