Big Ben wrecks/gets released/admits his mistake

[duus]

I've seen a couple Steeler fans offer their opinions on this thread concerning the return of Ben. They are convinced for some reason that escapes me that he will be able to participate in training camp or preseason at worst. I always find it interesting to look at ESPN's sportsnation polls as they give a good indication of the entire sports population, and not just a localized biased perspective. You usually have these small pockets of fanbases that show how we 'root' and 'think'. Well, the latest poll asks this very question as to when he will return. What do you know ... the national belief is that he will not make an appearance until the regular season sometime. In fact, more folks think he will miss the entire season than believe he will make an appearance in preseason. Very interesting. I think it would be a lot easier for fans of that ugly team to simply come to grips with the facts here and begin to consider the likelihood of no Ben until after the season starts. Hope he is there sooner ... but expect later.

[Boobie Clark]

I ride a motorcycle to work every day...it's 50 miles one way. The high temp in Phoenix today is about 107. Sitting on a furnace with a skid plate on my head ~ I'm sure you can imagine how freakin' hot that is. Arizona doesn't require operators to wear helmets unless they are under 18; passengers must wear a helmet regardless. Some days I don't wear a helmet ~ mostly when I'm on two-lane desert or mountain roads and there's not much traffic. It's all about the amount of risk you are willing to take, and you or Ben in this case are the only people respsonsible for your safety. You can't leave your personal safety to others.

The highest incident of motorcycle accidents happen in intersections. Motorcycle safety classes teach this. They also teach you to drive defensively. They are great classes. Again, taking responsibility for you own safety.

I can't count the number of times people have cut me off and then flipped me off like it was my fault...but I pay attention and expect s**t to happen.

As far as the license goes. Anybody caught without a permit or license will likely get busted...in Arizona, as long as you have driver's license, getting caught without the M endorsement is only about an $80 fine.

Just my two-cents.

[stilldiesel]

I don't really care if he misses the early part of the year. He missed 4 games last year and played injured in 3 others. He won 3 playoff road games with a contraption on the thumb of his throwing hand. He will be there when the B&G need him most.

[HoosierCat]

I've seen a couple Steeler fans offer their opinions on this thread concerning the return of Ben. They are convinced for some reason that escapes me that he will be able to participate in training camp or preseason at worst.

Well, the Steelers themselves, and the local press, have been putting a heavy emphasis on the positive, so that's probably to be expected. And it's possible. His jaw should take "only" about 6 weeks, so he could conceivably be back at it by early August. I wouldn't expect him to see much preseason time but that still gives him a month to get back into (or near to) fighting trim. But from all I've read about busted jaws that would seem a real "best-case" scenario, and that doesn't consider all the other fractures, bumps and bruises.

Like us, the Steelers have an early bye (week 4). If I were Cowher, right now I'd be pencilling Batch in for at least those first 3 games...

[stilldiesel]

Big Ben will be out of the hospital tomorrow and his jaw is NOT wired shut. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06165/698251-66.stm

[BengalByTheBay]

Big Ben will be out of the hospital tomorrow and his jaw is NOT wired shut. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06165/698251-66.stm

This isn't a case of competition. He'll be ready when he's ready. Most here think it will be sometime after the start of the season. You, apparently, think preseason. We shall see. You could give us hourly reports from his jock, but it's not gonna make much difference until the dust has cleared -- and that's not going to be this week.

"Dr. Daniel W. Pituch, chief of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery at Mercy, who was directly involved with the surgery Monday, said that the surgical team used "internal fixation technology" which involves the placement of small titanium plates and screws onto the surface of the broken bones in his jaws and face. The plates are one-and-a-half to two inches long and resemble hair berettes. The titanium plates were carefully bent to match the contours of Roethlisberger facial bones, Pituch said.

"Small holes were drilled into the bones and small screws were carefully placed into these holes," Pituch explained. "In addition this technology allows us to have a more predictable outcome that usually does not require any additional major reconstructive procedures."

Oh dude -- seriously? I think I might prefer wire. Do the plates stay there?

[bengalboomer7]

How can a man break his upper and lower jaw and it not be wired shut

I call bulls**t on the Post gazette

OK, I get it, he has hair berrettes holding his bones together.

