Fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship: Not So Good for Friendships 4/19/12

    On Saturday night in Atlanta, 2 former friends, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones and former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad “Suga” Evans will step in the ring coming full cycle in their relationship. The former friends and training partners will come to blows in one of the most acrimonious partner splits in the UFC since Ortiz / Liddell. The winner will look almost unstoppable in the Light Heavyweight Division, the loser will have to think long and hard about their future in the UFC.
       Jon Jones is an incredible athlete, probably one of the most gifted in the UFC right now. No fighters have lasted long in fights against him. His wrestling is great, his striking unpredictable and fierce, and his submissions are solid, as we all saw when he put away Lyoto Machida with a standing choke. Evans is a more complete fighter without some of the God given talent that Jones has. He was a very accomplished collegeiate wrestler at Michigan State. He can knock you out with punches, kicks or chokes. A couple times in his last fight with Tito Ortiz I thought he was caught in submissions that somehow he fought out of no worse for wear. Both have more than enough knockout power. But the story with these two is as much more the story of how they got here than the athletes themselves. Both were training partners, both also claimed they would never fight the other to preserve their friendship. When Evans hurt his knee before a title fight with Shogun Rua, Bones jumped in a won the title. This immediately rubbed Evans the wrong way and the bad blood began. This has led to no small amount of name-calling and bad feelings between the two.





     I have very mixed feelings about them both going into this fight. I feel this is two of the most talented two young men to fight in years. And the bad blood only makes for a more intriguing fight. I have always been an Evans fan but everyone knows he can come off cocky. He was told to quit showboating by opposing team captain and UFC legend Matt Hughes during The Ultimate Fighter Season 2. He has rubbed opponents wrong many times in the past. But when he does personal interviews I think you see a very intelligent fella who is well aware of how precarious his situation is. Conflict is always a great lead in for fights, Ali/Frasier, Leonard/Duran, Manny/ Mayweather (If they ever manage to get it off the ground) just to name a few. But I don’t think it is real good for maintaining friendships. I think both have acted childish in the leadup to this fight. How can Evans truly believe they would never going to fight considering they are both in the top 5 of their division. That is like Eli and Peyton not playing in a football game because the Giants and Broncos are playing each other. You are professionals, it is what it is. Evans seems naive on this point. This may be his way of vilifying a friend to make him want to fight. Interviews since then have been cocky on both sides. Jones, despite being extremely talented, seems like he may be getting a little cocky. He still has not been pushed into later rounds, outside of the Rampage Jackson fight, when he spent a lot of his time chasing Rampage, who was looking for that knockout punch. This may be his Brock Lesnar/Frank Mir like wake up call.
       In the fight, Rashad has experience on his side. He has been humbled and I think that has made him hungrier. He also has experience with bigger opponents with longer reach. I was watching the championship fight from TUF Season 2 today where Evans did a great job of adapting against a much bigger Brad Imes, whose 6’7” frame and reach seemed insurmountable. But Evans learned as the fight progressed and won one of the classic TUF matchups. Jones has not been tested going into the later rounds beyond the Rampage Jackson fight where he had to chase more than anything else and I think Evans will frustrate him by taking him there. I also think that Evans has got in his head and Jones is going to get frustrated. I have Rashad taking back his title with a knockout in the final two rounds. But Jones will not be sidelined long. And you should plan on seeing these two, and their feud, around the light heavyweight division for quit a while. Win or lose, this is going to be a good one!

Pat Robertson Preaching the Hate 3/24/12

     As you may have noticed, I have spoke before about how I really don’t get this whole Conservative/hypocrite thing that is rampaging through our country right now.  And leave it to Pat Robertson to emphasize my point.  “Good Ole Boy Pat” has shot off his mouth again.  This time, of all people, about quarterback Peyton Manning.   You know Peyton Manning, the most vile and evil of professional athletes who donated enough money to actually build a children’s hospital in Indianapolis? The guy who just wants to play the game he loves, that has photo opportunities smiling with the owner who is about to cut  him. Yes, Pat this week said he thinks Peyton should get injured this season as retribution for the Broncos getting rid of Tim Tebow.  First of all, Peyton didn’t get rid of Tebow!  The Broncos did.  Put your hate on the right people at least! Secondly, I could see some professional athletes who could certainly incur the wrath of God, but Peyton Manning is the best you can do Pat??  When did Pat join the Wellsboro Baptist Church?  Or has he been there all the time? And don't get me wrong, I like Tim Tebow, but anyone with a clue see the benefit of Peyton over Tebow.  Well, not one lately has accused Pat of having a clue either.

