FanPost

The Whole Hines Ward Thing...

Bumped.

steelerark is just about as old school as it comes on BTSC, though newer readers might not know it with all the nice developments in his personal and professional life lately. He's a great big picture guy, a great loyal Pittsburgh sports fan, and most likely very similar to some good friend of yours. Just a down to earth, chill guy. I am pleased he found time to weigh in on his favorite player, Hines Ward, and the bigger picture he sees developing behind the scenes as it relates to Hines. Jump on in with your two cents. - Blitz-

I have been closely following this story for some time now, even before this last week's developments.  I believe that this whole situation with Hines this season has brought to light something that is very troubling to me.  It seems that the league is slowly and methodically trying to turn this league into a politically correct product.   They seem to be taking a sport known for its violence, hard-hitting and ruggedness and turn it into something entirely different.   As Polamolu might put it, a pansy league.

I know that with time, all things change.  This is not my father's league.  My dad watched guys like Lambert, Mean Joe, Butkus and Lott.   Guys like Tatum and Alzado who actually sought guys out to hurt them and looked to cause as much pain as possible.   I'm sure Maryrose can whip out several stories about guys like that.  But that league is dead to us.  And that's okay.  I know that stuff like that had to change after seeing what happened to guys like Mike Webster in their old age.  (Read what happened to Ted Johnson during his time with the Pats, one more reason to hate Belichick)  That makes sense.  What bothers me is two-fold:  the inconsistencies and the general shift toward correct 'behavior'.  Namely, the fines.  We all know by now how much Hines has been fined this year, twice for unspecified "unnecessary roughness".  He did get an explanation on one of them, a slap to a helmet after a play was over.   What bothers me most about the fines and Hines getting labeled a dirty player is the whole hypocrisy of it.   I posted some links in an earlier post about this, but in case you missed them...

Here's Ed Reed, an avid Hines hater who has been decleated twice by 86.

Here’s Chinedum Ndukwe, the Bengal LB who complained about the Rivers injury to the media, in college.

It bothers me that offensive players (namely Hines, since I don't know of too many other receivers that hit like him) are seemingly held to a different standard than defensive players.  In the PG today, we learned that the league will consider hits like the one Hines put on display Sunday illegal in the offseason.  How?  Will they require an offensive player to hit a guy only if he's looking?  Will they have to yell out a warning?  On the flip side, defenders constantly knock guys out of the game.  Know what Ray Lewis said immediately after knocking Mendenhall out of the game? "The force was freaking incredible," Patrick quotes Lewis about the tackle. "After the play, I wasn't screaming, 'He's hurt.' I was screaming, 'He's done.  Cripes I hate the Ravens.

Where is the consistency in crap like this?  I read somewhere that maybe the stuff that Hines is getting fined for is all a subtle way to soften teams up for an 18 game schedule.  That might hold water if only defensive guys weren't getting away with the exact same kind of stuff.   The league still puts out a 'Greatest Hits' video every year.   We hear guys like Kwoog come on and complain that Hines is a dirty player.   How is  this hit by your beloved Browns any different Kwoog?  Hines is called a 'blind side' guy.  Huh?  Um, how many times a game do you see a quarterback get blindsided?  If it's a Steeler game you're watching, probably several times.   Hines is labeled as dirty, but defenders taking out receivers in the same way get praised. 

As for the shift toward behavior, sure.  I'm all for fining guys or suspending guys that continually get into trouble with the law or use drugs.  That's just weeding out idiots.  Any guy like Matt Jones that is gonna risk all that they have gained to do a few lines of coke deserve to get suspended.  But, where did it start to turn that guys can't celebrate a TD in any way but maybe joyfully clapping their hands?  It is unbelievable how the celebration fines have gotten way out of control.  Is it solely because of TO and Bozo Cinco?  I can't stand either guy, but if they want to pull a sharpie out or grab some pom poms, who cares?  I have to admit, its entertaining and amusing.  Read this article by Joel Hammond, a blogger at pigskinpodcast.com.  Most recently, Chris Johnson of the Titans was fined 15 grand for banging on some drums in their pep band.  (They have a pep band?!?)  It's getting crazy.  I know that the celebrations are getting more elaborate and planned out in advance.  My question is, who cares?  Who is it hurting?  Are they going to start fining a kicker for jumping into his teammates arms after a game-winning kick?  I like what Hammond says in his podcast.  Its not about the refs and the league officials.  It's about the fans and unfortunately, things like these instances are proving that this sport is more and more a business and not about us. 

I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts about all this, the celebrations and the fines for Ward.   I especially would like to hear from some of the non-Steeler fans who read this site to chime in.  I know some of the more vocal ones have been silent, with the Cowboys, Browns and Jags struggling.  But I know you guys are still out there lurking, waiting in the shadows for the Steelers to take a nosedive like in the Eagles game.  Lemme have it.

 

 

 

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