Hines Ward NFL's Dirtiest Player- So say his peers

BUNSofSTEEL08

@the-gipper said:
That DJHero guy is a typical Steeler Fan moron. His sort is why the Steelers have the reputation around the league as having the dumbest fan base. I mean, it ain't just Browns fans that think that way because we have a lot of interaction with them. It is people from Seattle, Green Bay, Miami, NFC/AFC everywhere you go.
The reputable, reasoned Steeler fan, (and we do get a few of them here) has no chance to remedy the affliction foisted up them by this, more prevalent, form of their brethren
.

Gip .. we dont have that Reputation around the League !! LOL...Your killing me...lol. The Bengals Have that ALL to themselves. Dont be taking away their sunshine !!!

Spunkonmyback DPOY

@the-gipper said:
OK, I will conduct this exercise myself. This would be my priority list of who is HOF worthy from the names I posted. Please let me know if you think I left anyone off:
1. Jerry Rice

2. Chris Carter

3. Marvin Harrison

4. Tony Gonzales

5. Randy Moss

6. Tim Brown

7. Terrell Owens

8. Shannon Sharpe

9. Isaac Bruce

10. TJ Houshmanzedah

11. Andre Reed

12. Art Powell

13. Hines Ward

14. Tori Holt

15. Muhsin Muhammed

16. Donald Driver

17. Chad Octopussy

18. Irving Fryar

19. Joey Galloway

20. Eric Moulds

21. Laverneus Coles

22. Derrick Mason

I would have Hines a few spots higher, but mostly agree with your list. Unlike most HOF worthy wrs, Hines is at his best in the slot. If Hines starts reducing his role to be more of a slot reciever he can possibly play 6-7 more years. During this time he will rack up receptions and tds and most importanly won't be looking to make the Hall the same time all the other wrs will be. He willcome in the mix a few years later. Everybody considers Hines a football player first, reciever second. That gives Hines unique factors the other recievers don't bring. He was one a run heavy Cowher team for the majority of his career and still put up HOF stats. He also has two rings, Super Bowl MVP, known for his blocking/physical play and owns the longest active streak of consecutive games with a catch (168).

Mr. T

@medicineman said:
What I was trying to say is Hines is a shitbag

Yep I second that motion

Captain Cheesedick

He is considered dirty because he redefined the position. He started blocking downfield, and not giving up. Defensive backs wer not use to this, so it became an issue. Truth is, he plays the game as it should be played

Fact is, he plays hard. You can blindside a QB can't you? Well, he blindsides players trying to tackle a member of his team with the ball. Its football.

This board defends our "tough" defensive coordinator for talking trash with the opposing team. But a wide reciever that blocks and knocks other players around? Must be dirty.

The Gipper

FREAKofSTEEL08 said:
Gip .. we dont have that Reputation around the League !! LOL...Your killing me...lol. The Bengals Have that ALL to themselves. Dont be taking away their sunshine !!!

Sorry, but no, I have been to the 88 largest cities in America, and universally it is declared that the Steelers have the most obnoxious fans...and the least knowledgeable.

I am not saying that there aren't a plethora of knowledgeable Steeler fans out there, its just that the dumb obnoxious ones are legion, and as I said, the smart, reasoned ones, perhaps such as yourself, end up being overwhelmed.

The Gipper

Sivlerback DPOY said:
I would have Hines a few spots higher, but mostly agree with your list. Unlike most HOF worthy wrs, Hines is at his best in the slot. If Hines starts reducing his role to be more of a slot reciever he can possibly play 6-7 more years. During this time he will rack up receptions and tds and most importanly won't be looking to make the Hall the same time all the other wrs will be. He willcome in the mix a few years later. Everybody considers Hines a football player first, reciever second. That gives Hines unique factors the other recievers don't bring. He was one a run heavy Cowher team for the majority of his career and still put up HOF stats. He also has two rings, Super Bowl MVP, known for his blocking/physical play and owns the longest active streak of consecutive games with a catch (168).

OK, though if you put him higher, you have to willing to have him jump over some others, and I don't see any on the list that I would be willing to subjugate to him. What you say, while all being true, or at least arguable, still makes him a borderline case as I have mentioned. Remember, only a max of 6 people get selected each year. He has to compete with every QB, RB, OL, and defender out their. The HOF is a tough nut to crack. Other receivers with equal or better numbers than he have not quite squeaked in yet. (though, as you said, his career is not over, he could crawl up the scale)

neohionative

@brownshirt said:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/foot...irty/index.html
By Richard Deitsch, SI.com

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Steelers WR Hines Ward, shown here getting into a scuffle during Super Bowl XLIII, is in his 12th season in the NFL.

