A sad day is upon Steeler Nation, we have to say goodbye to one of the all time greats, wide receiver's in Steeler history. News broke yesterday that fan favorite and great Hines Ward would be released. I can't describe the feeling that I had outside of I could not turn off the waterworks. Yes, I know I am an emotional female , but this really hurt. It felt like I was losing my best friend.
I say that because , Hines came to the Steelers when I was at the young age of 13. Me and Hines go way back in my love for the Steelers. People that know me on FB , think that I am only a Big Ben fan, I am a fan of Ben's, but I also have mad love for Hines. My favorite of all time is Greg Lloyd, when he left , Hines filled that void with that charismatic smile. When Hines came up from a hit and was smiling , you knew it was going to be a good day.
I know all the history pertaining to Steeler greatness, especially , Lynn Swann. But when it comes to Swann, that was before my time, and alot of other fans my age. Just because I am younger than alot of fans, does not mean that I am not as hardcore and die hard of a fan. The receiver I knew as being great was Hines.
Hines released a statement following the announcement that he would be let go:
"This isn't how I wanted this chapter of my career to end. I did everything in my power to remain a Steeler and finish what I started here 14 years ago. I want to thank the organization, my teammates and coaches and everyone who made my run as a Steeler the best years of my life. To Mr. Rooney, thank you for allowing me to play for one of the greatest organizations in the world. To my fans and in particular, Steeler Nation, thank you for your support and all the great memories. I gave my heart and soul for you every down and I will always bleed black and gold. I do feel that I still have more football left in me and I am looking forward to playing in the NFL, again, this upcoming season."
So that is why I want to say ," No , Thank You Hines for the memories". There are alot of great Hines memories , to many to list actually , but there are a few I want to touch on. We all know the type of player Hines was. He played with his heart and soul, and was on of the best blocking receivers in the game. Don't believe me ask Keith Rivers or Ed Reed? Or the leap into the end zone in SB 40 after catching a pass from Antoine Randle El. Or him planting Cortland Finnegan for being a punk and showing him , that you don't mess with me. So many on the field memories. Gonna miss them.
In 2011, when the Steelers suffered a disappointing loss, in the Super Bowl. Hines gave Steeler Nation another reason to cheer , and showed another side of him. We all watched Dancing with The Stars and used all our allotted votes to secure Hines bringing home another trophy to the Steel City. He also showed that he was a darn good dancer.
Hines is also known for his charity work and contributions to the great city of Pittsburgh. He will forever be an icon in the city no matter where his path takes him now. I, for one will miss him terribly, because for over half of my life , he has been the main part of the Steelers. He has been the face of the Steelers and that smile is what made Hines who he is. He never lost that smile, even when he didn't see as much playing time last year.
In whole a friend of mine said it best and I share the same sentiment and am going to share it.
"For all that Black and Gold Blood that flows thru my veins, and the Steel that dwells in my heart, everything that for so so many years of life as a Die Hard Steelers Fan that has made me Steelers tough, today, finally, something has broke my spirit, this has such an impact, I cannot even compare this to the loss of a SuperBowl, a Playoff, nothing with the exception of the death of someone dear, and the only thing I can compare this to is, The Day, the Music Died.............HINES WARD, THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR DEDICATION, ALL THE GREAT YEARS OF BEING A PITTSBURGH STEELER, AND THAT MY FRIEND, IS SOMETHING NO ONE, CAN EVER TAKE AWAY FROM YOU!!! YOU WILL BE SADLY MISSED BY ALL OF US!!! HATS OFF TO THE GREATEST WIDE RECEIVER..........EVER!!!!!"
Thank you Michele Ogrzewalski, for that, I said it is how I felt about it as well.
So I will end this in saying , I refuse to say goodbye to Hines, I want to say Thank you for the memories, and I will see you again in Canton.
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