Ward told NBC over the weekend that the locker room was divided about the decision [to pull Roethlisberger].

I don't care how badly you want to win, you don't let a guy play with a farking brain injury. Big Ben took a serious crack to the head last week. For Ward to get frustrated because his absence might affect their play is the height of selfishness. F--k Hines Ward.

Big Ben is one blow away from being clinically retarded.. and let's face it, the fellow isn't too bright to begin with. He needs to take it slow, and come back when truly healthy. This season means jack-all if it ends up being his last.
He's already won 2 SB's, so he can lay low for a bit, let himself get healthy and then go when ready.
My thoughts anyhow.. seem rational to me.

/throws a Hines Ward crackback block like a coward

I was puzzled by this comment as well. To compare Hines lying to doctors to Ben lying to doctors to play is ridiculous. The WR position doesn't have a significant history of concussions and brain trauma associated with the hits you take at that position like QB. I used to think Hines was an up and up guy too but some of the comments he's been making this year make me question if this guy's a tool or not.

that interview was hilarious

I love me some Hines Ward, but damn. What a farking tool he's made himself out to be.

Helped make him a star? Ward was a star before Roethlisberger came into the league. The dude caught over 200 passes in two seasons from Kordell Stewart and Tommy Freaking Maddox.

There's ties in football???

As an Oregon Alum I really wanted Dixon to do well last night. I don't think it was terrible for a third stringer's first start but it dfinately was less than I was expecting.

I will say that Pittsburgh could have brought the option back last night though. Dixon didn't even get touched on his end-around last night. Should have let him run it a little more.

isoman2kx: The WR position doesn't have a significant history of concussions and brain trauma associated with the hits you take

What? Nobody gets pounded like receivers do. Half the OW! hits you see are on WR's. Hell, I I can't think of any of the duded who ended up paralyzed that weren't WR's.

In other news, it is looking like the Steelers might not even make the playoffs. Their week 16 game with the Ravens may decide if one of them gets a Wild Card spot.

I betcha' all ten bucks that whatever Ward is doing right now, he's smiling.

*sigh*

I think much of the lolwut happened because there was talk that in case of an "emergency" Ben would go in and play. Either you are or you aren't and I'm glad he didn't for his own safety and health and well-being.

Chill the f*ck out.
They are probably already cool with each other.

Treygreen13: In other news, it is looking like the Steelers might not even make the playoffs. Their week 16 game with the Ravens may decide if one of them gets a Wild Card spot.

5 losses... 4 of them by 3 points. The NFL, she's a tough biatch - You win the super bowl, you've earned it. I'm a steeler fan and there's no whining about injuries. I'll continue to hope they make the playoffs and if they don't, at least they've been very competitive. Go steelers!

JohnBigBootay: Go steelers!

We will indoctrinate you into Seahawk fandom before long. You have been warned.

/"we" is probably the wrong word, since I too don't give a bikini barista's asscrack about the Seahawks honestly.

Considering the number of cheap shots Ward has delivered in his career, I can't say I'm terribly surprised that another player's health and well-being aren't topping his list of priorities.

One might suspect this Hines Ward fellow is a classless douche that only cares about himself.

/Let Ben recover
//The Steelers season is pretty much over anyway
///you don't fark around with concussions

The real question here is: Whatever happened with the dude from last night with the cheating co-commish in his fantasy league. I demand to know!!

Didgeridon't: The real question here is: Whatever happened with the dude from last night with the cheating co-commish in his fantasy league. I demand to know!!

LOL that was some funny stuff, I hope he makes an appearance in the MNF thread.

Huck Chaser: Considering the number of cheap shots Ward has delivered in his career, I can't say I'm terribly surprised that another player's health and well-being aren't topping his list of priorities.



I know. Especially when no one else in the NFL ever throws cheap shots. And really especially no one on your team. Nope.

Now is when I ask for some kind of statistical to back that up. Times penalized, fines incurred even youtube videos.
Got anything? We'll need something, otherwise you just look like a dumbass. I watch every game too, so don't act like you've seen things I haven't. Dude hands out huge hits, doesn't make them dirty. And that is according to the leagues position.

mynameismark: Huck Chaser: Considering the number of cheap shots Ward has delivered in his career, I can't say I'm terribly surprised that another player's health and well-being aren't topping his list of priorities.



