To the surprise of many football watchers and the receiver himself, the Steelers benched Hines Ward last week.
In thinking about that, I couldn’t agree more with Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette who wrote that, “this someday Hall of Fame candidate deserved one thing — more respect through a simple, quiet meeting with one of his coaches to tell him that his role had changed.
“This isn’t some fly-by-night player here. This is the most decorated and productive receiver in Steelers history, a Super Bowl MVP and often the face and spokesman for the team.”
Much to Ward’s credit, he took the high road and told reporters that he is “owed nothing” by the coaches. While the legal obligations might not require a pre-decision chat with Hines, it certainly would be the civil, and even moral thing to do, before “announcing” the decision to the world.
