Is it too harsh to say that Ben has more luck than brains?

Now that Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is out of danger -- his condition having been upgraded to fair and his discharge from Mercy Hospital predicted in three to five days -- it can be said: Ben, your foolishness has been exceeded only by your luck.
Simply put, Roethlisberger, 24, had no business being on a motorcycle -- for a number of reasons.
Indeed, based on reporting by KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, it was illegal for Roethlisberger to drive a motorcycle. He hadn't earned a motorcycle endorsement to his driver's license, and his motorcycle learner's permit expired two months ago. (Imagine the sigh of relief that news brought from the insurance agent of the woman whose car collided with Roethlisberger's motorcycle.)
But beyond the legality, the Steelers' star quarterback -- the youngest ever to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory -- should not have been riding a motorcycle because:
UA professional athlete's earning years are limited by nature and by the wear and tear any contact sport brings to a body. They shouldn't be wasted.
UNo amount of training or caution can protect a motorcyclist from careless or unpredictable action by drivers of other vehicles, and a franchise player shouldn't take unnecessary risks.
UAs the team's leader, Roethlisberger had a responsibility to set an example for other players, to demonstrate a commitment to the team and its well-being that exceeded personal whims.
As to riding without a helmet, that, to paraphrase President Lyndon Johnson, is almost as dumb as playing football without a helmet.
But, as a later president acknowledged in another context, when he was young and foolish, he did young and foolish things.
It is a mark of maturity to learn from youthful mistakes. Pittsburgh's football fans have a special interest in seeing Ben Roethlisberger learn from this mistake.
Less than a yard
The photograph on page one of yesterday's Vindicator illustrates just how lucky Roethlisberger was. Had he struck the car that turned into his path 2 feet deeper than he did, his head would not have glanced of the windshield, it would have slammed into the door post. His injuries almost certainly would have been crippling or fatal.
Incredibly, the people most responsible for the repeal two years ago of Pennsylvania's mandatory helmet law for cyclists are unfazed by Roethlisberger's misfortune. Charles Umbenhauer, lobbyist for the 7,000-member Pennsylvania Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education, told the Associated Press that Roethlisberger's accident is unlikely to spur efforts to restore the law.
"We have accidents every day that are far worse than that one," said Umbenhauer, making a point that eludes us. His group believes that better rider training is the key to safer motorcycling.
We'll give Umbenhauer that training is important. We'll even give him that without a license endorsement, Roethlisberger shouldn't have been driving a motorcycle. And that even if Roethlisberger earned an endorsement, he could not legally ride without a helmet for two full years or until completing an approved motorcycle safety course.
What we can't give Umbenhauer is credit for making Pennsylvania's motorcyclists safer. The Associated Press reports that the number of motorcycle deaths in the state involving riders who were not wearing helmets nearly quadrupled from 23 in 2002 -- the last full year the state's old helmet law was in effect -- to 87 in 2005, according to the state Department of Transportation. The total number of motorcycle deaths in 2005 was 205, up from 134 in 2002, PennDOT said.
Umbenhauer tries to dismiss such figures by noting that ridership is up (by about 30 percent), but that is like whistling past the graveyard.
Legislators take note
Those numbers are something the Pennsylvania Legislature ought to be considering (and Ohio's General Assembly, as well, since it, too, repealed a mandatory helmet law).
As for Roethlisberger, his first job is to recover from his shattered jaw, and to then rededicate himself to the success of the team. He might want to reassess his rejection of former quarterback Terry Bradshaw's advice that he delay his motorcycle riding until he's retired from the sport.
Roethlisberger was scheduled to film a national television ad for Campbell's Chunky Soup with his mother, Brenda, and some of his Steelers teammates Monday at Heinz Field. That's not going to happen any time soon. You can eat Chunky Soup with a fork, but not a straw.
Maybe the script could be rewritten to hawk the company's sippable soups. Ben can say "M'm, M'm," and Mom can hold up a mug of tomato soup and say, "Good." It could double as a commercial for soup and a public service announcement for motorcycle safety.