Hines Ward retired Tuesday afternoon and gave a heartfelt goodbye to the NFL and his fans. Ward is one of the most popular Steelers and Pittsburgh athletes of all-time. It was hard not to like the way Ward played the game, especially in his prime. For a receiver he looked for contact and absolutely laid people out on a conisitant basis. Fans and players of other teams always called him a "dirty" player and, to be honest, sometimes he was a dirty player.
Throughout Ward's career he hardly ever missed a game despite being the most physical receiver in the game. Ward went out of his way to be a great blocker and help the team in every aspect of the game. Just look at some of Ward's achievements.
Ward is the Steelers' all-time leader in receptions (1,000), receiving yards (12,083), receiving touchdowns (85) and 100-yard receiving games (29).
Ward is the eighth player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions and joined Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as the only two players in league history to post 1,000 career catches and win multiple Super Bowls.
Ward was the MVP of Super Bowl XL after leading the Steelers to a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. He posted a game-high 123 receiving yards on five receptions with one touchdown.
The Steelers’ 2008 Walter Payton Man of the Year, Ward was named to four Pro Bowls and was a member of the Steelers' 75th Season All-Time Team.
That's damn impressive and Ward will be a Hall of Famer at some point, although I think it will be a lot longer than some Steelers' fans are willing to admit. Receivers have a hard time getting into the Hall and the committee already thinks there's enough Steelers in the Hall so......Be patient.
Ok now for the not so nice things about Ward:
I was a fan of him in his early days but grew tiresome over the years of his diva-ish attitude. I hated when he called out Ben Roethlisberger on national television for not playing. I hate him being on "Dancing With the Stars" I hated that he held out of camp for more money but called still called himself the ultimate teammate. I hated his "me" attitude about everything. It was always about Hines...never about the team.
One of the most annoying things about Ward is his attempt to be the underdog at all times. Ward would also say "Nobody ever gave me a chance". Really Hines, no one ever gave you a chance? That's extremely funny considering that Ward was given a full scholarship to the University of Georgia and got to start at three different positions there. On top of that he was a third round pick by the Steelers. I'd call that someone giving you a chance.....in the very least.
I also disliked the notion that Ward was a great guy. I've met him a few times and witnessed him treat people like a douche. Just saying. Ward's been to jail and skipped practice to film a movie and a tv show. He's a egomaniac and always has been.
Next comes how Ward dealt with the end of his career. Ward called the Steelers out for releasing him and made them look like the bad guys. Ward then said that he wanted to play with another team and was even rumored to be interested in the Baltimore Ravens as a suitor. Then after weeks of not even a rumor of Ward signing somewhere he announces his retirement....What happened?
NO ONE CALLED. Ward's career was/is over. We all knew it. He's too old and too slow. It happens. It happened to Jerry Rice. Ward should have swallowed his pride and just retired a month ago. Instead he tried to make the Steelers look bad then came crawling back for a special retirement. Ward is a great actor and if you believe everything he says......It says gullible on the ceiling.
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