ghz in pittsburgh
08-23-2005, 02:15 PM
Over this lull to friday night, I thought I report the new twist in the Hines Ward drama in the 'burgh.
Just before the Steelers' first pre-season game, Cowher gave him a bone, talked him over 2 hrs on the phone making him feel like a Messiah for the pitiful Steelers. That seemed to be the right step for the football-starved Ward and he reported back to camp - without the contract he was looking for. Both sides started negotiation again and everyone assumed a contract would come very soon.
Remember Ward wanted guaranteed money somewhere between 18 - 21 million the first 3 years whereas the Steelers offered 11 million signing bonus and minimum salary for the next 3 years.
Since then, it is a daily routine that someone asked Ward where he was at contract wise. We got the answer from him that it's very close.
Until yesterday!
The Steelers called a news conference 6:30pm anouncing the signing of NT Hampton for 5 years (about $7 million signing bonus). Ward got the news after he spent extra 15 minutes with Roethlisberger in pitch and catch as he has done every day in camp for catching up. You gotta hear Ward's "congratulations" sound bite they played on the radio, over and over again today.
It appears that Ward has lost all his leverage now as someone in the Steelers said Ward's remark of his contract negotiation being "very close" is news to them.
It's a fairly blunt message from the Rooney's to Ward as everyone from the club president down attended Hampton's news conference: it's good enough for Casey, why can't it be good enough for you?
Just before the Steelers' first pre-season game, Cowher gave him a bone, talked him over 2 hrs on the phone making him feel like a Messiah for the pitiful Steelers. That seemed to be the right step for the football-starved Ward and he reported back to camp - without the contract he was looking for. Both sides started negotiation again and everyone assumed a contract would come very soon.
Remember Ward wanted guaranteed money somewhere between 18 - 21 million the first 3 years whereas the Steelers offered 11 million signing bonus and minimum salary for the next 3 years.
Since then, it is a daily routine that someone asked Ward where he was at contract wise. We got the answer from him that it's very close.
Until yesterday!
The Steelers called a news conference 6:30pm anouncing the signing of NT Hampton for 5 years (about $7 million signing bonus). Ward got the news after he spent extra 15 minutes with Roethlisberger in pitch and catch as he has done every day in camp for catching up. You gotta hear Ward's "congratulations" sound bite they played on the radio, over and over again today.
It appears that Ward has lost all his leverage now as someone in the Steelers said Ward's remark of his contract negotiation being "very close" is news to them.
It's a fairly blunt message from the Rooney's to Ward as everyone from the club president down attended Hampton's news conference: it's good enough for Casey, why can't it be good enough for you?