Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward was arrested and charged with drunken driving early Saturday morning in Georgia. Ward was released on $1,300 bond.
Here are some thoughts on Ward's arrest:
Here are some thoughts on Ward's arrest:
- This was a surprisingly irresponsible move by Ward, who is 35 and has been a consummate professional with the Steelers. Ward is entering his 14th season and has stayed out of trouble during his career. Ward recently gained a lot of popularity for his success winning "Dancing With The Stars." Now, his name is in the news for the wrong reasons.
- It's too early to speculate whether the NFL will come down on Ward. The league is in the middle of a lockout and may look into Ward's case once it reaches a new collective bargaining agreement. Ward does not have prior off-the-field incidents, which helps his case.
- For the third year in a row, the Steelers fail to make it through the offseason without an off-the-filed incident involving a star player. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault two years in a row in 2009 and 2010. This year Ward is being charged for driving under the influence. Ward's situation does not compare to Roethlisberger's, but it still puts a bad light on the Steelers and their team captain.
