5 On Your Side Sports Blog

It won't happen to me.

It's what they all think in those discretionary moments before they take some kind of risk. Of course, it could be argued that they aren't thinking. At least not logically. And certainly not about consequences. Nor the future. These guys are stuck in a moment - one they always regret.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was on his motorcycle - riding without his helmet, as usual, because it relaxes him - when he collided with a Chrysler New Yorker. Ben should stick to collisions with Baltimore Ravens defensive linemen; his chances of walking away from a wreck are better. Left: The aftermath of Big Ben's big mistake

But that same inner-dare devil that drives top flight athletes to risk life and limb on the field is the same one that sits over their shoulder, telling them to do it. To go ahead and ride that bike. And to forget the helmet. It's much cooler without it.

After heeding that advice, Roethlisberger now must recover from facial injuries that include a broken jaw. The Steelers have reason to believe he'll be ready for the 2006 season. Seven hours of surgery can fix his face, but it cannot save it. The 24-year-old quarterback has damaged his reputation, not to mention his relationship with his team.

Clearly, Big Ben took nothing from Kellen Winslow's stunt-gone-bad last year, nor the post-accident warnings from coach Bill Cowher.

Of course, all will probably be forgiven after his first touchdown pass.

J.J. Redick didn't need a motorcycle to risk his life. He just needed a refill.
And his car keys.

Surely it occurred to the Duke basketball star, and NBA Lottery hopeful, that one night of drinking and driving could jeopardize one bright future.

Guess not. Just chalk it up to a bad week.

In one week, J.J. Redick backed out of a scheduled workout with the Celtics, then tried to back up when he saw a police license checkpoint at the end of the road. He was sober enough to realized he was in trouble; he was dumb enough to try and avoid the situation by making a U-turn. Illegally. In front of the cops. I guess when you've had a few too many, even a Duke education can't help you.

Problem is, the Celtics don't seem too phased by all this. G.M. Danny Ainge told the Boston Herald: “You hate to see someone penalized for making a mistake at a young age like this.”

Boston picks 7th overall in this month's NBA Draft. And while a few NBA teams might look to another player, I'd bet most will be willing to look the other way on J.J.'s one night of what we'll call youthful indiscretion.

So he gets a free pass because he was young and stupid. Fine. Believe me, I'm in no place to be holding a stone in my hand.

Hey, we all make mistakes. But we all don't make millions playing a game, like Big Ben.

In J.J.'s defense, they'll sweep it under the rug. He's a college kid, after all. Wrong. I was a college kid, Redick was college basketball's Player of the Year in 2005.

The unfortunate bottom line here: that suit of armor athletes are so fond of wearing has chinks in it. But something tells me they'll keep wearing it, because we let them.

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