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Hines Ward Blasts NFL Hypocrisy (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter PaperBagHead
- Start date
He can wipe his tears with his stack of hundred dollar bills.
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Concept Coop
Footballguy
He's right. Not sure what money has to do with it, especially when the NFL makes more off of Hines Ward than he does.
Chief
Footballguy
I laughed out loud at the image of Hines blotting his tears away with the stack of Benjamins. TTEA is correct in pointing out that NFL players get paid A LOT of money because of the savage nature of the game. So, its a bit amusing to see Ward crying about the fines when they are a drop in the bucket compared to what they get paid every week. However, I think Ward is correct in pointing out the hypocrisy as well.
No.They get paid millions of dollars because their union negotiated a % portion of the revenues of a multi-billion $ industry to be paid to the players.I laughed out loud at the image of Hines blotting his tears away with the stack of Benjamins. TTEA is correct in pointing out that NFL players get paid A LOT of money because of the savage nature of the game. So, its a bit amusing to see Ward crying about the fines when they are a drop in the bucket compared to what they get paid every week. However, I think Ward is correct in pointing out the hypocrisy as well.
He's right. Not sure what money has to do with it, especially when the NFL makes more off of Hines Ward than he does.
There are plenty of far more dangerous jobs in the US that are more dangerous than NFL football player, and most of them pay minimum wage.
No, hes not.Well, he is about the gambling thing, which is full-on Palin American on the NFL's part.
But for the alcohol, I've never seen anything to suggest the NFL doesn't want its players to drink. Maybe not drink and drive, or drink and fight, but in 20 years following the NFL I've never heard a whisper of teams looking to ban its players from drinking (unless they are in the NFLs substance abuse program of course).
The 18 game argument is even more ridiculous though.
Hines is saying playing 16 games is dangerous, play 18 games would be more dangerous, while at the same time conceding that the NFL is trying to increase player safety to justify the 18 games. If the game gets safer, it can't be "just as dangerous" to play 18 less dangerous games than 16 more dangerous games.
Of course, Hines has had his share of concussions, and went to UGA, so maybe I shouldn't expect logic and debate to be amongst his strengths.
Dr. Awesome
Footballguy
Yet he called out Big Ben for sitting after a concussion.
jonessed
Footballguy
I don't think he sells that many jerseys.
I'm not saying he's wrong, but he's part of the business. It's all about the money.And to say the NFL needs Hines Ward is completely false. He can go play in the CFL for what is pocket change to him now if he hates it so much.
I'm tired of this crying from these NFL players, they act as if they do the most dangerous job on the planet, when in fact they don't, not even close. And for millions and millions of dollars.
The union and the players have a right to fight for whatever it is they feel is right, I'm not against that.
But with the crying coming from them about anything and everything the NFL does, who have made these men extremely rich and is coddled and adored by the public, is ridiculous.
Oh and I'm still waiting for James Harrison to retire. Maybe he can go teach 9th grade math, I'm sure he'll be very successful at that.
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TheDemon
Footballguy
Hey, the life of a Philly backup RB isn't glamorous, but it's a job.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
My guess is that Ward does not believe the new rules do anything to increase player safety and I agree. There are other steps the league could do that would increase player safety more than fining players but you don't see much evidence they are interested in doing them.I think what Ward is saying is that the recent "crackdown" is occurring so the league can say they are concerned about injuries, which is certainly going to be a huge issue in the upcoming CBA talks when the discussions turn to expanding to an 18 game season.
Lol, oops! gotta fix it.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
He's a future 1st ballot HoF candidate and the best WR of his era so his opinion matters a lot.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
The NFL doesn't need Hines Ward as an individual but it certainly needs the players as a whole. Sure the NFL could field teams loaded with scrubs but the stadiums would be empty and the network wouldn't put up with horrible ratings for very long. The NFL needs the players as much as the players need the NFL.And I don't see where Ward is "crying". He was asked about the recent crackdown in the NFL and commented on it. He's entitled to give his opinion.
