No. 7 looms as No. 1 in toughness

[polamalubeast]

No. 7 looms as No. 1 in toughness
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
By Ron Cook , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The news out of Houston is not good. Quarterback Matt Schaub has a fractured right foot and will miss the rest of the season. The Texans, who would be the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs if they started today, are left with Matt Leinart -- a first-round draft bust in 2006 -- to guide their team down the stretch.

The news out of Kansas City is not good. Quarterback Matt Cassel could miss the rest of the season with a "significant" right hand injury. The Chiefs, very much alive in the AFC West Division race despite a 4-5 record, must turn to Tyler Palko, who has played sparingly in just four NFL games and thrown 13 passes since leaving Pitt after the '06 season.

The news out of Pittsburgh is not good. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a broken right thumb and is expected to miss ...

Not one game.

Not one play.

Amazing.

Even Roethlisberger's harshest critics have to admit he is as tough as any NFL player. If you want to call him the toughest, you'll get no argument here. It's hard to say with any certainty that he would keep playing with Schaub's injury or Cassel's. But would you bet against him?

"You know me, if I can be out there, I'll be out there," Roethlisberger often has said. "I'm always going to fight for my guys right up to the time they carry me off on a stretcher."

That happened once. It's surprising it hasn't happened a bunch of times, considering Roethlisberger has been sacked 336 times -- including postseason games -- and hit countless other times in his 7 1/2-year career. In the final regular-season game in '08 against Cleveland, he was carted off with a concussion. You might remember him giving the thumb's up signal with his left arm to the Heinz Field crowd. He played two weeks later in the first playoff game and ended up leading the Steelers to the Super Bowl XLIII title, winning the game in the final seconds with a pretty sweet pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes at the end of a pretty sweet drive.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11320...#ixzz1dtjOL1nQ

[zulater]

Even Roethlisberger's harshest critics have to admit he is as tough as any NFL player. If you want to call him the toughest, you'll get no argument here. It's hard to say with any certainty that he would keep playing with Schaub's injury or Cassel's. But would you bet against him?

I wish that were true Ron Cook, but it's not. Many just make this out to be "another embellished injury" by Big Ben.

[salamander]

Ben's such a drama queen.

[siss]

For all those who call Ben a drama Queen I think we should try an experiment.

First, Im going to break your thumb on your throwing hand. Stomp on your foot, break your nose, run you over with a car...than give you a football and some tackling dummies standing in front of you and see what happens!

Oh yea and the opponent is the Ravens defense...

Good luck!

[ALLD]

I used to watch Bradshaw get carried off the field on a stretcher only to come back and throw a bomb to win the game.

[86WARD]

Drama Queen comes from him announcing his own injuries in the press...

[siss]

Drama Queen comes from him announcing his own injuries in the press...

He's answering a question. If he didn't answer a question from the press than he would be seen as difficult and the press would hammer him.

[fansince'76]

He's answering a question. If he didn't answer a question from the press than he would be seen as difficult and the press would hammer him.

Yep. And Sir Douchebag would then more than likely fine him for "not cooperating with the media."

[BnG_Hevn]

The drama queen rap has come from "injuries self-announced" in the past. It think since he was given that label that he has calmed down quite a bit.

Also, give me X millions of dollars, the skill / experience to play as an NFL QB, and you can give me as many injuries as you want. If I'm breathing, I'm playing.

I've said to my friends before and I'll say it here. Ben IS a drama queen (albeit not as much nowawdays) but I'd STILL take him over any other QB in the league. It's one of those "take the good with the bad" type deals. You can count on one hand the number of QBs in the history of the game that could have orchestrated that final drive in the SB to be the Cardinals.

For that Ben can be as dramatic as he likes, as long as he performs on the field.

[tube517]

For all those who call Ben a drama Queen I think we should try an experiment.

First, Im going to break your thumb on your throwing hand. Stomp on your foot, break your nose, run you over with a car...than give you a football and some tackling dummies standing in front of you and see what happens!

Oh yea and the opponent is the Ravens defense...

Good luck!

Usually, if you see a after my posts, I am being sarcastic. I joke about it because that is the "rap" he got from the Cowher days. He ain't no drama queen. He's the toughest SOB in the QB position.

[salamander]

I was joking as well about the drama queen thing... hence the " "

[XxKnightxX]

As Herm Edwards said. Ben is like that Toy you buy your kid and it doesnt break. Hes a Tonka Truck. All the other toys get damaged except for that one. Honestly we should nickname Ben that lol.

[fansince'76]

As Herm Edwards said. Ben is like that Toy you buy your kid and it doesnt break. Hes a Tonka Truck. All the other toys get damaged except for that one. Honestly we should nickname Ben that lol.

Probably before your time, Knight, but I liken him more to "Stretch Armstrong":

[XxKnightxX]

Yeah definitely before my time, but I kinda want one now hahaha.

[86WARD]

Stretch Armstrong would dry rot and break. Tonka would just dent and keep going.

[The Duke]

Probably before your time, Knight, but I liken him more to "Stretch Armstrong":

lol, I still have an old stretch armstrong lying around somewhere. Know it's missing an arm too

[Burghman]

Not so sure Bens injury is as serious as the other two.