Hines Ward

Ward and his partner Kym Johnson sambaed their way to the title, as the Steelers receiver became the second football player to win DWTS (Emmitt Smith was the first, during Season 3).  They endured some rather painful moments throughout their journey to the finals, but in the end it was worth it, we think.

As for the next season of “Dancing With The Stars,” I’m putting my money on Mike Tyson.

Here is a look at Ward and Johnson’s final dance, followed by the announcement of the winners.

While getting prepared for their upcoming dances prior to this week’s episode, Ward was attempting to perform a through-the-legs move with Kym when he accidentally dropped her on her head before landing on top of her.  The accident left Kym in pain on the floor.  Medics and the fire department eventually arrived on the scene and took Kym away on a stretcher.  She was released from the hospital with a neck brace that same day, and was somehow able to recover in time for her performance on Monday.

All that hard work did pay off for the couple, however, as they earned perfect scores of 30 for two of their dances.

Here is a look at Kym’s devastating fall, which looks even more painful than one of Hines Ward’s patented blocks.

Ward has never been one to twinkle his toes in the end zone following a touchdown, but with and NFL lockout looming, the Steelers’ wide receiver has decided to trade in his cleats for some dancing shoes, and if I may say, he appeared to be quite comfortable in them last night during his debut.

Performing the Cha-Cha-Cha with partner Kym Johnson, Ward cha-cha-cha’d his way to an opening round score of 21 out of 30.  The judges seemed to be impressed with his bright smile and gyrating hips, and while there is still room for improvement, I’m quite certain the hard-working Ward will not mind putting in some extra practice time with the lovely Kym.

You can check out their performance below.

Hat Tip – [The Big Lead]

Well, we’ve discussed what the Pack has going on. Now let’s talk about the Steelers. Is Ben an edge over Aaron? Late in the game, if things are close, probably. But the night and day discrepancy is defense. Yes, Green Bay has a hell of a defensive squad, but no team in the league plays with the brute force of the Steelers when they don’t have the ball. Green Bay is hardly a flashy team, but compared with the blue-collar ethos of Pittsburgh, they look like a Vegas cabaret. If Pittsburgh can play their game and set the tempo, they should never let Green Bay in the door.

9. Lamarr Woodley
The guy has ten sacks in his first six playoff games. With an already-stellar Steeler defense, this guy could be the tipping point that creates confusion and bedlam among the Pack’s offensive line. He took down Kurt Warner twice in his first Super Bowl appearance, so this guy knows how to step it up for the big games.
 
 
8. Ben Is a Leader
When you take the field, Roethlisberger is exactly the type of QB you want leading your team. When things get close, he gets better. He rarely gets rattled and makes bad decisions. More often than not, he’ll win you the game. His numbers aren’t gaudy, but the fact that he led his team to the Super Bowl after some, um, unpleasantness, should be a sign that this guy is focused like a laser beam with a boatload of talent. His duel with Rodgers should meet the high expectations that have been set.

7. Pack Is Hurting At OLB
Yeah, they’ve got Matthews, but unfortunately, Matthews can’t play all 11 defensive positions, so they’ve gotta turn to some other players. The Pack is doing well in depth, except at OLB, both Zombo and Walden are coming off of injuries. Zombo’s cost him 6 weeks on the DL, while Walden’s was just last week. While the Pack’s strong defense may be able to compensate for the weakness there, it’s not something McCarthy wants to consider walking into the Super Bowl.

6. Tomlin. Tomlin. Tomlin.
Mike Tomlin could very well be the Tiger Woods of NFL coaching. I don’t mean that in an Ambien-sex way, either. Tomlin has done more with his entrée into the league than any other coach has, scoring two Super Bowl slots in his first four years. I can’t make manager of Subway in four years. Tomlin and Ben have something in common that has led to their success. Neither individual has any desire to “win pretty.” He’s built a team largely devoid of finesse, but full of heart and talent. The anti-Terrell Owens of the league. Historically, they start strong and stay ahead. With all the momentum and spectacle on Sunday, that head start could be the difference.

5. Steelers Can Own the Clock
If you’re going to win ugly, you’ll want to make sure that you control the clock for almost all of the game. And Pittsburgh has shown that they are capable of doing this. Their running game with Rashard is a help, but once again, Ben and his O-line will be the linchpin to this strategy. It doesn’t matter if they move quickly or slowly, so long as the team in black just keeps moving. Inch by inch.
 
