Ward proves he'll pay the price

By Mike Prisuta
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Monday, October 20, 2008


CINCINNATI - OCTOBER 19: Hines Ward celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on October 19, 2008 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Hines Ward was defiant after establishing beyond the shadow of a doubt that he's still Hines Ward.

"I didn't do anything illegal," Ward said repeatedly after the Steelers' 38-10 trouncing of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ward was referring to the block that broke linebacker Keith Rivers' jaw. It occurred on the fourth offensive snap of the game and it absolutely rocked Paul Brown Stadium, as well as Rivers.
Ward lined up his target and delivered the type of block for which he has become infamous, this time in support of tight end Matt Spaeth.

Rivers left the game and "will probably be lost for the year," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said.

Ward celebrated the play with his trademark gusto, knowing full well that his effort might result in another letter from the NFL fining him for unnecessary roughness.

He was docked $5,000 after the Steelers' Sept. 29 victory over the Baltimore Ravens and $10,000 after the Steelers' Oct. 5 victory over Jacksonville.

He wasn't penalized for unnecessary roughness in either of those games and wasn't for his hit on Rivers.

Still, Ward felt compelled to deliver what amounted to an opening statement for the defense after his latest kill shot.

"I didn't do anything illegal," Ward said. "After I hit him, I just kept running down the sideline. It's no different than somebody getting a sack and putting their hand up and being excited because they hit somebody. If they fine me, I don't now. I didn't get a flag on that one, either. The way things have been going, I might get another fine, I don't know.

"I'm just going to continue playing. I'm not doing anything illegal. It was a clean hit on the guy. I wasn't taunting him. I just got excited and ran down our sideline. If that's a fine, you can fine everybody in this league after they make a great play."

Perhaps the Steelers can arrange some sort of slush fund to cover the cost of Ward doing business.

It was unlikely that Ward would have been deterred from playing his game by the NFL's disapproval of such physicality.

Still, it had to be reassuring to Steelers fans -- and there were thousands first-hand witnesses Sunday afternoon -- to see Ward and his teammates undaunted and still at their relentless best.

The Bengals weren't happy about it.

"Too bad he can't hit someone face up," safety Chinedum Ndukwe said. "It's too bad he has to wait until he's not looking to get him.

"It's unfortunate that's the type of guy he is."

Ward didn't much care about that, either.

"The defense kept saying, 'We're going to hit you,'" Ward said. "Well, I know you guys are going to hit me. I'm not going to wait around until you hit me. I'd be stupid to wait around for one of those guys. I was just playing hard. He had a helmet on. It was a clean hit. I didn't get penalized for it.

"I'm not going to change the way I play this game. The way I play this game, it brings an attitude to our team, it gets us going. I'm not going to change my style of play."

Any questions?

Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.