      There is no more worthless human being than one who is anymore of a hypocrite than Pat Robertson.  The same Pat Robertson who predicted Doomsday in 1982 (More than a little off on his dates), said that 9/11 attacks were caused by feminists, homosexuals, lesbians oh, and liberal college professors. (That’s quite a run there Pat).   And then lied about his military service, after his important daddy (a US Senator) got him out of the war zone.  Okay, all you “religious” folks explain to this me.  How can one who, supposedly, walks with God can preach so much hate?  And so many people tune in to him to listen to rant like a drunken sailor? Really makes me question the education level of these people too.  Does being uneducated make you pious? Pat is the very worst that all of us have inside us.  He’s racist, sexist, full of hate, and one hell of a hypocrite!  He is right up there with Rush Limbaugh and Bill Maher, but at least those two admit they are entertainers.  Pat Robertson actually takes himself serious.   And just one of the many reasons for I can’t take Conservatives serious.  Again, I am not against anyone's religion, but when you preach it when it is obvious a lie, then I have problems.  And being uneducated is no excuse.

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”  - 1^st John 4:20

Sean, the Saints and the Snitch! 3/22/12

      When I read online yesterday that the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell had suspended Saint’s Head Coach Sean Payton for the year, my first reaction was “You gotta be kidding me!”, but as I read on it all be came clearer to me and this is how I see it.  Obviously, somewhere there Sean lied to someone in the league.  He had already been warned once and told the league he was cleaning things up, which he definitely didn’t do.  He was also accused of telling people before they went to testify that the organization needed to have their “ducks in a row”.  (A threat maybe?)  But as we look at the situation here I agree the league had to come down hard.  I am surprised they did it harder on Payton than they did for Gregg William’s, but as the head coach, it is your ship.  It goes where you tell it to go.

       Now it will be interesting to see the repercussions from this and how it plays out.  General Manager Mickey Loomis will be suspended for half the season, though he WILL be allowed to handle the draft, training camp and everything leading up to the season.  Payton is gone for the year.  Now Ram’s defensive coordinator William’s is gone “Indefinitely”, which is going to be at least a season, I am thinking maybe 2 or 3 unless he gets down on his knees and begs.  And I have no love loss for William’s.  He showed his ego a few years back with his comment about “Look-Out hits” on Peyton Manning.  Even if you do it, what kind of Einstein goes on a radio show and says you are targeting the other teams quarterback in the Super Bowl.  This gets even more interesting knowing that Drew Bree’s is already involved in contentious contract negotiations.  And the team could very well lose defensive playmaker Jonathon Vilma if they decide, he too, lied to the league. Vilma being the only player named at this point. What quarterback wants to have the franchise tag hanging over their head when they lost their head coach, general manager and defensive leader for at least half a year? 
   Finally, comes the question, how did the league know about these accusations?  I really have mixed feelings here, and it is hard to debate this fact with a non-sports related person.  It just doesn’t make sense to them.  Warren Sapp, former pro-bowler and now league analyst for the NFL Network, stated on his twitter that he has very solid sources telling him that the snitch was in fact, former Saint’s tight end Jeremy Shockey.  Shockey, of course, denies the claims.  Again, I do not argue with any of the punishments, they are all deserved up to this point, but the locker room is hollowed ground for a lot of the people involved.  To me it is no different than sitting with your family confessing to a crime, and then finding out your brother or sister went and told the police. And we aren’t talking murder here, maybe a little grand larceny is a better fit.  You teammates are your brothers, for some people even closer than that.  To know that what you say in a locker room could be open fodder for the media, fans or the league really touches a cord with me.  I have coached in arena football, and just about every team I played with had a “sack pot”, or one for turnovers or special teams plays.  Though I have never heard of one for actually hurting anyone, big hits were certainly encouraged. I think you also see how sore of a subject it is for former players as well.  For Sapp to bring these to light and actually name names, while he is en employee of the NFL, could put his job at risk for revealing whistleblowers, though he says that his information did not come form anyone in the league offices nor would he ask anyone from the league offices.
   This is the kind of punishment that could lead the Saint’s back to the days of the “Ain’ts”.  The league set a precedent with this one and the ripples could be felt for years to come as the League puts their foot down, teams have to re-think the way they do business and the players are left to wonder who can they really trust.