Getty Images

Hines Ward is the dirtiest player in the NFL, according to a Sports Illustrated poll of 296 players released this week.

The Steelers' wide receiver, long considered the league's best blocking wide receiver, received 11.6 percent of the vote. He was followed by Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (6.0), Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter (6.0), Bengals safety Roy Williams (5.1) and Titans center Kevin Mawae (4.6). Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan (4.2), Rams guard Richie Incognito (3.7), Falcons guard Harvey Dahl (3.7), Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (3.7) and Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (3.2) rounded out the top 10.

Ward, 33, has a long history of physical play. Last October, he was fined $15,000 for hits in back-to-back weeks that weren't penalized during the game. Later that month, Ward broke the jaw of Bengals rookie linebacker Keith Rivers with a surprise downfield block. The hit, which ended Rivers' season, did not draw a flag. "That's what he's known for," Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe said. "He's a blind-side guy."

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/foot...l#ixzz0VvJRltsS

Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription

Let's be unbiased for just a minute here. That Troy Polamalu is also in the top 10 seems to indicate this vote was in part motivated by sour grapes for a successful set of players. Most of these guys haven't gouged out anyone's eyes, dove at a quarterbacks knees, or stomped on someone's head in a pile. Does anyone remember the players poll that said that Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and Brett Favre were overrated? Non-story to make the Browns fans feel better by implicating that successful players must somehow be cheating to win. Fail!

neohionative

@the-gipper said:
If we had him, I would like him. He is a good tough player. I don't think anyone denies that. It's just that in about 1 in every 100 plays he does something that his peers feel is beyond the realm of proper conduct.
Again, I don't know why a Steeler fan would complain to us about this. It was the other 1643 NFL football players in the league from Seattle to Miami, from New England to San Diego that placed the distinction on him as dirtiest player in the league. It wasn't Cleveland Browns fans.

If he were on the Browns, absolutely we would probably overlook his shortcomings.

By the way, and let me know if anyone agrees with me: I still think Albert Belle had every right to clean Fernando Vina's clock even though a lot of people raged about what a dirty play it was. You all know what I am talking about. No way. Vina's butt was in the way and AB did what he had to do to break up that double play. Maybe Steeler fans see Whiney the way we saw Albert
.

Check the story, this was from a sampling of 300 odd players, not the entire NFL

Jason J

The Soldier said:
He is considered dirty because he redefined the position. He started blocking downfield, and not giving up. Defensive backs wer not use to this, so it became an issue. Truth is, he plays the game as it should be played
Fact is, he plays hard. You can blindside a QB can't you? Well, he blindsides players trying to tackle a member of his team with the ball. Its football.

This board defends our "tough" defensive coordinator for talking trash with the opposing team. But a wide reciever that blocks and knocks other players around? Must be dirty.

I'm with you there. Ward is what I call "chippy". He's the kind of guy you love if he's on your team, but everyone else hates. He reminds me of a little remembered (sadly) cornerback that played for the Cardinals and Saints named Pat Fischer. I modeled my play as a kid after Fischer. He out-fought, out-witted, held, hit, blindsided, baited, intimidated everyone he played against. He was physically no match for many of his counterparts (nor was I, by the way)... but mentally, he won nearly every battle. I don't know if anyone in the league ever had more swings taken at them... and that's a win in my book.

Ward is much the same way. He's not a particularly gifted receiver by NFL standards. But he gets the absolute most out of his talent by being aggressive, tenacious, and more importantly understanding the game, and getting into the heads of his opponents.

It's all sour grapes... and when it comes to Ward, I've got a bucket full.

-jj

The Gipper

@neohionative said:
Check the story, this was from a sampling of 300 odd players, not the entire NFL

That is a reasonable enough sample of the entire NFL population. Do you think that if the entire NFL population had been forced to answer it would have changed the outcome?

The Gipper

Formerly Stone said:
Fixed that for ya......and now we know the truth.

Are you saying that the other 8 or 10 players that are cited in that poll are justified in being there, but Ward and Polamalu are not JUST because they are Steelers? It looks to me like they have Redskins, Dolphins, Titans, Rams, Falcons, and Vikings on that list.

calfoxwc

There are a lot of successful players that are not cheapshots, with a lack of concern for permanently injuring another player.

Polycheapshot could have broken the neck of a kick returner in college.

Hines Ward is an outstanding receiver, and he is successful, but part of that is because

if he is not getting open, he waits to get his chance to put that defensive player out of the game with a

blind side hit, says I.

Instead of being two of the most respected players in the game, they resort to cheapshots/blindside hits away from the ball,

to get or keep the upper hand in a game, risking the other player's career with apathy.