[BengalByTheBay]

Is it just possible that there were so many fractures that wiring would not have worked, or at least worked as well? No doubt that this is probably a preferrable procedure for his ultimate long-term recovery, but damn! 7 hours of getting little holes drilled into your skull so that tiny screws could hold very expensive berets upside your head? No wonder I didn't go to med. school. I would've booted all over the lab during my beret-screwing final.

[duus]

I don't doubt the guy got the latest technological advances to aid in fixing his breaks. I saw the demonstration on the t.v. ... looked cool and makes a lot of sense. But this deep need to hang out on a Bengals forum, giving every positive word possible just sort of makes me chuckle. Seriously, the guy will need to heal and get in game shape ... that's it. Will that be 6 weeks ... 8 weeks ... 3 months ... 4 months? Stupid to speculate until a few weeks from now. I can't help but wonder what might go through his mind when he starts to take a shot to the head. And don't give me this junk about "he's tough, he'll look forward to it ... he's a Stiller!". Yeah, wasn't this the same guy that whined about sore toes and a sore thumb over the last year or so. Give it time ... that's the only way to know where things are.

[HoosierCat]

Oh dude -- seriously? I think I might prefer wire. Do the plates stay there?

Not normally. For all us amateur MD's: http://www.biomed.metu.edu.tr/courses/term...lates_kayin.htm

The metallic fixation devices, like screws and plates, have in some cases had disadvantageous side-effects. The modulus of elasticity of typical metals used in osteosynthetic devices is about 5 to 10 times that of bone. The differences in modulus of elasticity between bone and metals has been proved to cause the increasing of bone porosity and thinning of the cortical bone facing the plate during healing of the fracture (9). The corrosion of metals during implantation may in some cases cause strong reactions in the tissue. For these reasons, it is recommend that metallic osteosynthetic devices should be removed when the fracture has healed. The second operation increases human suffering and the cost of the treatment. Stress shielding is thought to interfere with blood circulation and the weakened bone may fracture again after implant removal.

That's way down in the paper. It gives a quick summary just a few paragraphs in, tho...

Open reduction and internal fixation with plates and screws has become a standard method of treatment for many types of fractures. However, the extensive operative exposure required to achieve anatomical reduction often results in devitalisation of the bone and surrounding tissues as well as evacuation of the fracture haematoma, which has osteogenic potential. While most fractures heal without complications, problems with delayed or non-union, infection and stiffness of adjacent joints are not uncommon.

For "extensive operative exposure" read "seven hours of surgery." In short, Ben ought to be all right -- but if some of the parts don't knit back together, it wouldn't be that surprising, either.

I think we're back to "wait and see."

[BengalByTheBay]

The second operation increases human suffering huh? Interesting. Better him than me. I haven't heard this little detail anywhere else yet, but I read the procedure to imply that they've gotta go back in after the bone sets to pull the berettes out. That doesn't sound fun. My guess is we will hear something about this removal procedure in the next couple of days.

Thanks for the book learnin' Joisey!

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Well I assume he's asleep when they do this, so I don't know that it's that painful for him ultimately.

But if this ain't a good reason to wear a helmet, I don't know what is. I just don't understand the mentality of some people.

If you wanna ride w/o a helmet, get a dirt bike.

[kingwilly]

well, with the 7 hours operation/swelling/thoughts of metal plates, etc., I wonder what ben will look like after all this....and what it may do to his endorsements...

Here's a thought...if they re-make Mask, he could land the lead role.

[redsbengalsbucks]

This needs to be moved to NFL forum, I dont care what happens to the idiot and he is not a Bengal or an issue that deals with the Bengals.

If people want to read about this stupid Steeler than let it happen in the correct place, please.

[jjakq27]

This needs to be moved to NFL forum, I dont care what happens to the idiot and he is not a Bengal or an issue that deals with the Bengals.

If people want to read about this stupid Steeler than let it happen in the correct place, please.

Please read my initial post. It will probably be moved when he is released from the hospital.

[duus]

As of last night, he's been moved from the hospital to who cares where, so, yes, time to move this thread to some dark, feces-filled hole (you know, not unlike the city of Pittsburgh). He looks like he will be fine, so now it's time to look upon him once again as the waste of human skin that he and every other Steeler and Steeler fan is. See ya in September, Ben ... be sure to wear your chinstrap extra tight this year.

[one4theThumb]

*********Breaking News****************

to all the Bengal fans who laughed at the injury.

