Wow, This Really Got Me Pumped For The Season

[Alexir]

[url="http://steelerstoday.com/?p=2239"]Steeler Garbage[/url]

A article from december from yet another garbage journalist from Pittsburgh.

Im ready for this season to start

[SupaBwandin]

Aha, i was reading the comments on there...

Some dude said that hes sure we'd LOVE to have Hines on our team, lmao.

Dont have any room for another old person.

Cheap Shot Artist.

[J-man]

Everything up to the Hines Ward part is true for me. If Polamalu was on the Ravens, I would love him. It's that since I'm a Ravens fan, I'm programmed to hate him and the Steelers.

[SupaBwandin]

Polamalu is the only Steeler I respect

[AwakenTheDemon]

Steeler fans are the only people who cling to Hines Ward as a "tough but not dirty player". Simply because he's a Steeler. It's funny, because under the same logic as he's using at the beginning of the article, Steeler fans would hate Hines Ward if he were on any other team. If it were Hines Ward hitting Polamalu under his chin with his helmet, snapping his head back, you would have heard a sea of angry groaning from the "Steeler Nation".

"As you

[Moderator 3]

Please understand that this is a "No Smack" forum. This thread is inviting unwelcome comments from Steeler fans which is going to lead to a smack-down. As soon as that happens, this thread is done.

[theFRANCHISE]

The fact that it's a fan blog takes away a lot of its credibility immediately. Just because I (used to) write a blog about the Ravens doesn't make me any more credible than your average joe posting on this message board. That doesn't take away from the quality of writing, but that removes much of the legitimacy of what the writer presents as fact. Opinionated facts should never be confused for cold, solid, hard facts. And the fact of the matter is, as much as the national media is disparaged by football fans, they still hold more credibility than a guy who happens to watch every game and attend all the practices. Why? Because the media has access to resources that fans don't.

With that said, this guy makes a lot of generalizations. More than I do, in fact. (There's that word again: fact.) The fact of the matter is, as much as he [i]says[/i] Steeler Nation respected Bart Scott for his hit on Ben Roethlisberger in 2006, there were plenty who were angry and considered it a cheap shot. And just as we were angry over the Ryan Clark hit on McGahee, there were just as many people who respected Clark for the hit as those who were angry for it.

The only damning piece of evidence, if you will, is the fact that none of the other players in the AFC North outside of the Steelers wanted to vote Hines Ward for toughest player in that Sports Illustrated or ESPN poll, even though a few of them considered it but backed out. Why? Because they didn't like the way he played the game. Sure, that speaks to what he's done to opposing teams -- but it also speaks volumes of how the players on the field, who have the utmost respect for each other, view his style of play.

[Marc2k6]

I would love if we had a WR on our team that would knock defenders out like Ward does instead of going over to the player and saying " you know I could have had you". That is what I would love, take that page out of the steelers book and read it and then read it again. Then when you catch #43, knock him out!

[AwakenTheDemon]

I dunno, I'd much rather have talented, classy wide outs who have the respect of others on the field (both Ravens and not). Then someone like Hines who has the stigma outside of Pittsburgh as a "dirty" player. Especially, like TheFRANCHISE said, when the players themselves do not like or respect the way Hines plays.

Because, in my opinion, there's a difference between respecting Hines Ward, and "fearing" having him break your jaw, or be the cause of your concussion.

[Alexir]

I just think its funny that the guy said that we play "Steeler football better than anyone except the steelers". We play Raven football, dude. We our a turnover machine with so many different looks whereas as Steeler football is just a LeBeau masterpiece.

I would not take Hines Ward ever obviously. I don't like him, never have, never will. I do think he is dirty and so does the league since they just passed the "Hines Ward Rule" which will fine and penalize a player for those crackback hits.

[JoeFlax]

I would want Hines Ward in our team.. if he was a Raven instead of a Steeler and had a career like that in Baltimore. I'd love him.

[MagicianCamille]

Respect his loyalty, but not his game. He is a dirty football player.

[darklight1216]

Steelers football? Don't make me laugh... or vomit.

Ward's "block" against Reed [quote]That’s solid football, not dirty play.[/quote]
Nope, nothing dirty about helmet to helmet contact.

[quote]Hines Ward has knocked a few defenders unconscious, and he’s broken some jaws, but he has seldom been called for a penalty while doing it.[/quote]
Yeah, all he got was a rule named after him, which imho probably won't be enforced upon the very person for which it was created.


In summary: No.

