When is it OK For Dad to Miss Birth?

Ben Roethlisberger said in a press conference last week:

"I'm not missing the birth of my child. There's no chance. I know some fans probably don't want to hear that, but there's no chance."

I applaud him. That is absolutely the right attitude. But if the baby was two weeks after the Super Bowl and suddenly mom goes into labor at 9am on the day of the game?

I asked my wife if she would let me go and she told me that she would tell me to go play and that "I think I can handle this one without you."

When I asked if she'd be ok with it for our first child she said "Yes, it's the Super Bowl. It's kind of a big deal. But you better be on a plane to get to the hospital ten minutes after the game."

My dad missed my birth. He was in the SD Air National Guard and attending a school in Illinois learning how to fix A-7 Corsairs. He couldn't really do anything about it. He had to be there.