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Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace caused a stir recently when he mentioned, in so many words, the Dolphins were hungrier this year than the Steelers were last year.
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Wallace has noted what's been felt by some as veiled criticism toward the Steelers, the team that drafted him and kept him in production over the last four seasons. In this particular case, whether intentional or otherwise, he said he was a part of a hungry team, something he didn't have last year.
Apparently, people aren't supposed to take that as Wallace taking a shot at Pittsburgh's lack of hunger in 2012.
No one has an issue with his honest opinion - or at least, they shouldn't. The Steelers were an 8-8 team, and perhaps issues such as these were a part of the problem. But to air those kinds of complaints after the season, especially when he signed elsewhere, is a particularly gutless thing to do.
His mea culpa, which appeared under his Twitter account (@Wallace17_daKid) Monday:
I want it to be known that I have nothing but love and respect for everybody in the Pittsburgh Steelers oraganization that is a A1
— Mike Wallace (@Wallace17_daKid) May 27, 2013
Organization over there those guys are my brothers for life beyond football so to all the people who think I take shots at them it is
— Mike Wallace (@Wallace17_daKid) May 27, 2013
Totally misleading idk people keep making it out like I wanna bash them I am forever grateful for everything they have ever done for me
— Mike Wallace (@Wallace17_daKid) May 27, 2013
As a writer who thinks Wallace "took shots" at the Steelers, I feel it's only in good taste to print his response. However, the fact he approaches this as if he was taken out of context, or is not, at least in some way, taking a shot at his former team, shows how little thought he puts into his responses.
It's extremely difficult to take his comments any other way than how they appeared in the Miami Herald. Wallace may be grateful for the opportunity the Steelers gave him, and he has every right to be excited about playing for his new team, but trying to pass responsibility of his comments onto those who took exception to what he said is immature and idiotic.