Are Fans and NFL teams too demanding of players?

[724Skinsfan]

I suppose it's not too much to ask but think about being a high school or college level athlete and being told that once you get into the pros you're going to have your freedom of choice severley limited. Most guys will be cool with it since they are going to be making a lot of money. A few others, who like to rebel against the system are going to say forget you! It's the professional sports teams responsibility to determine who these people are before they sign them.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by ArtMonkDrillz

taking care of your responsibilities, MAN LAW!

MAN LAW indeed.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

MAN LAW indeed.

because, when you gotta pet, you gotta responsiblity. You don't ride around like an idiot and then call it a career. You put on your f'in helmet and you play some f'in football!

[gibbsisgod]

Man Law!

[Spaceman Spiff]

Not gonna take all the time to read all the posts, as I'm a bit short on time...

But think if Big Ben was a good friend or something and not the Steelers QB who you know and love (or maybe you don't?).

Anyway, if Big Ben was a good friend of yours, you'd be upset with him if he was riding a bike without a helmet and without a license. Right?

Football fans look at themselves and the players of their favorite team as family and friends. It's like one big happy family or something, especially when your team is good. You see other Skins fans at tailgates, games, bars and you automatically have something in common. If you see a player like Portis on TV, you feel like you know him and know what he's about. So would it be too much to ask a friend or someone you really care about to ask a helmet? Certainly not.

And for those of us who are removed from the Steeler family, we look at this situation as a qb with immense talent who nearly could have thrown it all away. And for what? Something stupid like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. What about the Dolphins? How many of us were pissed off at Rickey Williams because he's a great running back but threw it all away for weed.

It's like a parent watching a kid with a 160 IQ get C's and D's because they don't care about school or watching a talented friend you deeply care about wasting away on drugs or continually making boneheaded decisions.

I also feel that we get upset at athletes such as this because we all would instantly trade places with them. It's a jealousy thing. How many of us have sat here watching this whole Big Ben thing thinking to ourselves that if we were him, we'd NEVER do something that stupid? Getting paid that much money to play football? Why risk it on a motorcycle?

Because they're people, just like you and me. And they make mistakes, and thats what we forget sometimes because they're larger than life. Big Ben being an idiot is just like that best friend who makes bad decisions and then wonders why he's getting screwed over during the aftermath. And we've all been there, we've all had people like that in our lives.

So it's not that much to ask at all.

[That Guy]

he has a job, he has a LOT of other people that count on him. It's not like he's a boxer. He also gets paid MILLIONS. part of that contract includes taking care of ones self to the best of ones ability.

lots of techies get cell phones from work and can be called in at 2am on weekends if something goes down, don't they have a right to live their life the way they want too?

the answer is no, cause they knew the term of the contract and agreed to sign it anyways.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by That Guy

he has a job, he has a LOT of other people that count on him. It's not like he's a boxer. He also gets paid MILLIONS. part of that contract includes taking care of ones self to the best of ones ability.

lots of techies get cell phones from work and can be called in at 2am on weekends if something goes down, don't they have a right to live their life the way they want too?

the answer is no, cause they knew the term of the contract and agreed to sign it anyways.

That's similiar to the way I was thinking. Basically, in my mind, I feel like him signing the contract is like becoming a dad. Once you have a kid you don't have to stop doing all the dumb stuff you could do pre-kid, but you probably should because now there are more people counting on you and your well being than there were before. Granted, I'm not a father yet, but I think some of you dad's out there will agree with me (happy early father's day).

[Longtimefan]

There comes a time in every man's life when he has to make decisions. The difference between a mature man and an imature one is the ability, "or lack thereof" to make smart decisions based on sound judgement. While the subject of Ben's accident has been discussed throughly by football, and non football fans alike, there are very few who will maintain the fact he made a good decision. Therefore I maintain the fact that no one should have to remind him of the dangers of indulging in risky behavior. What I am interested in seeing now is, once Ben has recovered to the extent of making a public statement just what he will say now about his decision to ride without a helmet.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by ArtMonkDrillz

That's similiar to the way I was thinking. Basically, in my mind, I feel like him signing the contract is like becoming a dad. Once you have a kid you don't have to stop doing all the dumb stuff you could do pre-kid, but you probably should because now there are more people counting on you and your well being than there were before. Granted, I'm not a father yet, but I think some of you dad's out there will agree with me (happy early father's day).

