In defense of Hines Ward

Matt,

you are right on with this one. I love that receivers often avoid contact when 'blocking' downfield for runners and heaven forbid they tackle someone who made an interception. I put them in Deion Sanders category: wants to look good and make a show but not keen on contact.

I am no where close to a steelers fan but give me Hine any day.

Wow, I dunno Matt. You wouldn't call a blindside head shot a dirty hit? It's one thing to block a guy, another to try to end his career. As i recall on the Rivers play, Ward lined up the guy even though the play was basically over and took a run at him from the back.

Same situation as Rodney Harrison. Guys who play the game the way it was meant to be played will always be called dirty by players who have trouble dealing with them. Once the dirty player label gets applied, fans and media just love to pile on without having any clue what they're talking about.

1) If the hit on Keith Rivers was so "clean", then why did the league make a rule specifically banning that type of hit this year?

2) If you watch the play, the runner had already essentially made it past Keith Rivers, and Rivers looked to be actually slowing down... unlike Hines Ward, who took advantage of the situation to run full speed with his head down and aimed straight at the helmet of Rivers. The block would have been equally effective had Ward simply run in front of (shadowed) Rivers.

The difference between Ward and other players is that Ward takes his frustrations out on other players, and looks to hurt people. Real men don't find it necessary to put someone out of the game to effectively do their job. Just look at his play after he fumbled the ball against the Titans and almost lost the game for the Steelers. He was playing normally, delivering reasonable blocks, throughout the game until that fumble. Then, suddenly, he's Hines "Rampage" Ward, looking to take someone's head off for the rest of the game.

Gotta agree on this one... guys get "lined up" on special teams on every play, and Ward is just doing his job--better than anyone else.

Ever seen Randy Moss block? Looks like he is being attacked by bees.

Maybe it's because Ward hits players that are not looking the hardest. It's one thing to hit hard, it's another to break the face of someone that doesn't see it coming. That's not tough in my book, it's cheap.

Yeah, I just don't get where the criticism of Ward comes from. I really don't. The hit on Rivers was exactly the sort of hit that I love. I loved delivering shots like that when I played, loved seeing it when other guys got 'em, and even congratulated people when they got 'em on me. I mean, watch any football movie, and I guarantee you that you will see multiple shots exactly like it during the various montages that are shown (even though such hits are very rare when actual football is really being played). These hits are the icing on the cake. It's unfortunate that the rookie's jaw got broken, but... welcome to the NFL, Mr. Rivers. Would you like some pureed french fries with that shake?

...and suddenly Hines is a bad guy?

Man, I put him on my fantasy team just for the intangibles he brings and so he can be a good locker-room guy who leads by example. And I definitely expect that the fantasy football gods will reward me.

Some of the comments in here kill me..."reasonable blocks", "not looking the hardest"? This is football!

Ward did not launch himself like a missile at Rivers and lead with the top of his helmet. He was the smaller man making contact. Of course your head comes down upon contact, but Ward most definitely was delivering a blow with his shoulder. His head came down and got the front of River's helmet.

Besides, Rivers broke his jaw on the ground. Hines Ward is to blame for that as well.

I don't know how physical players (especially on defense) are supposed to play this game anymore. They are trying to legislate it to be the Arena League or flag football, but they'll use the big hits for marketing purposes as they fine the players who deliver them

This is a perfect example of non-Steeler fans talking crap. Am I biased about Hines? Of course, but if he were on the Pats, the Packers, the Ravens. etc, all of those fans would love him.

The guy is a warrior and could play anywhere.

Ward is a stud. One of the best Steelers of all time.

Coaches give many rules to live by on the field. In my eyes the two important ones were: 1. Play to the whistle, and 2. Keep your head on a swivel. The two rules, if not followed can lead to the same consequences which include getting 'ear-holed' and potential injury. Keith broke both the rules and paid the consequence.

Plus, only the trench hounds play to hurt others. Lol

Sorry, but I have no pity for Rivers. Had he been sporting a mouthpiece at the time, he wouldn't have had to spend the next 6 months eating meatloaf milkshakes through a straw.

The thing I appreciate about Ward most is he holds all the other receivers accountable and expects them to play up to his standard of physicality. The other receivers may not have those same 'jacked up' moments, but they are all get after it when blocking. Holmes is turning into a tenacious blocker himself. He had a crappy game last week, but he was still getting after it in the run game.

Now, if they would just switch Matt Spaeth to WR, maybe they could get Ward to teach him how to block too. Nobody else has had much luck with that particular challenge.

@ justin d - say what you will about Deion, but he turned the game into 10-on-10. He'd line up every snap against the opposition's best wide out and that player could have just as well stayed in the locker room. If I were his size, and relied on pure speed for much of my paycheck, I wouldn't be going after a lot of puling guards either.

Ward is borderline dirty, but hardly malicious. The Rivers hit? He took on a 250 lb linebacker and won. I'd love him on my team.

I'd agree that Hines plays the right way, right on the edge of out of control, except when he lead with his helmet into Ed Reeds face, that was some dirty dirty sh@t

To all the Ward haters,

This guy is a gamer that anyone would love to have on their team. He is in my humble opinion a future Hall of Famer. The guy plays tough and will have his teammates back. I love that in any footballer. Please give me 52 of Hines Ward for my team.

You hate on him because he plays to physical, not dirty. All you haters are the reasons the NFL is becoming a wussy league. That block on Rivers is the kind of hit that sells the NFL. It's not the spectacular catches or graceful sprints downfield. It's guys getting blown up in a human to human car wreck that brings fans to games. NUFF SAID.

I will take hines ward over any wr in the nfl!

The two rules, if not followed can lead to the same consequences which include getting 'ear-holed' and potential injury.