- Carlo Cudicini's motorcyle is removed after his run in with a Fiesta.
Yesterday, Tottenham Hotspur backup goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was in a serious vehicular accident. Cudicini suffered potentially career threatening injuries–fracturing both wrists and damaging his pelvis. The goalie was driving his high performance motorcycle and t-boned a Ford Fiesta. The driver and passenger of the Fiesta were uninjured but the same cannot be said for the Italian as he has put his career in danger as well as his current contract. While I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery, I can only ask why?
Most, if not all, professional athlete contracts in the States ban the riding of motorcycles because of the inherent increased danger of the activity and I would assume it is no different across that big blue expanse to the East. So, why do something that probably violates your contract? Moreover, why do an activity that studies have shown to be more dangerous to life and limb than driving a car when your livelihood depends on your limbs?
In the States I can point to numerous examples of the stupidity of motorcycles and professional athletes. Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers nearly lost his life when he t-boned a car and smacked his head into the car while he was not wearing a helmet. Thankfully Big Ben was not hurt seriously and resumed his career successfully but by the grace of…. Then there is Kellen Winslow, Jr., then a tight end for the Cleveland Browns, who lost at least a season thanks to his stupid antics on a two-wheeled vehicle that shredded his knee ligaments. Or, how about Jay Williams, then a point guard for the Chicago Bulls, who lost his career after his motorcycle accident? Williams had a promising career ahead of him after a good rookie campaign. But, he decided to ride his bike and ended up crashing it, fracturing his pelvis and never making it back to the game. All of these athletes had prohibitions in their contracts relating to motorcycles.
Now, this isn’t to say that athletes should wrap themselves in bubblewrap and do nothing like a hypochondriac. But, please use some common sense. It’s not a safe activity and when you depend on your physical attributes to make a substantial living, it just doesn’t make sense. Wisen up, please.
Monta Ellis would like to thank you for not mentioning him. However, he is now pissed at me.
/Get well, Carlo.
Davey Allison thinks these guys are all pussies.
Jay Williams injury sure as shit didn’t stop him from coming to Elon and banging out co-eds every weekend.
Most, if not all, professional athlete contracts in the States ban the riding of motorcycles because of the inherent increased danger of the activity and I would assume it is no different across that big blue expanse to the East.
Er, actually it is quite different. Most European footballers don’t have such clauses in their contracts. For instance Frings talks in magazine interviews about relaxing after games by riding his motorcycle (okay, that’s Germany not England, but I can’t remember any specific English examples this minute). I also think there was a club whose sponsors gave the players free motorbikes, like Audi giving Barca players free cars, but I can’t remember which team.
…Still stupid though, even if not contractually so.
So what you’re saying is …. USA! USA! USA!
I left out Monta Ellis because I didn’t think enough people would know about him and his injury wasn’t that severe (he was on a moped).
I believe I saw in one of the stories that this may have violated Cudicini’s contract.
what I saw implied that all EPL contracts include clauses about doing anything that might prevent them from training and playing, though it sounded very “general”, as in not listing certain activities, and might be open to interpretation in a court of law…ie, what’s a “reasonable” risk, and what is not?