I know. Especially when no one else in the NFL ever throws cheap shots. And really especially no one on your team. Nope.

Now is when I ask for some kind of statistical to back that up. Times penalized, fines incurred even youtube videos.
Got anything? We'll need something, otherwise you just look like a dumbass. I watch every game too, so don't act like you've seen things I haven't. Dude hands out huge hits, doesn't make them dirty. And that is according to the leagues position.

Yeah, but that doesn't make him any less of a douche.

JohnBigBootay: isoman2kx: The WR position doesn't have a significant history of concussions and brain trauma associated with the hits you take

What? Nobody gets pounded like receivers do. Half the OW! hits you see are on WR's. Hell, I I can't think of any of the duded who ended up paralyzed that weren't WR's.


Is extremely grateful to agree with that statement.

JohnBigBootay: isoman2kx: The WR position doesn't have a significant history of concussions and brain trauma associated with the hits you take

What? Nobody gets pounded like receivers do. Half the OW! hits you see are on WR's. Hell, I I can't think of any of the duded who ended up paralyzed that weren't WR's.

Mike Utley and Dennis Byrd come immediately to mind.

Right now we just got to worry about Oakland

Alrighty, if Oakland is worrying Hines then there are bigger problems than Ben's concussion.

/I thought Dixon did pretty good for a first start, the defense on the other hand...

GO SAINTS

that's all I got, bye.

That headline was missing a "You stay classy, Claude Lemieux of the NFL".

mynameismark: Dude hands out huge hits, doesn't make them dirty. And that is according to the leagues position.

Hines Ward leading with his helmet (new window)

League rules prohibit spearing violently using your helmet. As subjective as that rule is, most people would describe that hit as fairly violent.

mynameismark: Huck Chaser: Considering the number of cheap shots Ward has delivered in his career, I can't say I'm terribly surprised that another player's health and well-being aren't topping his list of priorities.



I know. Especially when no one else in the NFL ever throws cheap shots. And really especially no one on your team. Nope.

Now is when I ask for some kind of statistical to back that up. Times penalized, fines incurred even youtube videos.
Got anything? We'll need something, otherwise you just look like a dumbass. I watch every game too, so don't act like you've seen things I haven't. Dude hands out huge hits, doesn't make them dirty. And that is according to the leagues position.

you can find plenty of his cheap shots on youtube.
not surprised to see this guy say that about his teammate.

Doogled: mynameismark: Dude hands out huge hits, doesn't make them dirty. And that is according to the leagues position.

Hines Ward leading with his helmet (new window)

League rules prohibit spearing violently using your helmet. As subjective as that rule is, most people would describe that hit as fairly violent.

Yeah but it was Ed Reed so most people find it hard to give a fark.

mynameismark: Huck Chaser: Considering the number of cheap shots Ward has delivered in his career, I can't say I'm terribly surprised that another player's health and well-being aren't topping his list of priorities.



I know. Especially when no one else in the NFL ever throws cheap shots. And really especially no one on your team. Nope.

Now is when I ask for some kind of statistical to back that up. Times penalized, fines incurred even youtube videos.
Got anything? We'll need something, otherwise you just look like a dumbass. I watch every game too, so don't act like you've seen things I haven't. Dude hands out huge hits, doesn't make them dirty. And that is according to the leagues position.

Citation given (new window)

1. Voted on by his peers as the dirtiest player in the league (.4% away from having twice as many votes as the guy who finished in 2nd place).
2. Fined $15,000 in 2007 for hits that were not flagged in the game.

I agree that every team has someone who will dish out dirty hits and cheap shots. It is like holding. It happens every play, just matters when it is called. But when the peer review calls you out, that is some concrete evidence.

/I always thought "crackback" was a side dish served at Cracker Barrel.

The 'Brew: Is extremely grateful to agree with that statement.

seems to move okay to me

/obligatory

loser_death_spiral: The 'Brew: Is extremely grateful to agree with that statement.

seems to move okay to me

/obligatory

Oh my god. How did I never see that video before? :D

I can't stand the Steelers or Roethlisberger but I would never question his toughness. He shouldn't have played yesterday and Ward needs to shut his piehole - frustration or not, you don't whine in an interview.

