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Originally Posted by Daseal
Reports said Winslow was going 30 MPH. That's not that fast in an empty parkinglot. Listen, he's stupid. I concede that fully, but on a bike it doesn't matter how careful you are, if anything small happens you're dead, especially without a helmet.
I just don't think you can crucify one without at least labeling the other along with it. Yeah, he did a wheelie. Dumbass, but you can just as easily die on the highway riding responsibly. Not to mention, his coached asked him to stop and he said no.
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I'm more than willing to concede that motorcycles are dangerous at any speed. And a bike v. a car on the highway has no chance. Agreed. To me though, and it's just my opinion, the distinction is in how you handle that bike and what you're doing on it. Using it as a form of transportation I have no problem with. Using it as a toy I have issues with.
And I will label Ben as being stupid for not wearing a helmet. But then again I think anyone who rides without a helmet isn't showing enough care for their own well-being (and I really hope I'm not offending anyone by saying that......sorry if I am).
And maybe it would be a bigger deal if it was TO, Moss, etc., etc. But that's only because those guys, just like Winslow, have done things in the past that calls into question their character/maturity/decision-making/attitude whatever. Ben, has not. Ben, right now, has only one mark against him: he rides without a helmet. Ben is loved by his teammates, he's always appeared to be a team guy, he's never come off as cocky, brash, arrogant, bigger and better than the rest of the world, etc. As such, it shouldn't be as news worthy that he simply rides and has never been hurt doing it.
Winslow, is a loud mouth. To many (including me) he is a punk, and was a punk long before this "accident". The fact that he's drawn so much attention to himself in the past only acts as a magnifier when something like this happens. But who's fault is that? Did the media make him call himself a soldier? Did the media make him call out the Skins on draft day? Did the media give him the attitude he has? Did the media make him get on a bike he doesn't have a license for and start doing tricks? No. He brought all of those things on himself. So he's got no reason to complain if people pay more attention when he does, yet ANOTHER, stupid thing.
I just don't think it's a double standard all things considered. Again, it'd be one thing if Ben got hurt, ran his mouth in the past, or rode like an idiot. He hasn't. If he had, it'd be a better example of a double standard. But right now, the two share only one thing in common: they ride motorcycles (or at least Ben rides motorcycles ...... Kevin crashes them). Therefore, I don't have a problem criticizing Winslow more for what everyone should concede is worse behavior (i.e. doing tricks on a bike you are still learning to ride).