[T-Sizzle55]

[quote name='Marc2k6' date='09 August 2009 - 04:51 PM' timestamp='1249851098' post='216916']
I would love if we had a WR on our team that would knock defenders out like Ward does instead of going over to the player and saying " you know I could have had you". That is what I would love, take that page out of the steelers book and read it and then read it again. Then when you catch #43, knock him out!
[/quote]

The difference is that we would get flagged EVERY SINGLE TIME we lay a "block" or a cheap shot like Ward does to other players. I mean he broke Keith River's jaw and the brainiac refs couldn't figure out that the jaw bone is connected to the head bone! Hence illegal helmet to helmet hit. Everytime Ward lands a "clean" block to someone's chest a bone in their face just breaks.

It's a freak accurance against human anatomy and physics, but hey what can I do I'm just a ref. My yellow flag is actually my terrible towel. (I'm being facetious of course. If I had a terrible towel I'd burn it right after I let my neighor use it to clean up after walking his St. Bernard)

[Ravens1991]

Hines Ward isn't tough as they make him out to be, there is a reason why there isn't a nice hit from him when the player is paying attention to him. If Rivers,Scott etc where looking at him there would be a very different result.

Lets see Hines Ward get big when Tom Zbikowski is in the secondary, I highly doubt Ward will be cheap shoting anyone when Zbi is staring right at him

[ZIBBY28]

[quote name='Ravens1991' date='10 August 2009 - 01:36 AM' timestamp='1249882560' post='217080']
Hines Ward isn't tough as they make him out to be, there is a reason why there isn't a nice hit from him when the player is paying attention to him. If Rivers,Scott etc where looking at him there would be a very different result.

[i][b]Lets see Hines Ward get big when Tom Zbikowski is in the secondary, I highly doubt Ward will be cheap shoting anyone when Zbi is staring right at him[/b][/i]
[/quote]
this was hands down, post of the year. i think i just found a new best friend.

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my opinion on it is theres a fine line between being tough and wreckless. i consider d. mason "tough" for playing with basically one arm half the year.. it takes a "tough" individual to play through pain. but where was hines ward after his leg got caught up underneath him in the AFCCG? he was done.. now who knows the severity, who knows whether he was told he couldnt go, but whatever the case may be, i think that really shows when push comes to shove guys like D. Mason are just as "tough" as Hines Ward.. with that being said, Hines Ward makes the steelers a better football team, on and off the field.. you have to respect his passion for the game, even if you dont agree with how he goes about doing so... ill be the first to say that he's a cheap shot artist, but if its between the whistles, its between the whistles. it is what it is.. i just dont think blindsiding unexpected players makes you tough, it just makes for a big hit.. i can say I've done it a few times, i dont know of any football player that wouldnt take a shot on somebody if it was completely legal.. thats the game, but with that being said, i guess you could say that Ward is highly overrated on the "toughness scale"

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='darklight1216' date='10 August 2009 - 12:08 AM' timestamp='1249877288' post='217051']
Steelers football? Don't make me laugh... or vomit.
[/quote]
unfortunately its true, we are MODELED after the steelers D, but so are a bunch of other teams..... its just the fact that they've been around forever.... along w/ their D coordinator, so in short, we are identical..... technically we have different methods to our madness, but its late and I'm sure you could use your imagination on how we are different

[quote name='ZIBBY28' date='10 August 2009 - 02:03 AM' timestamp='1249884193' post='217082']
[b]this was hands down, post of the year. i think i just found a new best friend.[/b]

-------------------------------------------------------

my opinion on it is theres a fine line between being tough and wreckless. i consider d. mason "tough" for playing with basically one arm half the year.. it takes a "tough" individual to play through pain. but where was hines ward after his leg got caught up underneath him in the AFCCG? he was done.. now who knows the severity, who knows whether he was told he couldnt go, but whatever the case may be, i think that really shows when push comes to shove guys like D. Mason are just as "tough" as Hines Ward.. with that being said, Hines Ward makes the steelers a better football team, on and off the field.. you have to respect his passion for the game, even if you dont agree with how he goes about doing so... ill be the first to say that he's a cheap shot artist, but if its between the whistles, its between the whistles. it is what it is.. i just dont think blindsiding unexpected players makes you tough, it just makes for a big hit.. i can say I've done it a few times, i dont know of any football player that wouldnt take a shot on somebody if it was completely legal.. thats the game, but with that being said, i guess you could say that Ward is highly overrated on the "toughness scale"
[/quote]
first off, rofl at the bold

and Pretty much you have stated my whole entire thought process of hines ward minus some things here and there

[tweety]

The block on Ed Reed was unnecessary when Reed was pretty far from the field of play. There should be a point when morals come in. I want a guy to play with a lot of passion, but you still have to remember these are human beings. QuarterBacks in the pockets are always expecting the hit. A safety in the backfield is not. I'm against blindside blocking. Offensive players are facing you not the ball opposite of defense.