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goldenchild
Footballguy
And the fact that these players get paid handsomely is the reason why there will always be superstars. Like I said, all part of the business.Ward might not be crying, but he's been very critical of the NFL, along with the whole Steelers organization. I have nothing against them, actually I hold the entire organization in very high regard. But every week there's some Steeler player complaining about anything the NFL does. Maybe they're just asked more often because of James Harrison but I've had just about enough of it.
Dr. Awesome
Footballguy
I disagree with all three points in here. He's not a future 1 ballot hall of famer, he's not the best wr of his era, and I don't see why his opinion matters very much.
Bojang0301
Omar4Heisman
He is a HOF'er and could be a first ballot. Deal with it.
Adebisi
Footballguy
Short-term (like for the next year or two), maybe, but long-term, I disagree. Realistically, most of these players are knuckleheads who probably don't bother to budget their money for any long-term periods of time without an NFL pay check, and I'd bet that an awful lot of them lack any real world skills outside of manual laboring. Their money will dry up long before the owners' will. On top of that, good luck convincing next year's draft class - most of whom would otherwise be broke college students - to sit out for any substantial amount of time before they'd fold and take millions to cross the picket line. As for the veterans who can afford to sit out more than a year or two, how much of their careers are they going to let pass by before they decide to come back? I can't imagine they'd be willing to miss more than two seasons at the absolute most.
delusional
Footballguy
Everything he said is true.
Down with Goodell
Down with Goodell
Adebisi
Footballguy
I think Peter King hacked his account.I am pretty sure that MOP was just kidding in his original post.
footballnerd
Footballguy
Hines is basically saying the NFL is pulling rules out of their ###, and its a joke. They have no idea what they are doing and no basis for consistency. It does not protect the players at all, all it does is make the game tougher to play. One player hits a player one way and its fine, then another hits a guy the same way and its "A" fine, so what happens, they just go about hitting as they always have, no protection because no consistency. And then they instill rules to protect players from concussions with suspensions, but when AJ throws haymakers that could knock someone out and he's not suspended. NFL is pulling rules out their ###, and thats what Hines is complaining about. They need a real commish to make some sound rules.
Dr. Awesome
Footballguy
I am pretty sure that MOP was just kidding in his original post.
Okay, he hooked me. Nice bait.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
What puzzles me is that watching the 49er-Card game Westbrook came through the line on a running play and a Cardinal launched himself and contacted Westbrook helmet to helmet. It did not bother Westbrook and he picked up 5-6 yards on the play. Had Westbrook went down from that hit I am sure it would have been at least 25K.
Does the player have to be knocked out to be fined?
Does the player have to be knocked out to be fined?
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
He is basically saying what Mark Schlereth was saying about a month ago. Interestingly, a few weeks after Schlereth's initial rant about it, it was alluded to on television that he got a phone call about it, probably from his bosses telling him to tone it down (probably because the NFL and ESPN are in bed together), and Schlereth's comment was, "Call me again, I don't care." And from the times I have watched ESPN since, he hasn't been seen as much, so I wonder if ESPN is pissed at him for hammering the NFL for their hypocrisy like he did, and decided to shut him up or tone him down for a while. Wouldn't surprise me.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Schlereth ripped the NFL good that day. Saying he has had 20 something knee surgeries yet does nor qualify for any medical bennies.Dilfer was pretty vocal the other night then said "I will not talk about the NFL fines anymore" Everybody knows how I feel. It seems all the players and ex-players do not agree with what is going on in the game.
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Choke
Footballguy
Yep.Trent the other day just stated something like "cant really talk about it anymore", when he wanted to blast the NFLs policy.
Mister CIA
Footballguy
On the flipside, what's to stop a handful of eccentric billionaires from starting a new NFL? NFL owners have a lot to lose; TV networks too.Adebisi said:
Ping Pong
Footballguy
The main arguments I see supporting the NFL go something like this:
1) "The players make so much money, so they should just suck it up and entertain us, or else get a new job."