A Second Opinion: The Short Lived Arena Football League Strike

By: Steven G. Folmar

You can check out Dom's initial reaction at: http://www.voicesays.com/

             Now that the smoke has cleared (mostly), I wanted to add a little bit to what Dominic had said about the ill-fated strike that severely affected the Pittsburgh Power’s season.  Having coached in the Arena Football League and the arena football league 2, I had the unique experience of seeing the locker room drama that unfolds when strike talk comes up.
            In 2000, I was in college at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania when I got an internship to work in football operations for the Arena Football League’ Buffalo Destroyers.  I remember being on cloud nine after being accepted, sitting on my bed watching ESPN when across the scroll at the bottom of the screen said “Arena Football League Season Cancelled Due to Strike”.  I was aghast, and I couldn’t wait to Monday morning to call and find out if it was true.  When I called, the coach told me that a lot of it was just bluster and the season would go as planned, so in the summer of 2000 I got an apartment at the foot of the Peace Bridge to Canada in Buffalo.  Throughout the season there were player meetings on the subject, and some became very contentious.  I remember once the new deal was ratified, the league said that almost an entire majority had voted for it, which for me was very surprising, since it sure seemed 50/50 in the Destroyers’ locker room.            During that time, our quarterback, Browning Nagle, was very much for the Union, other players, not so much.  Many felt the union was taking dues and not offering anything in return. 
            I don’t know what it is about quarterbacks that get themselves into these things.  Maybe because they often have to be so vocal of leaders for their teams.  But it was no surprise that quarterback Kyle Rowley was at the center of the debate in Orlando.  Being out of the loop for a bit, I was totally caught off guard by the strike talk on Friday night.  I actually had just gotten home from work 30 or 40 minutes before kickoff and was anxious to see the game on the NFL Network.  It was then I took a quick peek at my Facebook and saw the explosion of comments from many of my friends with Arena Football experience.  I think the guys at the Network did a great job considering they had no rosters and little forewarning.
            In a situation like this, where both sides play the public relations “Spin” game, my opinion is there is more than enough blame to go on both sides.  I really don’t have much respect for people that can’t serve out their contracts.  If you are working in squalor, or a sweat shop, I can understand complaining and threatening with a union or a strike, but not in professional sports.  If you sign your name to a contract, you play it out…period.  Guys complain when they are exceeding expectation, but they see things as being “just the way it goes” when they can’t live up to cushy new contracts (anyone seen Larry Johnson lately).  In business, you don’t finish out you contract, you get your but drug into a courtroom.  In professional sports, teams almost always give in.  I would really like to see some people stand their ground.  Let the guy sit out and save yourself some money.  Not that I am against players making their money.  I am talking about once you sign a contract, you live buy it.  Try going into McDonalds or Wal-Mart and tell them you want employees like you to be making 50.1% or 29% of all income the company makes.  See how long it takes to get thrown out on your butt.  Athletes say the leagues are based on their names.  Any business is built on the hard work of the people who staff it.  That argument doesn’t work either.  Or my favorite, “People come to watch me play”.  And if you aren’t there, people will come anyway. I love Hines Ward, but you know what, Heinz Field is going to be packed this year without him as well.   And these guys who think they can’t be replaced, I will find 10 guys now who would be glad to be out on that field for what you are making.  And if you gave them a few years, they would have recognizable names too.   In the AFL, those guys signed contracts knowing there was a good chance they would have to strike at some point.  If you don’t like the paying rate, you go elsewhere or you do something else.  Rowley, Pittsburgh’s original quarterback, doesn’t seem real apologetic about his role either.  You can see his interview here:

http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=origcol&writer=113&article=3234