[jfc13]

[quote name='J-man' date='09 August 2009 - 04:09 PM' timestamp='1249848584' post='216902']
Everything up to the Hines Ward part is true for me. If Polamalu was on the Ravens, I would love him. It's that since I'm a Ravens fan, I'm programmed to hate him and the Steelers.
[/quote]
Exactly. That article made it sound like Steelers fans can respect players from other teams, but Ravens fans can't. We respect many players from other teams, even Steelers; we just don't respect Ward.

[quote name='AwakenTheDemon' date='09 August 2009 - 04:30 PM' timestamp='1249849819' post='216909']
Steeler fans are the only people who cling to Hines Ward as a "tough but not dirty player". Simply because he's a Steeler... [/quote]
I didn't quote it all, but excellent post.

[dethdude420]

Why would we bring someone else here to retire, we are from B-more.....
not florida (in reference to all the retirement homes in Fla, not the teams there)

[WinnipegRaven]

I have to agree with the post stating that there is a difference between "tough" and "reckless". In the article it is mentioned that 250 lb LB's are afraid to come close to 200 lb Hines Ward because of the "hits" he lays on people. Give me a break. I live in Canada where hockey reigns supreme in the sports category. Now what we call a quintessential "cheap shot" is laying out a player who doesn't have the puck and is looking in another direction. This immediately draws a penalty.
Now don't get me wrong, I love football, I LOVE BIG HITS and I LOVE when a player on the opposing team is on the ground wiggling around in pain. But something needs to be said of a guy who continually takes shots at guys who aren't even close to the play just because he can. I think Heinz is a tough son of a gun just in the way he throws himself around on a regular basis - dont forget he is a WR and plays like a LB at times. But when you are labeled a "cheap-shot-artist" by 31 other cities and teams around the NFL there has to be some truth to it.
He may be one of the "tougher" WR in the game, but he definitely shows how little respect he has for other players when he makes the decision to go helmet to helmet on unsuspecting players and how classy of a guy he really is.
You reap what you sow, and I have a feeling this is the year that poor bugger is going to have a target on his chest, back, neck and head.
I personally don't like to remember the cheap shots of yester-year, but rather salivate to the idea of seeing him get a taste of his own medicine which Im sure a lot of LB's and secondaries have in mind as well.

[Ed_Reed20]

I have no problem with Hines playing hard every play but there is no way anyone can tell those blocks weren't dirty. Keith Rivers is a good LB but I don't think he would have made the tackle had Hines not him. The same goes for the other plays. They were both at least five yards away from the play and Hines led with his helmet on both plays. How isn't that dirty?

Look at this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbLNFiQSTyE

Some of those blocks were great but the majority of them are right between when the play ends and the ref blows the whistle. That's cheap to me.

[lowrider]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='09 August 2009 - 04:46 PM' timestamp='1249850766' post='216913']
The fact that it's a fan blog takes away a lot of its credibility immediately. Just because I (used to) write a blog about the Ravens doesn't make me any more credible than your average joe posting on this message board. That doesn't take away from the quality of writing, but that removes much of the legitimacy of what the writer presents as fact. Opinionated facts should never be confused for cold, solid, hard facts. And the fact of the matter is, as much as the national media is disparaged by football fans, they still hold more credibility than a guy who happens to watch every game and attend all the practices. Why? Because the media has access to resources that fans don't.

With that said, this guy makes a lot of generalizations. More than I do, in fact. (There's that word again: fact.) The fact of the matter is, as much as he [i]says[/i] Steeler Nation respected Bart Scott for his hit on Ben Roethlisberger in 2006, there were plenty who were angry and considered it a cheap shot. And just as we were angry over the Ryan Clark hit on McGahee, there were just as many people who respected Clark for the hit as those who were angry for it.

