The Rich- the Fast- and the Furious

We would all love to have the life of an athlete (we all have wanted to at some point in our lives).  They are envied for the way they live.  People want to be able to rake in money the same way athletes do.  They want to have their cars, and the clothes they wear.  Non-athletes want to be able to go home everyday to the same size houses as athletes do.  Yet, some athletes still have no clue of how good they’ve got it.  It’s hard to believe the reports that people still here about the dumb decisions athletes are still making.  Trends of dumb decisions among athletes have all dealt with one of the things athletes are envied for, cars.  For some reason athletes feel as though they are obligated to go as fast as they can in their fancy rides.  With the rates of speeds from athletes these days, many are prone to accidents.  Those whom are unfortunately involved in accidents sometimes have their career taken from them, and sometimes have their lives taken also.Why must athletes have to go so fast?  Hell, if I were driving a Ferrari or a Lamborghini I would be the slowest driver in the entire world for fear that I might damage a priceless item.  Athletes on the other hand act as though they can get these types of automobiles anytime they want.  

The sad thing is athletes can.  They could buy a whole damn car lot if they wanted to.

Speed is one of many bad habits that the athletes of today tend to posses.  Aren’t they already living life in the fast lane by just being an athlete?  Athletes today for some reason feel urged to drive like maniacs.  Is any athlete afraid of injuring themselves or their careers?  Athletes are always violating some part of their contract due to them driving at such insane speeds.  I guess athletes today feel as though they have nothing to lose because they are all about living life on the edge.

The most recent athlete to make a very stupid decision that involved a motorcycle was Kellen Winslow II, the Cleveland Browns’ top pick in the 2004 draft.  Winslow II was no doubted in violation of his contract because of the fact that Winslow II has a $40 million that strictly prohibits from riding any type of motorcycle?  It may just be me, but I cannot see where the temptation lies?  Winslow II is getting paid $40 million to play football, yet, he can’t resist from staying off motorcycles.  

If you think that sounded dumb, wait until you here this.

At the time of his accident, Winslow II reportedly hit a curb and flew over the handlebars of the motorcycle.  The good news for Winslow II is that while he was riding his Suzuki GSX-R750, he was wearing a helmet.  Oh, I forgot something.  The report also said that Winslow II was wearing a helmet that wasn’t fastened.  Why in the hell would he not fasten a helmet if he were wearing one on his head?  This is dumber than not even wearing one.  

When the accident occurred, Winslow II was going 35 mph and flew at least 16 feet when he hit the curb.  His explanation was that he was practicing a stunt at the time.  Who knew that Winslow II was training to become the Evil Knievel?  

Now with Winslow II aspiring to become a future daredevil, tragically, it has resulted in a torn ACL for Winslow II.  Thus, he will be forced to miss the entire NFL season, again.

You would think people would learn from Winslow II motorcycle accident, but no, they never do.  Ben Rothlesberger, the 2004 NFL Rookie of the Year, is an avid rider of motorcycles.  His head coach, Bill Cower, notified him that he would still be allowed to ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle if he would be careful.  Yet, Rothlesberger refuses to wear a helmet while riding the motorcycle.  That doesn’t sound like he is being careful to me.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers now having to worry about the future of their franchise, the team has had previous draft picks they’ve had to worry about when it comes to the future of their career.  Gabe Rivera was the Steelers’ first round draft pick in the 1983 NFL Draft.  One reason Rivera is remembered is based on the fact that the Steelers’ had an opportunity to select Dan Marino at the time, yet the team went ahead with the decision of selecting Rivera.  Another reason that Rivera is still remembered today is for the tragic accident that Rivera was involved in during his rookie season.  The defensive lineman wrecked his sports car midway through his rookie season, resulting in Rivera being paralyzed.  Since the accident has occurred, Rivera has still yet to walk.

Coming into the NBA Draft of 2002, Jay Williams was one of few who were near the top of every NBA teams’ draft board.  As a result, the Chicago Bulls selected Williams as the number two pick.  Williams signed a 3-year, $16.4 million contract as a rookie, but at the time had no idea that he would see very little of the money from his contract.  While Williams was in his second season as a member of the Bulls, Williams was involved in a serious accident while on his motorcycle.  Williams sustained injuries that were considered life-threatening.  Later, Williams completed a $3 million buyout with the Bulls.

Unlike others, some athletes are not as lucky when they are involved in serious automobile accidents.  Those who are not as lucky are usually those whose accidents are those that are the hardest understand.  They are also the hardest to explain.

Bobby Phills was killed in an automobile accident when his black Porsche crashed after a Hornets’ shootaround.  No one at the time knew that the cause of his accident was due to him racing Hornets teammate, David Wesley.    

Atlanta Thrashers’ players Dany Heatley and Dan Snyder were placed in a hospital after both were involved in a serious traffic accident.  According to the reports given, Heatley was driving his black Ferrari as though he were in the middle of a NASCAR race.  Reportedly, Heatley was said to have been driving over 85 miles per hour when he struck a wall near a condominium complex in downtown Atlanta.  Snyder was thrown from the vehicle as a result of the crash, and on impact, was cut in half.  He underwent surgery for a depressed skull fracture and crushed portion of the skull.  In the aftermath of the crash, Snyder didn’t survive.  Heatly on the other hand was in stable condition after the crash. He only suffered from a broken jaw after crashing into the wall.    

All of this nonsense is because of the decisions the athletes of today decide to make.  Someone should tell them to slow down, and enjoy life.  

Their lives are fast enough anyway.