Are Fans and NFL teams too demanding of players?

If he's the free spirit that I think he is, nothing holds him back from doing the activiites that he wants to do. Ten years from now he may regret riding that motorcycle but right now he did what he felt like doing. Good for him.

Can't you say the same thing for Ricky Williams and a ton of other atheletes who have thrown away their careers for drugs/alcohol/gambling/whatever? In the history of professional sports there are probably hundreds, if not more, of potentially great atheletes who have thrown away all their potential because they didn't want to be held back from doing the things they wanted to do.

I would say the same thing for any professional sports athlete, including Ricky Williams. I'm going to lunch but I'll comment further later on.

It is not just Fans and NFL Teams.

The NFL is a huge business. But so is gambling. That is why there are injury reports.

This accident is no different than the KWII bike accident which has claimed two years of a highly regarded TEs career. Of course, he hasn't been able to get his NFL career untracked yet, so we have nothing to talk about. But I'm sure that his Team, the fans of his team, and gamblers had great expectations.

It is great expectations that are indeed lost.

Big Ben, from all reports, should recover in time for the regular season. So, there may only be a loss of practice time, photo opportunities, endorsements, fan meet & greet gatherings, post-SB banquets, and other such "demands" on his time between now and the season. He may also be hampered by some temporary loss of weight due to not being able to eat solids.

Each of us has to make personal life decisions. Some chose to ride, others do not.
Some riders wear protection. Others do not.

After the decision, each of us has to live with the consequences.

KWII and Big Ben are living with theirs.

Unfortunately, those decisions, for KWII and Big Ben, and their consequences affect everyone else surrounding their respective team, and the other teams involved in the business we know as the NFL.

I would say the same thing for any professional sports athlete, including Ricky Williams. I'm going to lunch but I'll comment further later on.

I all these players are, when it all comes down to it, people who should be free to make their own decisions, but I just feel like someone like Ben or Ricky should really think about the responsibility that comes with their huge contracts. They should realize that they are being paid these outrageous sums of money because they are expected to be able to perform at a certain level. From all accounts, it seems like Ben was asked repeatedly to stop riding, or at the very least to wear a helmet, because of the risks involved.

I just feel like he has a responsiblity to his team to try and avoid off-field activities that could result in on-field problems.

I don't think Ben has to take the responsibility to act in such a way that he minimizes his chances for off-field injuries just for the sake of the Steelers and its fan base. He seems to be a nice guy who is going to enjoy himself while it lasts. Unfortunately for him he got a reality check a little earlier than I'll bet he expected.

I think we're all losing sight of the question at hand. Is it too much to ask for people like Ricky Williams to not smoke weed? No. Is it too much to ask for Ben to wear a helmet? No.

I think we're getting into this whole free will thing, and while I think that people should be able to exercise free will, I also think it's NOT too much to ask or too demanding to say that a player should exercise some responsibility or suffer the consequences.

I don't think Ben has to take the responsibility to act in such a way that he minimizes his chances for off-field injuries just for the sake of the Steelers and its fan base. He seems to be a nice guy who is going to enjoy himself while it lasts. Unfortunately for him he got a reality check a little earlier than I'll bet he expected.

So, he has no responsibility to try to live up to his contract? I feel like he's really lucky that his agent was able to keep some kind off the field injury clause out of his contract, especially since they didn't want him riding in the first place.

if these pampered, dumb ass, me first athletes prefer to ride motorcycles or take other chances to endanger their professional careers, then if the time comes thru injury or whatever that they cannot perform anymore, no one needs to feel sorry for them. to a man they will say they dreamed of being a pro sports star, and if they cant give up a few of lifes pleasures(at least while they are still playing) how bad do they want to be a professional athlete?

He does try to live up to his contract to a certain degree but he's not required to seal himself up in a huge plastic bubble until football season. You will hard pressed to find an athlete that doesn't do something that could be considered dangerous.

By the way, I thought I read somewhere that he does have a clause in his contract that allows the Steelers organization to attempt to recoup some money. Given Ben's super-status, it's doubtful the team will persue this though.

this is the one time i'm with the owners.they pay these guys boatloads of money to play for them,and i think they are completely just in laying down the cans and can't dos for all the players,not just the superstars.i can't see why anybody making the money these guys are making would want to go out and do extremely dumb things.play it safe,if you want to do that sort of thing,retire or do it after your career is over.if i were a steelerfan today,i'd really be pissed!!!