JohnBigBootay: isoman2kx: The WR position doesn't have a significant history of concussions and brain trauma associated with the hits you take

What? Nobody gets pounded like receivers do. Half the OW! hits you see are on WR's. Hell, I I can't think of any of the duded who ended up paralyzed that weren't WR's.

I think every player in the NFL gets pounded pretty hard. Running backs usually end up with the shortest careers so I would get they take the worst beating but they usually don't get hit as hard as receivers on any given play. They just happen to get hit every single play except when they go out to act as a receiver and don't get the ball thrown to them, but a lot of the time just like receivers in that position they have to end up blocking. They have to block when they don't get the ball or go out on a passing route they get hammered by linemen or linebackers every time they get handed the ball or if they do make a big run they get hammered by a safety.

Okay there was no reason to make that much of an argument about it. Everyone in the NFL gets the snot beat out of them every week.

mynameismark: Huck Chaser: Considering the number of cheap shots Ward has delivered in his career, I can't say I'm terribly surprised that another player's health and well-being aren't topping his list of priorities.



I know. Especially when no one else in the NFL ever throws cheap shots. And really especially no one on your team. Nope.

Now is when I ask for some kind of statistical to back that up. Times penalized, fines incurred even youtube videos.
Got anything? We'll need something, otherwise you just look like a dumbass. I watch every game too, so don't act like you've seen things I haven't. Dude hands out huge hits, doesn't make them dirty. And that is according to the leagues position.

and it's not like the players in the league voted him the dirtiest player or anything...oh wait.

bgddy24601:

I agree that every team has someone who will dish out dirty hits and cheap shots. It is like holding. It happens every play, just matters when it is called. But when the peer review calls you out, that is some concrete evidence.

/I always thought "crackback" was a side dish served at Cracker Barrel.

Considering Rodney Harrison (you know, the guy who is now retired and does a studio show) shows up on that list with more than one vote, no it really isn't. Not to mention most defenders would be embarrassed to be blown up by a wide receiver, leading to some sour grapes.

/Not everything he's done is clean, but if you think he's the dirtiest player, you're nuts.

loser_death_spiral: The 'Brew: Is extremely grateful to agree with that statement.

seems to move okay to me

/obligatory

I'm roflmaonow so much.

Doogled: mynameismark: Dude hands out huge hits, doesn't make them dirty. And that is according to the leagues position.

Hines Ward leading with his helmet (new window)

League rules prohibit spearing violently using your helmet. As subjective as that rule is, most people would describe that hit as fairly violent.

Ooooh, and under the chin, too. Isn't that what cost Ray Lewis $30,000 this year for a hit on Chad Ochocinco?

// never mind that CJO85 popped up after the play and said numerous times it was a clean hit

eazye1334: bgddy24601:

I agree that every team has someone who will dish out dirty hits and cheap shots. It is like holding. It happens every play, just matters when it is called. But when the peer review calls you out, that is some concrete evidence.

/I always thought "crackback" was a side dish served at Cracker Barrel.

Considering Rodney Harrison (you know, the guy who is now retired and does a studio show) shows up on that list with more than one vote, no it really isn't. Not to mention most defenders would be embarrassed to be blown up by a wide receiver, leading to some sour grapes.

/Not everything he's done is clean, but if you think he's the dirtiest player, you're nuts.

Yeah, because it's not like the people most qualified to make the judgment about a dirty player would be the people he plays with...it's the fans like you who clearly know all about football and how it should be played.

Don't be stupid. All he said was that the locker room was divided. He specifically stated both sides of the argument.

This is what I hate about fellow sports fans. Everybody wants these guys to be honest, and then when they are, they crucify him.

I heard a talk show host today suggest that one should not be honest in these situations. And this was the conservative guy of the tandem. The boy scout of the two. I was floored.

I've never understood why people maintain that receivers are the most brutalized players in the game. Receivers have endless rules protecting them -- and true to form, when they get hit hard, every camera on the field is pointing at the action -- but I'd like to point out how frequently you hear about a team's depleted secondary. I don't have the numbers, but I'll wager if you took the percent of injured safeties and compared it with the percent of injured receivers for the entire league, the attrition of safeties would be substantially higher.