Pretty solid analysis.

[Pocket$ $traight]

Here is my position. No one has the right to tell anybody what to do with their free time. However, if you choose to do something completely idiotic, like riding a motorcycle without a helmet, you better be ready to accept the criticism if you screw up. I heard a point on the radio today that I think makes a lot of sense. As a QB of a football team you should be held to a higher standard because every guy on the team is depending on you. Not to mention the middle class fan who is giving up a significant amount of their disposable income every year to support you.

Big Ben has the right to do whatever he wants and he also deserves every negative comment. He let his fans, his team, the league and himself down.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by Grim21Reaper

Big Ben has the right to do whatever he wants and he also deserves every negative comment. He let his fans, his team, the league and himself down.

You just said exactly what I've been thinking this whole time, and in much fewer words.

[LBrown43]

I doubt Ben would go on the football field without a helmet. Whats the difference? I can answer my own question by saying the NFL mandates it. If not, would Ben go helmetless then? I doubt it. He lacked sound common sense.
Yes fans expect alot from players. Is it unjustified? Hard to say. I do know that when I successfully settled a complex insurance claim at a good figure, no one was rushing to give me an endorsment deal. People did not wait outside to get my autograph and there was certainly not 80,000 people going crazy, chanting my name and ready to buy my shirt. My boss did nto even approach me to renegotiate my contract (what contract!!)
It is the nature of the game that much is expected from the players. It is the highest of high profile jobs.I don't think it is too much to expect them to use common sense. What is the shelf life of an NFL quarterback? 10-12 years? Hell ride your Harley naked if you want, but wait until the career is over and all you are hurting is yourself. Too many other people depend on players....thats just the way it is.

[TheInspector]

I have a question for you all: What is classified as "risky" behavior, and what exactly is "common-sense"?

I hear a lot of people saying things like, "he is obligated to prohibit from any 'risky' behavior which may result in injury," or, "he should use common-sense."

I do think that he was senseless by riding without a helmet, but I cannot say that he was lacking common-sense simply because his principles don't conform to mine. He could be injured horsing-around with his brother, or he could slip and fall. Does that mean he should avoid all behavior which could result in injury (like walking)? Of course not.

We should avoid making general statements like these. If he is bound by his contract to avoid riding motorcycles that is one thing--otherwise, we cannot say he is obligated to avoid risk. It would be better to say that he should avoid any risky behavior, within reason.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by TheInspector

I have a question for you all: What is classified as "risky" behavior, and what exactly is "common-sense"?

I hear a lot of people saying things like, "he is obligated to prohibit from any 'risky' behavior which may result in injury," or, "he should use common-sense."

I do think that he was senseless by riding without a helmet, but I cannot say that he was lacking common-sense simply because his principles don't conform to mine. He could be injured horsing-around with his brother, or he could slip and fall. Does that mean he should avoid all behavior which could result in injury (like walking)? Of course not.

We should avoid making general statements like these. If he is bound by his contract to avoid riding motorcycles that is one thing--otherwise, we cannot say he is obligated to avoid risk. It would be better to say that he should avoid any risky behavior, within reason.

Good point. Brian Gresie (sp?) did get injured tripping over his dog a few years ago and no one was mad at him for having a dog. But in this situation I think everyone realizes that riding a motorcycle without a helmet is inheriantly more dangerous than horsing around.

[LBrown43]

Maybe because I have handled many motorcycle claims that have ended in death, I am not the biggest advocate of riding motorcycles. They are dangersous not so much because of the operator of the bike, but more for the others on the road that don't notice them. In many of the claims I have handled the cars that were involved almost always said they never saw the motorcycle.
But I don't think it takes a brain scientist or a rocket surgeon to figure that you put a human body on a 2 wheeled conveyance that can go over 100 mph, without any protection should; the vehicle fail in any way, you have a more than normal risk for injury. Yeah, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow but Ben is much more likely to have a motrocycle accident than I would be getting hit by a bus. Besides he proved my point by getting in the accident. I am still bus incident free.
Ben put himself in harms way by first riding a motrocycle and secondly by not wearing a helmet. He is lucky he is not dead because I have seen lesser damage to bikes and the rider has died.