The only damning piece of evidence, if you will, is the fact that none of the other players in the AFC North outside of the Steelers wanted to vote Hines Ward for toughest player in that Sports Illustrated or ESPN poll, even though a few of them considered it but backed out. Why? Because they didn't like the way he played the game. Sure, that speaks to what he's done to opposing teams -- but it also speaks volumes of how the players on the field, who have the utmost respect for each other, view his style of play.
[/quote]
Perfect. What I wanted to say. Love that he didn't get voted as the toughest player in the AFC. I heard so many comments about the Bart Scott hit on Ben. And that wasn't head hunting. Hit ben with his shoulder. Ward goes beyond the play. Stop until the whistle blows but taking out people when they aren't in the play is just over the top.

The thing is I wouldn't mind Troy Polamalu on the Ravens (but he would need to cut his hair that pisses me off) but i would mind if Ward was a Raven. It would hurt my ego at first but Polamalu is a great player and he has earned the respect of the players in the AFC/Ravens. The thing that bothers me is Hines Ward is hyped up too much. He isn't as great as people say he is and no matter how much people hate opponents they still respect heart but how come the players of the AFC didn't vote Ward as a tough player? He is very good but the way people hype him up you would think that he is the best receiver in the league. Polamalu is different because he is great. Ward isn't great. Ward his been a great blocker but wide receiver isn't that important to be a great blocker. He isn't an elite receiver. Elite blocker. I don't really respect him for his playmaking abilities or lack there of. And his dirty hits don't help.

[WinnipegRaven]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' date='10 August 2009 - 10:32 AM' timestamp='1249921937' post='217176']

Look at this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbLNFiQSTyE


[/quote]
OMG - the second block on Devan Holly... Absolutely DISGUSTING. Hines knew the play was over, the ball carrier was on the ground right in front of him. Holly was pulling up because the play was over and then Heinz goes and gives the absolute cheapest shot I've ever seen him throw.
Absolutely DISGUSTING.

[berad]

Let's not get it confused, now, Hines Ward is a good player. He makes clutch catches, blocks with effort, and works hard. That said, he [b][size="2"]IS[/size][/b] a cheap-shot artist. Some of his blocks are inexcusable, leading with the crown of his helmet and blindsiding defenders who are just trying to make a routine tackle. The article was written before the NFL changed the rules so the author didn't know that any more helmet-shots by Mr. Smiles will be fined..

[tweety]

Hines Ward is an excellent player given his talent. He is one of the slowest receivers with out jumping or height advantage. I respect him as a Wide Receiver but not as a Football Player.

[JoeFlax]

that ed reed shot is just beyond my words. Could that disgusting block have played a part in Ed Reed's current nerve impingment in his neck?

[darklight1216]

[quote name='WinnipegRaven' date='10 August 2009 - 12:02 PM' timestamp='1249920151' post='217169']
You reap what you sow, and I have a feeling this is the year that poor bugger is going to have a target on his chest, back, neck and head.
I personally don't like to remember the cheap shots of yester-year, but rather salivate to the idea of seeing him get a taste of his own medicine which Im sure a lot of LB's and secondaries have in mind as well.
[/quote]
That would be nice, but I'm thinking guys have been wanting revenge on him for some time already, but maybe this will be season.
Do you know that after the new rules were announced (esp the "Hines Ward" rule) Mike Tomlin told him to keep doing what he's been doing? I hope he finally gets the penalties and fines that he deserves- give him something to whine about.

[quote name='Corvus Corax' date='10 August 2009 - 01:45 PM' timestamp='1249926315' post='217194']
that ed reed shot is just beyond my words. Could that disgusting block have played a part in Ed Reed's current nerve impingment in his neck?
[/quote]
I think Ed said that he probably got that infringement from leading with the same shoulder on every tackle, but that hit sure didn't help anything.

[Steelerkillers]

Maan,forget thinkin about haven hines on our team.im still waiting for somebody to knock his mouth-piece outta his mouth.he needs to be hit really hard.no-one has done that yet! thats why he's so cockey,thats why he runs his mouth. so, my answer is-i respect his game, but i will never consider a Steeler of any kind after Rod Woodson to play as a Raven!!!!!

[AwakenTheDemon]

It's quite obvious that Hines Ward has little to no regard for the well-being of any player on any defense he plays against. The blatant Helmet-to-Helmet contact, not even showing concern for a player after he lays them out and they're laying motionless on the field. He just cracks that disgusting smile of his and walks back to his bench. I agree that his manner of play is not tough so much as it is reckless. He's a danger to those on the field. The broken bones he's caused is proof enough.

Needless to say, I'm curious to see how the "Hines Ward Rule" affects his "blocking" this year.