Mad World
Get Out From Under The Bubble
By Mark Madden

The football bubble: Don't live in it.

After Ben Roethlisberger's near-tragic motorcycle accident, Joe Theismann castigated Roethlisberger for not thinking of his teammates, or of the investment the Rooney family has made in him.

Merrill Hoge used words like "selfish" and "stupid."

Before the wreck, Terry Bradshaw implored Roethlisberger to put the bike away until his career is over.

Theismann, Hoge and Bradshaw all reside in the football bubble.

Inside the football bubble, nothing else matters. You think of nothing else. You buy into the philosophy that playing in the NFL is the most grand and glorious privilege that God, in His infinite wisdom, could bestow upon any mortal. You believe that every single thing NFL players do should focus on the next given Sunday.

That, of course, makes you a shallow dullard. In Bradshaw's case, you get divorced a lot.

Roethlisberger doesn't live in the football bubble. Fact is, he lives two doors away from me.

During our admittedly limited interaction as neighbors, I've found that the most endearing thing about Ben is that he doesn't see himself as a football player 24/7. He once confessed to Sports Illustrated that he has trouble staying awake during film study, adding that when he leaves the practice facility, he leaves football behind.

He enjoys a lot of diverse things. Family. Friends. His dogs. Playing catch with his girlfriend in the street. (She has a nice arm, among other things.) And he likes feeling the wind whistle through his hair when he rides a motorcycle. Roethlisberger certainly didn't enjoy feeling the wind whistle through his head at the end of his last motorcycle ride.

But that doesn't mean he did anything wrong. The accident, by all accounts, wasn't his fault. He broke no traffic laws. He committed the misdemeanor offense of not having a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license, which has outraged the "I told you so!" set. But all it cost Ben was a slap on the (hopefully not his throwing) wrist.

Freedom of choice matters more than the opinions of Theismann and his ilk. The Constitution supersedes NFL rules both written and unwritten.

Anyway, responsibility to teammates is overrated in a me-first league that has insanely liberal roster turnover from year to year. As for protecting the investment made in him by the Rooneys, is Ben's contract guaranteed?

No, it isn't. Tell the Rooneys to spring for an insurance policy.

I was amazed at the initial sentiments of the great unwashed following Ben's crash. It was like he tried to jump the Snake River Canyon in boxer shorts. When it was learned he didn't have a license, it was like he kidnapped the Lindbergh baby.

Up went the yinzer cry: "Doesn't he know we want to win another Super Bowl!"

Actually, I'm pretty sure Ben wants to win another Super Bowl, too. I'm also fairly certain he didn't plan what happened near the Tenth Street bridge.

Look up "accident" in the dictionary. Please, I'm begging you.

I've covered Pittsburgh athletes for almost 30 years. Not many have represented the city and his team better than Roethlisberger. After a seemingly endless quarter-century wait, Ben-more than any other Steeler-was responsible for the return of Super Bowl glory to a city that had almost forgotten what it felt like.

So, instead of nitpicking, try supporting Roethlisberger. Maybe you won't alienate him like you did Bradshaw.

Roethlisberger announced that if he does ride a motorcycle again, he'll be wearing a helmet.

That doesn't signify entry into the football bubble.

More like the common sense bubble.

Mark Madden hosts a sports talk show 3-7 p.m. weekdays on ESPN Radio 1250.