First of all, I think this is a ridiculous argument that should have no bearing on the discussion. These are still human beings engaging in a dangerous sport for all of our entertainment. The amount of money they make does not make is irrelevant. Sure, there are other more deadly jobs out there, but football is still more dangerous than 95% of what the population does. Second, the main "enemy" the players are combating are the owners and NFL admin. These people are almost all just as, if not more, wealthy than the NFL players, and don't have to sacrifice their bodies weekly.
2) "The new helmet-to-helmet rule protects players"
First off, I agree with the concept behind the helmet-to-helmet rule, and protecting the safety of NFL players in general. However, the NFL is pretty obviously arbitrarily enforcing this rule and it is nothing more than a not-so subtle attempt at PR. The hypocrisy of attempting to extend the season to 18 games while claiming to care for the safety of players is exactly what Ward and Schlerath are pointing out. The infamous hit on Boldin in 2008 is probably the most memorable (and textbook) instance of a helmet-to-helmet hit in the game, but was there a sudden rule change and a rash of fines? No. Why is that? They weren't trying to push a longer season back then. One of the main arguments against an 18 game season is player safety, and now, with their new and highly publicized rule changes and fines, the NFL can claim "See, we care about players!"
Now, I do think that something should be done to curb helmet-to-helmet hits, but this is not it. The guidelines of what constitutes a helmet-to-helmet hit are poorly defined, and even more poorly enforced.
1) "The players make so much money, so they should just suck it up and entertain us, or else get a new job."
First of all, I think this is a ridiculous argument that should have no bearing on the discussion. These are still human beings engaging in a dangerous sport for all of our entertainment. The amount of money they make does not make is irrelevant. Sure, there are other more deadly jobs out there, but football is still more dangerous than 95% of what the population does. Second, the main "enemy" the players are combating are the owners and NFL admin. These people are almost all just as, if not more, wealthy than the NFL players, and don't have to sacrifice their bodies weekly.
2) "The new helmet-to-helmet rule protects players"
First off, I agree with the concept behind the helmet-to-helmet rule, and protecting the safety of NFL players in general. However, the NFL is pretty obviously arbitrarily enforcing this rule and it is nothing more than a not-so subtle attempt at PR. The hypocrisy of attempting to extend the season to 18 games while claiming to care for the safety of players is exactly what Ward and Schlerath are pointing out. The infamous hit on Boldin in 2008 is probably the most memorable (and textbook) instance of a helmet-to-helmet hit in the game, but was there a sudden rule change and a rash of fines? No. Why is that? They weren't trying to push a longer season back then. One of the main arguments against an 18 game season is player safety, and now, with their new and highly publicized rule changes and fines, the NFL can claim "See, we care about players!"
Now, I do think that something should be done to curb helmet-to-helmet hits, but this is not it. The guidelines of what constitutes a helmet-to-helmet hit are poorly defined, and even more poorly enforced.
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PaperBagHead
Footballguy
He was ranting about it today to a clip of MJD spearing a defender. Mad props to Mark for sticking to his guns and calling it as he sees it. He's also right.
Mr. Retukes
Footballguy
And where did he do that?Chief said:
Adebisi
Footballguy
How long do you suppose it would take to pull that off, from the time they spotted the opportunity to the time it would realistically be possible to hold the first game?
Steeler
Footballguy
And the NFL is making #### up as they go along... Harrison was fined for helmet-to-chest contact this week
Go DC Yourself
Footballguy
Access to quality football stadiums near big cities during the football season.
The NFL always does what it thinks will bring in the most revenue. It doesn't necessarily care so much about player injuries unless it affects the quality of the game or draws too much criticism (because that could have a negative effect on revenues).
The players always do what they think will bring in the most income for them. Higher injury risk means shortened careers (less income for them).
Follow the money. There is no hypocrisy. Everything is 100% consistent.