 
4. Steelers Passing Game Can Take the Pack’s Secondary
Once again, Ben is a focal point here. Starting to see a pattern? If the O-line can hold, Ben wears his game face, and Hines Ward and the rest of the receiving corps can play the way they have been, they might not be able to neutralize the standout D-backs for Green Bay, but they should be able to work around them. Which is about as good as it’s going to get when you’re dealing with Woodson and Tramon Williams.
 
 
3. Rashard Mendenhall Doesn’t Quit
He’s not putting up the most awe-inspiring numbers, but that’s never what the Steelers ground game has been about. He can run and run and run, not unlike Jerome Bettis over a decade ago. And as long as Mendenhall keeps running, the Pack will have to play off the passing game more than they would like to. There’s no big secret to the balanced attack, but unfortunately, there’s no big secret to stopping Rashard, either. He is going to run, probably get his 100 yards. What are you going to do about it? If you play up, they’ll go deeper, if you play the pass, he’ll pick up 160. Green Bay will need some standout performances from their linebackers to stay competitive.

2. The D
Even if Polamalu isn’t 100%, there’s still great cause for concern if you’re Aaron Rodgers and the Pack. As bruising as Pittsburgh is on offense, they’re many times more punishing on D. They only allow 3 yards per rush, so orchestrating a balanced attack isn’t as easy as splitting passing and rushing 50/50. Rodgers will need to establish a down-field threat early if they want any breathing room on the run. If that doesn’t happen, it could be a long, sore day for the Cheeseheads.

1. Seriously, the D
The Steelers D is healthy in ways that Green Bay’s isn’t. The Steelers version of the 3-4 is much more austere than the Pack’s, and with good reason. They don’t sub out their players, they’re all healthy, and they’re all really, really good at what they do. The Steelers rarely favor the run or the pass, at least they appear not to, so finding out tendencies and exploiting them will have to come more from trial-and-error on the Pack side more than it was ingenious coaching. Does that mean it can’t be done? Of course not. But the Steelers will make it very hard.

One of my favorite bets on Superbowl Sunday is for the MVP. I usually like to bet on the MVP because you can get some really good odds.  This years game has some interesting odds for MVP. Lets take at look at the best bets:

The Favorites:

Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals, (Odds 5-2)

Ben Rothlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers, (Odds 7-4)

Quarterbacks are always the favorites to win this award, as it remains the glamor position of the NFL.  The last two Superbowl MVPs, were both QBs. (Peyton and Eli Manning).

The Best Offensive Bets

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals, (Odds 5-1)

He has been tearing up every defense that he has faced thus far in the playoffs.  The Steelers are a great defense, but can they stop Larry?

Hines Ward, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, (Odds 15-1)

The last non-quarterback to win the award.  The only question around him this year is his stranded MCL.

Anquan Boldin, WR, Arizona Cardinals, (Odds 15-1)

Has had a quiet playoffs thus far.  However, this guy has proved in the past that he can step up and take over games.

Willie Parker,RB, Pittsburgh Steelers, (Odds 7-1)

The man who holds the record for the longest run in Superbowl history could have another big game.  However, the Cards have been shutting down opposing backs in playoffs.

The Best Defensive Bets:

Troy Polamalu, S, Pittsburgh Steelers, (Odds 10-1)

I think Troy is my favorite to win this award.  He is a leader on the defense and has the uncanny ability to change games.  At 10-1 odds if you like the Steelers to win the game, you have to put the cash on this guy. If the Steelers win, he will have a big part in it.

James Harrison, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers, (Odds 30-1)

The reining defensive MVP has had a quiet playoffs thus far, he could be ready for a breakout game.  Be careful because defensive players rarely win the award.  The last defensive player to win the award was Dexter Jackson, who won the award in 2003 playing in Superbowl XXXVII, when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Long Shots:

James Farrior, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers, (Odds 30-1)

Another defensive stud for Pittsburgh who has shown game breaking ability in the past.  At 30 to 1, why not sprinkle a few dollars on this guy.

Adrian Wilson, S, Arizona Cardinals (Odds 50-1)

The leader of the Cardinals defense and the best value bet.  If you smell an upset in Tampa bay, this could be your guy.  Wilson is simply one of best players in the NFL today and the fact that he is a 50 to 1 shot could mean big money for you come Sunday night.  Wilson is my dark horse to win the award if the Cardinals beat the Steelers, he will have a big impact on the game.

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