polamalubeast
08-21-2012, 06:36 AM
Ryan Clark is outspoken, opinionated and, sometimes to a fault, brutally honest.
It’s a combination that tends to rub people the wrong way, and Clark has been fine with that stigma.
But when being forthright starts to affect the way your team is viewed and the perception of the organization, it’s time for a change.
Following a year in which Clark routinely denounced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (referring to him as Roger in an admitted sign of disrespect) and was seemingly involved in a daily war-of-words with somebody, the veteran Steelers’ safety is going quiet — all for the greater good of the team.
“Some of the attention that you draw when the statements you make are against the people who make the rules, I think it makes it harder on your team,” Clark said. “When it starts to affect the way your team is viewed, when it starts affecting the perception of your organization, you have to look at it and understand the greater good.”
The Steelers have been at the forefront of a number of hot-button topics over the past two years, from illegal hits to fines to suspensions.
They’ve spoken out about their dissatisfaction with Goodell and more than a dozen fines levied against them last year for nearly $200,000, including Clark’s record-setting $40,000 fine in November.
The Steelers were the only team that didn’t vote in favor of the new collective bargaining agreement last August, citing Goodell would have too much power when it came to disciplinary actions.
read more
http://triblive.com/sports/2420896-85/clark-steelers-team-organization-safety-commissioner-goodell-outspoken-nfl-perception
It’s a combination that tends to rub people the wrong way, and Clark has been fine with that stigma.
But when being forthright starts to affect the way your team is viewed and the perception of the organization, it’s time for a change.
Following a year in which Clark routinely denounced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (referring to him as Roger in an admitted sign of disrespect) and was seemingly involved in a daily war-of-words with somebody, the veteran Steelers’ safety is going quiet — all for the greater good of the team.
“Some of the attention that you draw when the statements you make are against the people who make the rules, I think it makes it harder on your team,” Clark said. “When it starts to affect the way your team is viewed, when it starts affecting the perception of your organization, you have to look at it and understand the greater good.”
The Steelers have been at the forefront of a number of hot-button topics over the past two years, from illegal hits to fines to suspensions.
They’ve spoken out about their dissatisfaction with Goodell and more than a dozen fines levied against them last year for nearly $200,000, including Clark’s record-setting $40,000 fine in November.
The Steelers were the only team that didn’t vote in favor of the new collective bargaining agreement last August, citing Goodell would have too much power when it came to disciplinary actions.
read more
http://triblive.com/sports/2420896-85/clark-steelers-team-organization-safety-commissioner-goodell-outspoken-nfl-perception