            But to be fair, I didn’t think that things were handled real well by the League or the Power either. I would think it would be obvious with everyone at pre-game meal the team was at least going to play that night’s game. To walk in and make statements in that environment really raises class questions.  That sure comes off to be people playing “mine’s bigger!”  And as for the league and President Jerry Kurz, my personal feelings aside, Jerry Kurz is for Jerry Kurz. I don’t know Mr. Shaner, I love that he helped bring Arena Football back to Pittsburgh, and he had reason to be angry. Obviously there was static between he and Rowley. This was an opportunity for the Power organization to really come out smelling like roses, the game may have been played with scabs, but they would have looked like a team that was blindsided by a bunch of money hungry football players.  Instead Shaner really looks like a, well…not so nice guy, forcing the players who stuck with the strike to find their own way home from Orlando.  This should have been people sitting down before the flight home and talking like adults.  But hey, our congress can’t figure that out, probably a lot to ask our professional sports teams to either. But I think Pittsburgh earned their black eye with how this was handled as well.  

            One final question I have is how this will affect the Power moving on in 2012?  With a proven, championship quarterback at the helm in Rowley, head coach Chris Siegfried’s team was poised to be a legitimate contender. Now, Shaner has declared that Rowley will never play in Pittsburgh so Siegfried has to rally the troops around journeyman QB Andrico Hines.  Does Shaner give Siegfried a mulligan if the Power suffers?  Needless to say, should be an interesting season.

Why I Don’t Understand Conservatives, Book 1: Fetuses vs. Foot Soldiers.

             Alright, this is my first attempt at really politicizing this blog.  First, a few things about me.  I am, what I consider a moderate Democrat, which in Northwest Pennsylvania, might as well be a communist.  I don’t consider myself a liberal, but Rick Santorum and Mitt say that any Democrat is a liberal so, it is what it is. As far as moderation goes, I believe in the 2^nd Amendment and the right to bear arms.  But I don’t believe that should be limitless and people should have to have some responsibility to go along with their “rights”. (We’ll pick that up in a later blog.)   I also believe that we should help people when we can.  Something most hillbilly’s term a socialist, like it is a bad thing.  I would be willing to argue that Jesus Christ was the biggest socialist of our time, but Conservatives don’t like that kind of talk.  I do believe we have too many entitlements.  Welfare needs reformed, there are way too many people living high on the hog.  (But we will tackle that in another blog as well.)  But the biggest question that I can’t seem to figure out, is what the heck are conservatives thinking?

            I was going to name this, “Why I don’t Understand Republicans.”    But, for the most part, I think I at least get where a middle of the road Republican is coming from.  Most of them have money and they want to keep their money.  I can understand that.  For many, particularly around here, guns is in the forefront of Republicans.  Some are avid hunters, and some need that safety blanket.  That power that they can’t get any other way. “There coming to get my guns!” I don’t agree with most of that that, but again, I can at least understand it.  But Conservatism in our country, at least what we see and hear, just baffles me. First of all, if someone wants to be a Conservative in their life, I think that is a great thing.  Someone who has a relationship with God and uses that to guide their life.  But that is something that works for you.  So many Conservatives believe that gives them some mystical rights over the rest of us.  The problem is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Conservative is hypocrite.  “Do as I say not as I do”.  A perfect example for me is Newt Gingrich.  “The King of Fling”.  When people get married, they make an oath before God.  Yet, so many Republicans I know are some of the most buck wild, unfaithful people on the planet.  (Not to say that I don’t know some Democrats like that either, but they are usually not trying to tell me how I should live my life and be more like them!)  Now Newt made his covenant with God, yet he can’t honor it and wants an “open relationship”.  But he is the one telling half the nation they should be more like him and follow his conservative lead?  WHAT?!  Is that what being a Conservative means?  You get to pick and choose which of God’s words are important and which ones you can slide on?  I used to crack up when I watched all the old mafia movies when the gangsters used to kiss their rosary before right before they killed people, cut off their ears and stuck it up the dead body’s butt as a message.  But a little confession and it’s all good!  Wow, I need THAT kind of religion.  But I have regressed a little from my main title so let me get back on track.

            Right now, at the center of the primaries is the abortion debate.  First, my opinions.  I am against abortion for the simple fact is we need to teach people that there is not easy outs like that.  I think for some it is a backup plan for some people and that’s not what it would be for.  But, for that to work, several things need to be in place, things most Republicans, and Conservatives in particular are against.  Let’s start with birth control. If there is anyone out there who thinks you are just going to out-law sex and it is gonna stop you are lying to yourself!  And the worst part of that is the people I hear talking about it the most are the ones who really need to take a good, hard look in the mirror before saying dumb things like that.   And Conservatives don’t like the entitlements, so what is the best way to stop these unwanted births?  It’s birth control.  But these people have you thinking that waving a Bible around at people is going to stop pre-marital sex.  How’s that working out for them?

