Posted on 12/01/2009 12:00:11 AM PST by malkee
Wide receiver Hines Ward told NBC before the Pittsburgh Steelers' overtime loss Sunday night in Baltimore that opinion was divided among Steelers players about whether quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should have been playing in the game.
Roethlisberger sat out the game, a week after suffering a concussion during a defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. An independent neurologist reportedly recommended that Roethlisberger not play against the Ravens.
Ward told NBC, according to a written transcript provided by the network: "This game is almost like a playoff game. It's almost a must-win. I could see some players or teammates questioning like, 'It's just a concussion. I've played with a concussion before.' It's almost like a 50-50 tossup in the locker room: Should he play? Shouldn't he play? It's really hard to say.
"I've been out there dinged up, the following week, got right back out there. Ben practiced all week. He split time with Dennis Dixon. And then to find out that he's still having some headaches and not playing and it came down to the doctors didn't feel that they were going to clear him or not -- it's hard to say unless you're the person [him]self."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Just an intensely personal comment, since this is “chat”.
NFL, NBA, MLB & University of Notre Dame - all dead to me.
I thought Hines was speaking more about the doctors not wanting Ben to play, than Ben not wanting to. It seems really odd to me that Hines would diss Ben. Then again, it is the truth. Ben should have played.
I don’t think Hines was dissing Ben. But I do think Ben is distracted by the rape trial and the other players possibly realize that. Like Hines said, only Ben knows how Ben feels, so I guess we can’t really judge. But we do have a right to wonder, imho.
Seems to me Ward himself has taken a few too many hits to the head. I was surprised that Roethlisberger was even taking snaps in practice. Ward, a dirty player himself, just hurt his Hall of Fame credentials.
Hines Ward does not play dirty. And he hasn’t hurt anything. This is just the media trying to hype something up.
Yes, I wonder. He’s been overthrowing the ball like mad. I don’t know what’s going on with him. They got rid of Leftwich! I did not know that until this QB situation came up. WHY?!
Hines Ward was highlighted during the game taking cheap shots on interceptions during runbacks, blindsiding opponents and then showboating to the crowd. And is that Troy Pompous ass gay? He talks like a girl in his hair commercials with that Obama lisp.
Are you in Pittsburgh or elsewhere in PA? It would be hard not to know if you were here. There is so much coverage of Ben.
Polamalu is married and has a kid.
He is also religious, something our “esteemed leader” is not.
Hines Ward is not a dirty player. He just take advantage of the situations presented to him. When he broke the guys jaw in Cincinnati it was legal hit. It is shame people do not understand that not all wide receivers have to block like sissy girly men by holding people. Hines hits people, knocks them down and keeps going and looks for the next guy to hit just like a tight end does. The guy is the simply the best blocking wide receiver of all time.
Big Ben from what i understand has headaches after he exerted himself in practice. It is symptom of having not fully recovered from a concussion. In no manner did he belong on the field playing.
The guy that took Ben's place did just fine and once again the defense lost the game. Before this game the thew one pass in a game and he had a rating of 60 but before the interception he was around 100 rating.
It looks like the team will need to win out to get a wild card and then play on the road. It isn't like they have not done this before and won it all.
i’m not a Steelers fan nor do I follow them. However, at the beginning of the season I remember Rush Limbaugh stating that the Steelers organization has some problems. When they started winning again, I though maybe he was wrong. But it does seem now that he knows something a lot of do not. What is your take on what is going on with the Steeler organization?
Doctors said he should not play because of his headaches..then they dress him as emergency backup QB? Hines and a lot us fans had really questions about that..we are not calling out Ben!!!
Nobody asked you to comment. If you’re not interested, stay away.
I will give it to Western Pa. folks,they are very polite.
Takes one to know one.
OK..you have a good day!
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