The players always do what they think will bring in the most income for them. Higher injury risk means shortened careers (less income for them).
Follow the money. There is no hypocrisy. Everything is 100% consistent.
Mister CIA
Footballguy
Speed bump.
ThaPenguin
Footballguy
Yeah, and they should call it the UFL. Get Mark Cuban on the horn.
Iwannabeacowboybaby!
Footballguy
I like Goodell as commish. I don't agree with everything he does but one thing is certain, they ALL know who the boss is, including the owners.
I like how Ward, an offensive player is speaking on this issue, especially about the part on fines. Telling us the Steelers aren't going to change the way they play football. How many of these leading with the helmet plays do you think Hines Ward is going to get! Did Hines chip in for Harrison's fine? Is he taking up a collection from offensive players to help pay for these fines?
I like how Ward, an offensive player is speaking on this issue, especially about the part on fines. Telling us the Steelers aren't going to change the way they play football. How many of these leading with the helmet plays do you think Hines Ward is going to get! Did Hines chip in for Harrison's fine? Is he taking up a collection from offensive players to help pay for these fines?
Chairshot
Footballguy
The 18 game argument doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
I guess there is a factor of season fatigue, but I would think that would be offset by the extra bye week.
Players get paid on a game by game basis. With an 18 game season, they will probably play less seasons over their career, but make the same amount of money.
Does it really matter if a player's career is 100 games over 6-7 seasons or 100 games over 5-6 seasons? They make the same amount of money, their risk doesn't go up.
The players are acting like they are going to get paid the same amount for 18 games as they are now for 16. Doesn't really make sense to me.
I agree that the rule isn't being applied with consistency right now. It's also a hard rule to call and it's brand new. It will take some time for the refs to get proficient at calling it. The refs on the field and league officials are in a tough spot right now. The rule is really only a couple of weeks old in its current form. Give the zebras a season or two to get up to speed, review game film of correct and incorrect calls and then let's see how the rule works out. In all likelihood, given a season or two, it will be called as consistently as any other rule is.
I definitely believe the league cares about player safety, if only because losing star/popular players means the league loses money in the long run. They would much rather see a guy like Wes Welker, for instance, play more games and stay on the field longer so they can sell more jerseys with his name on it.
I guess there is a factor of season fatigue, but I would think that would be offset by the extra bye week.
Players get paid on a game by game basis. With an 18 game season, they will probably play less seasons over their career, but make the same amount of money.
Does it really matter if a player's career is 100 games over 6-7 seasons or 100 games over 5-6 seasons? They make the same amount of money, their risk doesn't go up.
The players are acting like they are going to get paid the same amount for 18 games as they are now for 16. Doesn't really make sense to me.
I agree that the rule isn't being applied with consistency right now. It's also a hard rule to call and it's brand new. It will take some time for the refs to get proficient at calling it. The refs on the field and league officials are in a tough spot right now. The rule is really only a couple of weeks old in its current form. Give the zebras a season or two to get up to speed, review game film of correct and incorrect calls and then let's see how the rule works out. In all likelihood, given a season or two, it will be called as consistently as any other rule is.
I definitely believe the league cares about player safety, if only because losing star/popular players means the league loses money in the long run. They would much rather see a guy like Wes Welker, for instance, play more games and stay on the field longer so they can sell more jerseys with his name on it.
Choke
Footballguy
Absolutely it matters. Your body breaks down and needs long periods to recover from certain rigors. Just think of something like a "stress fracture". The average career is only 3.3 years.
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Godsbrother
Footballguy
Ward has been fined multiple times by the league, not for helmet-to-helmet, but for hitting defenders when they aren't looking (which is another ridiculous argument but I digress). He was also the recipient of a borderline helmet-to-helmet hit this season that knocked him out of the game but was not fined. If there is any offensive player who should be speaking out on the matter of fines on hits during a play then it is Ward.And I doubt that Harrison was chipping in for Ward's fines either...
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