            Secondly, young women who get pregnant need a support system, like family planning.  Something else Republicans want to abolish.  We need an organization to teach parenting skills and prepare young couples to raise a child.  Not shun them away or scream “whore” or “murderer” at them. I know of families today that still shun people who have children out of marriage. It’s like the stone ages with some people.  They call themselves “good Christians” or “Conservatives”  yet instead of helping a young woman, or hopefully, young couple in need they forment anger and hate towards them.  I don’t understand that at all. If there was less of this stupidity and more support abortion would be much less of an issue.

            Finally, it comes back to Conservatives being “Hawks”.  I find it just incredible that the ones that want to tell us life begins at erection, and thus are so eager to save young lives are also the ones so anxious to send others peoples kids off to die in some sand-flea infested country that has been at war for thousands of years.  They have been committing genocide in Africa for pretty much all of my adult life, yet these “Hawks” aren’t campaigning to send us over there.  Why is that?  But I think we all know what the answer to that is.  And now you see so few politician’s children doing any kind of service in the military so there is no reality check for our Government.  Countries like Iraq and Iran spent all most all of their histories fighting each other, and I am okay with that.  A hell of a lot better then sending 6,000 of our young men and women to die over there and give them both a common enemy to hate.  One of the quick arguments that you get here is “Those are adults that made their own decisions.”  Does anybody REALLY decide they want to go into the military to get sent to some desert thousands of miles away??  I was in the Army Reserves and National Guard for 11 years and I don’t think I ever heard that being high on any soldiers list.  Most soldiers I know agreed to defend their country, not get certain people rich.  But that is just one of the MANY things I don’t understand.  SO if you think you have the answer, by all means, clue me in.  For my first effort this has run WAY over!  But it is a start.

Feel free to leave comments, that’s what I started this blog for.  The only rules are keep it clean, no starting fights, no name calling, you have to agree to disagree.

The Andrew McCutchen Signing: Not So Fast My Friend…… 3/6/12

NOTE: This is a a response to my good friend Dom Errico's intital report on the signing.  You can check it out first at: http://www.voicesays.com/

            On Monday Pirate fans received some well needed good news with the re-signing of All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen to a 6-year, $51 Million contract to stay in Pittsburgh.  At least that’s what we all hope. But let’s get past the All-Star break just to be safe.

Here's to six more years of seeing this!

            My good friend Dom and I disagree on what this actually means for the Pirates.  Trust me, as a teen who once became an Expos fan for half a season because I was so disgusted by Cam Bonifay, it is going to take more than just one signing to get me on the Neal Huntingdon bandwagon.  Not that he shouldn’t be given props for this signing, this could be the building of the foundation for a competitive team for years to come, I stress the “could” part.  But then again, it is silly to discount the 2 DECADES where Pirates fans have been disappointed, with just a couple deals over the last 2 years. 

           Where is a Derrick Lee?   Many thought him a key cog and aged leadership the Pirates could use.  Instead the Pirates get…Nate McClouth?   And here again, being a good fan, I used to love Nate, his hair flopping as he was running around the outfield during his first stay. And I really do hope Nate can return to form in the Three Rivers confluence.  But let’s be honest, Nate’s best season is .228 since leaving the Burgh.  My dear friend also pointed out Jose Tabata, and all Pirate fans have high hopes for Jose.  But injuries limited him to just 4 home runs last year against 61 strikeouts.  He will have to hit better than .266 and stay healthy to make those numbers work. I see little there to dispel the “blind haters” anytime soon.
          The talk in Pittsburgh in the offseason was the trade for A.J. Burnett. But I think that begs the question would the Pirates REALLY have picked him up if the Yankee’s weren’t footing the majority of the bill?  And Burnett has been less than dominating, even with one of the most feared line-ups in baseball and the most dominant closer of our time behind him, he still could only manage an 21-26 record over the last two years.  Now he goes from a lineup with pop to one with more of an intermittent sizzle and I believe you have a recipe for failure.  Not to mention a broken eye orbit he got while bunting (the Yankee’s haven’t had to do much of THAT over their history!) will keep him out 8-12 weeks.
          I will be there to support my Buccos in 2012.  And I hope they can mimic their first half success of 2010 without the late season demise.  I am also still hoping that the first jersey (Jason Hanrahan) I have bought since Jason Kendall, I can actually wear for a couple years while he is still there!  But I am far less optimistic that we will be comparing Neal Huntingdon to the movies version of Billy Beane or the real life Theo Epstein anytime soon. On this subject Dom, we’ll have to agree to disagree.