They suck despite being very talented. Tainted, like the super bowl wins of the squeelers.

Hey, everybody knows that, even steeler fans. But the latter are just all wet in Egypt.

calfoxwc

You're saying that fake boobs, etc, caused other cheerleaders career-ending, serious injury ?

We're talkin unnecessary violence away from a physical sport, not silicon inserts.

Although, there is Pollyschmumu....

The Gipper

Formerly Stone said:
No, what I am saying is that it's a stupid poll. Football is a rough game and while there have been many truly dirty players over the years, asking the people who play this rough game who is the roughest or dirtiest is like asking a bunch of beauty contestants who among them is the most fake...... the ones with fake boobs, too much make-up, died hair, etc.
It is bound to create a long list of meaningless twitter!

Yes, there have been many truly dirty players over the years. Some of them even made the HOF. Like Mean Joe Greene (he got that nickname for a reason) (plus just about any Raider).

Some guys HAVE been denied HOF consideration because of perceived "dirtiness". Exhibit 'A': Jack Tatum. One of the greatest safeties in history. Probably better than Ronnie Lott. He is denied consideration solely because of the Daryl Stingley incident, when truly, what Tatum said was correct: "I made that hit the way I was taught to make that hit, and the way every DB in the league was taught."

Nevertheless, the poll WAS taken, and Whines Hard WAS the winner...and, again, it IS the other players in the league, not fans, not broadcasters, not anyone else, that gave him those votes. Perception is reality.

DawgTracker

I'm not surprised. The hit on Rivers of the bengals was a perfect example. He blindsides the guy with a forearm underneath the helmet and breaks his jaw.

I doubt he is the dirtiest player ever because lineman used to get away with dirty plays almost every down

Spunkonmyback DPOY

As long as a player plays within the rulebook (The rulebook all 32 owners agree to play upon) then I am okay with them being considered dirty. You can't blame Hines or any other player for doing something that is allowed to be done, can you? I think its an honor for a reciever to be considered dirty since typically 99% of contact reciever makes includes them getting takled/knocked down. Again, this comes under the assumption the player typically players within the limits of the rules. Hines didn't get a flag for any of his most famous hits, so its safe to say he plays within the rules.

BUNSofSTEEL08

Also ..that list of Dirty players...Seems to include Some Awfully good players. Sour grape syndrome.

neohionative

FREAKofSTEEL08 said:
Also ..that list of Dirty players...Seems to include Some Awfully good players. Sour grape syndrome.

Hate to say it but he's right. Too many good/ top notch players on that list. It's jealousy, and why hasn't anyone defending this list addressed my point of the overrated player poll from earlier that listed three of the top five nfl qbs rating and stat wise yet? Oh that's right, because it reinforces the idea that jealousy played at least a part in this poll. And I'm sorry but 1/5 of the players in the league is a silly portion when you consider that roughly 1/8 gets annually smoked twice a season by in division rivals, vikings/ packers and bears, steelers/ the browns and bengals, the giants/ the eagles. But as I said it makes Browns fans feel better because we can blame success on cheating, and ignore our own mountain of failure!

FSG

@the-gipper said:
And consider these further names who could be in line for HOF induction over HW or who are contemporaries that may get equal HOF consideration:
Andre Reed

Rod Smith

Tony Gonzales

Joey Galloway

Shannon Sharpe

Irving Fryar

Art Powell

Laverneus Coles

Derrick Mason

TJ Houshmanzadeh

If you took all the people in these two posts how would you rate them for consideration for HOF induction?

While I am going to give you the first set of guys....I agree that Ward has to seperate himself from the pack more in order to get a Gold Jacket (like most of the guys in the first list) This list is far less considerable.

If Ward were to retire today, he would be above any guy on this list....however, he has several years left in his game with a franchise QB. Barring injury, you can expect him to top 1000 catches....12000-14000 receiving yards. Those #'s in conjuction with the SB rings, SB MVP and the physical nature will get him in.

Spunkonmyback DPOY

@dawgtracker said:
I'm not surprised. The hit on Rivers of the bengals was a perfect example. He blindsides the guy with a forearm underneath the helmet and breaks his jaw.
I doubt he is the dirtiest player ever because lineman used to get away with dirty plays almost every down

Don't hate Hines for that hit. Hate the 32 owners for agreeing to a rulebook that makes that type of hit legal. Hate Goodell for making that a legal, unfinable hit. Hines has simply been playing the games by the rules others made up.

You bring up a good point some people just don't get. Lineman always throw forearms. Heck, they hope to give a blindside forearm under someone's chin everytime they pull. When they do it there complimented for a good pull, when Hines does it from a receiver spot he is dirty.