/Hines Ward is still an ass

The nfl made a rule change because of the Ward hit that broke that guy's jaw.

Hines Ward and his gay smile have always been obnoxious. Now he is just being an idiot.

When Rothlisberger stops licking his shoes and mumbling about giant squirrels he should tell Ward to STFU.

They don't call him Wines Hard for nothing.

Blink: I've never understood why people maintain that receivers are the most brutalized players in the game. Receivers have endless rules protecting them -- and true to form, when they get hit hard, every camera on the field is pointing at the action -- but I'd like to point out how frequently you hear about a team's depleted secondary. I don't have the numbers, but I'll wager if you took the percent of injured safeties and compared it with the percent of injured receivers for the entire league, the attrition of safeties would be substantially higher.

/Hines Ward is still an ass

Most people have no idea how hard interior linemen get and deliver hits on every single play.

eazye1334: bgddy24601:

I agree that every team has someone who will dish out dirty hits and cheap shots. It is like holding. It happens every play, just matters when it is called. But when the peer review calls you out, that is some concrete evidence

Considering Rodney Harrison (you know, the guy who is now retired and does a studio show) shows up on that list with more than one vote, no it really isn't. Not to mention most defenders would be embarrassed to be blown up by a wide receiver, leading to some sour grapes.

/Not everything he's done is clean, but if you think he's the dirtiest player, you're nuts.

I never claimed the NFL was filled with Rhodes scholars. Odds are more than a few have already been hit enough times that they have conversations with their shower shoes after practice. But I wouldn't chalk it up to being embarrassed since the whole thing is anonymous (if it wasn't there is no way in hell that anyone would have voted for Vince Young). But I will not begrudge you your defending Ward. If a player on my team was on that list, be it #1 or #10, and he was a key part of my team's success and one of the leaders / captains of the team, I would back him 100% as well.

/remember, fan is short for fanatic
//and rain makes applesauce

Treygreen13: In other news, it is looking like the Steelers might not even make the playoffs. Their week 16 game with the Ravens may decide if one of them gets a Wild Card spot.

Steelers and Ravens will both get in at 10-6. JAX will finish at 9-7 & Denver will end up 10-6 (losing the tie-breaker to both Pitt & Balt).

JohnBigBootay: Treygreen13: In other news, it is looking like the Steelers might not even make the playoffs. Their week 16 game with the Ravens may decide if one of them gets a Wild Card spot.

5 losses... 4 of them by 3 points. The NFL, she's a tough biatch - You win the super bowl, you've earned it. I'm a steeler fan and there's no whining about injuries. I'll continue to hope they make the playoffs and if they don't, at least they've been very competitive. Go steelers!

I agree. With the breakdowns this year on special teams, I don't know if I really want this team to go to the playoffs if it means that the ones responsible with be dealt with and we will be better for it.

Killer Cars: JohnBigBootay: Go steelers!

We will indoctrinate you into Seahawk fandom before long. You have been warned.

/"we" is probably the wrong word, since I too don't give a bikini barista's asscrack about the Seahawks honestly.

I doubt that any Steeler fan would ever stop being a fan and start voting for another team becaue of one off season. If they did, it wouldn't be the seahags.

Lou Cypher: Treygreen13: In other news, it is looking like the Steelers might not even make the playoffs. Their week 16 game with the Ravens may decide if one of them gets a Wild Card spot.

Steelers and Ravens will both get in at 10-6. JAX will finish at 9-7 & Denver will end up 10-6 (losing the tie-breaker to both Pitt & Balt).

This could be true. The AFC North is the most competitive division in the whole NFL this season thanks in part to the Cincinnati Bengals. While I am rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals great run of 8-3, their remaining games are out of conference which they are 2-3. I would really enjoy Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the playoffs while we get a week off to rest so they can play San Diego and New England. Don't be surprised to see an all AFC North AFC Championship again.

Hines Ward should STFU and maybe do a little more to help his pitiful team win.

/Haha, Pittsburgh sucks and won't make the playoffs!

Super Chronic: Mike Utley and Dennis Byrd come immediately to mind.

David Pollack