2/29/12 Hines Ward: Love with your heart, but think with your head."

            First of all I want to think Dom Errico for giving me this great opportunity to cross over and hopefully, the first of many opportunities, to share my blogs with the “The Voice Says…”              You can check it out at http://www.voicesays.com.   

Book mark it as well because Dom covers all Pittsburgh area sports.

This is a sad day in Pittsburgh, akin to when the great Casey struck out. Hines Ward has been released by the Pittsburgh Steelers.   The four-time All-Pro, All-Time Steeler Leader in receptions (1000), receiving yards (12,083), and receiving touchdowns (85),  is the victim of an opponent none of us gets to beat forever, time.  His diminished skills over the past season, along with the emergence of a young receiver corps that is quickly proving itself to be among the league’s most talented has left no room at the inn for the hall-of-famer.  Sad, but no one can stay in their prime forever.

I guess what I find sadder is all the negative responses to the Pittsburgh Steeler organization for the way he has been treated.  I think this has been about as good as it can get for both sides.  You look at the Montana’s, the Rice’s, even the Emmitt Smith’s. C’mon folks, have you all forgotten Franco Harris’ stint with the Seahawks already???  Is there a better way that this can go?   No, I don’t think so.  The Steelers are doing everything they can to hold onto Mike Wallace, probably the present and future for the Steelers.  No team can hold on long to the past, something you are going to see proven again soon with Peyton Manning.  It is arguable if Hines is even the 4^th best receiver on the team, a position that usually is kept for a special-teamer as well.  This is a business decision pure and simple.  I see a lot of people complaining about what life will be like without Hines.  But I also no darn well that if they resigned him, the first time the Steelers got behind or had a special teams gaff, the excuse “well, we had to keep Hines in so we are short a guy” isn’t gonna cut it.  Many don’t remember the sad parting with Terry Bradshaw, when he was boo’d off the field in the early 80’s.   This from a guy who had won 4 Super Bowls for the team just a few years before.  It was actually a decade or more before he would even return to Pittsburgh.  Now he is as close to a Saint as you can probably become in Pittsburgh, deservedly so for what he did over his career.

Lastly, there was a lot of opinions concerning what the Steeler organization “let slip”.  I don’t know if I believe that.  In this day and age our media will do ANYTHING to outscoop the next guy.  I believe that some clown thought he was gonna get his name on the tagline about being able to “hear it here first” for something that anyone with a good balance of sentimentality and football sense already knew was inevitable. Don’t expect the truth until it comes from the horses mouth.  And even then, consider the horse.  And let’s be honest, the Steelers have made Hines a very rich man for his services.

This is what I believe happens.  Hines goes on to play two more years with a team as a locker room leader and maybe 3^rd to 4^th wide receiver.  Something he has certainly earned the right to do.  He then signs a one day contract so that he can retire a Steeler, be given the hero’s welcome he deserves, takes an in-house position with the Steeler organization (if he so chooses) or on to television and goes in the Hall of Fame on the 2^nd ballot in a Steelers uniform.  (“2nd ballot you say?!” Yes, there are a lot of people out there that love hating on the Steeler’s success, and Jerome Bettis didn’t get in on the first ballot and at one time he was the 3^rd leading rusher in NFL history!)

            I will keep my memories of Hines Ward as the greatest Steeler receiver of all time, team leader, and Dancing with the Stars Champion (though I must admit I didn’t really watch that much.)  But I also understand it’s a business, and I don’t blame either side, the Steelers for wanting to place Ward’s salary on a little more talent, or Hines for wanting to play a few more years.  Retirement is all too often (unless you are Brett Farve), final.  Thanks for the memories Hines and God Bless your future!