Ben decided to melt down his superbowl ring and make two gold teeth to replace the two that got knocked out. (lmao now he can be "cool" like Chad Johnson, doh silly me Chad Johnson doesnt have a superbowl ring to play with, my bad). He is also thinking about starting a charity to raise bail money for all the recent Bengal thugs that seem to end up in jail.

hahahaha

[HairOnFire]

Here's a thought...if they re-make Mask, he could land the lead roll.

I'm thinking he would look good wearing one of those inflatable helmets...like the one worn by that hamster loving gal in Garden State.

BTW, ESPN claimed that most of the metal plates were placed along the jaw line and are intended to be permanent.

[jjakq27]

*********Breaking News****************

to all the Bengal fans who laughed at the injury.

Ben decided to melt down his superbowl ring and make two gold teeth to replace the two that got knocked out. (lmao now he can be "cool" like Chad Johnson, doh silly me Chad Johnson doesnt have a superbowl ring to play with, my bad). He is also thinking about starting a charity to raise bail money for all the recent Bengal thugs that seem to end up in jail.

hahahaha

Around here we refer to it as the one for the rectum.

Also back to the topic at hand, it looks like Ben was released last night. I will probably move this to the NFL Forum later this evening.

[one4theThumb]

Around here we refer to it as the one for the rectum.

Actually, around there in Bungle land you could have called it one period had it not been for a certain running back who decided to do cocaine and pass out in his hotel as the superbowl started. Hmm to bad because the bungles only lost by 4. I would imagine that had the running back who practiced as a starter up until the night he decided to OD on coke would have played the bungles would not be the bungles. lmao. Pity pity, what could have been.

[Steel Tommy]

SOME OF US BENGALS FANS HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CLASS AT ALL. BIG BEN IS A GREAT YOUNG

QUARTERBACK AS IS CARSON PALMER. WHERE IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BIG BEN'S

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AND CARSON PALMER'S INJURY IN A PLAY-OFF GAME WITH THE STEELERS?

[duus]

SOME OF US BENGALS FANS HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CLASS AT ALL. BIG BEN IS A GREAT YOUNG

QUARTERBACK AS IS CARSON PALMER. WHERE IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BIG BEN'S

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AND CARSON PALMER'S INJURY IN A PLAY-OFF GAME WITH THE STEELERS?

OK ... this one made it all the way to 8th grade here in Pittsburgh. Kudos to you ... you are now in the 95th percentile for Pittsburghers ... way to go!

[jjakq27]

Around here we refer to it as the one for the rectum.

Actually, around there in Bungle land you could have called it one period had it not been for a certain running back who decided to do cocaine and pass out in his hotel as the superbowl started. Hmm to bad because the bungles only lost by 4. I would imagine that had the running back who practiced as a starter up until the night he decided to OD on coke would have played the bungles would not be the bungles. lmao. Pity pity, what could have been.

Make sure you send Ben a get-well card since you are so concerned about his well being.

[cmcshaneinpgh]

Stiller nation is freaking out,I feel bad for him and the fans but for all those ones who took pride and joy in carsons injury......KARMAS A B**CH =P

What comes around..........

At least Bengal fans have more class then the ones in Cleveland they are out of control on the cleveland board. Look Carson Palmer is the best quarterback in the AFC what the Steelers pulled off last year will never be repeated. Big Ben plays in a system that works for him. Carson is a young gun with Peyton Manning type ability. Cincy will be a force for years to come battling the Steelers. Marvin Lewis is a good coach and also from the Pittsburgh area. Let's just see how the seasons play out. I think the Steelers will beat the Bengals twice this year however based on the Steeler defense.

[bengalboomer7]

Around here we refer to it as the one for the rectum.

Actually, around there in Bungle land you could have called it one period had it not been for a certain running back who decided to do cocaine and pass out in his hotel as the superbowl started. Hmm to bad because the bungles only lost by 4. I would imagine that had the running back who practiced as a starter up until the night he decided to OD on coke would have played the bungles would not be the bungles. lmao. Pity pity, what could have been.

Just pitiful, and I love it. Too bad you weren't witty enough to come back with something actually relevant to what we're talking about. Last time i checked, it's not 1988, it's 2006 and Big Ben's head just did a 25cent supermarket rubber bouncie ball impression.

Good comeback, though