Ben Roethlisberger: Would Miss Game For Son’s Birth

“I’m not missing the birth of my child,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “There’s no chance. I know some fans probably don’t want to hear that, but there’s no chance.”

Photo: AP

It’s Football Season!  One of my favorite times of year!  I get to root on the NY Jets (throw stones at me if you want to), dress my son in football gear, and coach my fantasy football squad.  Going into Fantasy Football draft day, you have a sound strategy, and it usually includes having a back-up quarterback to your stud…in the event of injury (I’m that guy that lost Tom Brady for the year during the first game of the season a few years back) and to fill in during a bye week.  Consequently, the guy that selected Ben Roethlisberger in the draft had to factor in injury, bye week, and paternity leave!

Over the summer, “Big” Ben Roethlisberger, a super-bowl winning quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, announced that he & his wife are expecting a son this fall, and he recently spoke publicly that his priority is to be present for the birth of their son…even if it meant missing game day!  We speak frequently about the non-existent paternity leave policies in the U.S. and the tiny window of time (usually less than 10 days) that most men take off of work after the birth of their child.  Consequently, I find the angle relating to professional male athletes becoming a father a fascinating topic.  What if Ben Roethlisberger declared that he was taking a month off (during the season)?  Would he be paid for his missed time?  Would the fans lynch him?  The focus on football is so interesting because most teams only play 16 games so missing one game has a large impact as opposed to a Baseball Player who is scheduled to play in 162 games.

Hat-tip to Ben!  We wish you much happiness as you enter parenthood this season….