Once a Promising Career - Now Finished?

First things first…I apologize to my faithful readers about being away from a computer the last several days. I’ve been flying back and forth from Washington, D.C. to Houston in one day and attending ALL DAY conferences for the last two days. I promise to keep the Monday – Thursday column going…and since I feel so bad about not having a column the last three days – you’ll get one today and tomorrow (Friday). Much love to you all.

Ok, now to today’s column…

Let me get this straight – for myself. Should professional athletes ride motorcycles? No. What in God’s name was Kellen Winslow II doing on a street bike? There is a good chance that this once promising star’s career in the NFL is over after just two games, 5 catches and a grand total of fifty yards receiving. The $40 million dollar contract that he signed was the richest payday for a tight end in league history – maybe he should’ve bought himself a chauffeur?

The former number six pick of the 2004 NFL draft is staring down the same motorcycle doomed path that former Duke Basketball All-American Jay Williams has. It’s been said that Williams knows he’ll never be able to play the game again that made him the number two pick in the NBA draft in 2002. He has admitted that buying a motorcycle was a big mistake. But you might be able to give a pass to a guy like him because he was the fist ‘big-name’ player to do it in a long while. I feel like Williams should’ve been the billboard advertisement to athletes to stay away from motorcycles.

I remember feeling a bit upset when I found out that Atlanta Braves Outfielder Ron Gant broke his leg in several places when he wrecked his motorcycle before the 1994 MLB season. Gant was a rare case of speed and power (30-30 guy) and to me seemed like a really good guy. But I remember thinking – ‘how stupid’. And he was never the same after the accident.

Of course their have been others, Jeff Kent missed a lot of time after breaking his hand and wrist falling off of his motorcycle. At first he swore up and down to the San Francisco Giants that he slipped while washing his truck…but thankfully for him his career has been fine.

The worst thing of this whole situation is that Winslow crashed his bike in a parking lot…not jumping 40 cars like Evel Knievel or racing friends or doing some crazy, yet cool bike tricks. He flew over his handle bars and jeopardized his football career in a parking lot. Is the NFL not enough of an adrenaline rush?

I hope that he recuperates and that he can resume his career. I for one, was really hoping to see if this kid really was going to be an NFL ‘soulja’ like he said he was when he played at U of Miami.

Maybe walking on his own should be his first goal…I feel bad for this kid – but only because he’s stupid.