I’m a proud member of Steeler Nation. The fact I’ve been writing about them for five years across two different blogs speaks to my devotion. Blogging about your favorite team does present an interesting conundrum, however. While I love the [intlink id=”166″ type=”category”]Pittsburgh Steelers[/intlink], there are players on the team I absolutely can’t stand.
Safety [intlink id=”60″ type=”category”]Ryan Clark[/intlink] has quickly reached the top of that list.
For those living outside the Pittsburgh area, you cannot fathom how thoroughly the team dominates this town. One of the reasons I wanted a blog in the first place was the unabashed homerism the local media lavishes upon the team can frequently be nauseating. For those of you who follow sports in general, you’ve probably heard the big controversy in Boston where the local media has eviscerated the team for drinking beer and eating Popeye’s chicken in the clubhouse while in the midst of a historic collapse. I can’t imagine a story of that kind ever being published here in the ‘Burgh. Even when the Steelers where in the midst of a horrific five game losing streak back in 2009, the most stinging criticism you heard from the local media was they were suffering from “a Super Bowl hangover.”
Which brings me back to Ryan Clark. We saw a glimpse of his true colors back in 2009 when he questioned the fans’ loyalty for being angry over the team’s poor play. I wrote a scathing piece on the Site That Shall Not Be Named while the local media basically glossed over his comments. One of the first posts I wrote for this site concerned Clark’s off-season Twitter war with Ray Rice and his profound insensitivity in defending [intlink id=”34″ type=”category”]Hines Ward[/intlink]’s DUI bust to a man who lost a loved one due to a drunk driver.
Now the media is getting a taste of the Ryan Clark Experience. Clark has a weekly talk show on one our local radio stations. You can listen to this week’s episode by clicking here. He hijacks the show by ignoring his co-hosts questions, then goes on a five minute rant calling fans and reporters “retarded” for wondering if headbutting [intlink id=”57″ type=”category”]Troy Polamalu[/intlink] may have exacerbated Troy’s concussion-like symptoms. He then falls back on the tired old jock excuse of “You never played football!” which meathead athletes always pull out when they get caught doing something dumb.
The episode simply highlights the true Ryan Clark. An arrogant self-serving individual who has nothing but contempt for both the fans and media alike. I can’t believe any radio station would give that tool air time but, hey, it’s Pittsburgh. The punter probably pulls more tail than Russell Crowe did when he was in town filming his movie. Still, when I hear about his show or see him pop up on the Four Letter, I’m amazed the media still hasn’t gotten it.
What cracks me up is last year when Clark became a free agent. There was all this hand-wringing over whether they’d bring him back. It’s too bad the Steelers didn’t realize they were essentially bidding against themselves because there was never any question he would come back. Clark needs the Steelers more than the Steelers need Clark. He’s a mediocre player that has the good fortune to play alongside the greatest safety in the football history on one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. Put him on the Tennessee Titans and people wouldn’t even know his name, let alone give him national airtime.
Once again, I call for the media to please please stop feeding the troll. This assclown is fortunate he plays in such a media-friendly environment. Challenging reporters to fights, insulting DUI victims, belittling the mentally handicapped… Clark has a clear history of being a smug self-serving prick so quit enabling his arrogance. Enough is enough.