Steelers' WR Ward discusses guarding against Super Bowl 'hangover'

[Stlrs4Life]

Steelers' WR Ward discusses guarding against Super Bowl 'hangover'
July 18, 2:34 AM
Daniel Flickinger
Pittsburgh Steelers Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-14024-Pitt...-bowl-hangover

After starting off the 2006 season with a 28-17 thrilling victory over the Miami Dolphins, the Super Bowl XL defending champion Steelers thought they were well on their way to another title.

That didn’t come for two years.

The Steelers went on to lose six of their next seven games and finish the 2006-2007 season with an 8-8 record to become the first team to miss the playoffs after winning a championship since the 2002 Buccaneers.

Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward believes his team will be much better prepared for it this time around, after winning Super Bowl XLIII in February.

“I think a lot of those guys we have on our team, we had on our team that won super bowl 40 and we experienced that kind of hangover that following year”, Ward said during an interview on Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio.

“Coach (Mike) Tomlin put in the mindset of us not trying to repeat, just going out and doing the little things. What happened last year is what happened last year, it’s always a new year”.

“Luckily for us, we got our main nucleus of guys still in tact.”

Ward is right about that.

20 of the 22 starters on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball return this year. Invaluable to a super bowl team in an era which sees many players leave because of the salary cap.

“For me, I’ll put the (super bowl) ring up and not wear it around”, Ward said.

“It’s a great honor, but after the espy’s and all that stuff is over with, I think its time to get back and everybody’s starting from square one.”

If the Steelers do suffer the dreaded super bowl 'hangover', the majority of the responsibility will fall on third-year coach Mike Tomlin. Ward said he expects Tomlin to be calm and cool like always, and if you don’t follow his lead you could end up on the… news?

“He does what he calls the Tomlin news. It’s not the local news paper, it’s the news within”, Ward said.

“He likes to handle his business within house. If a player is late, he’s going to put him on the board and let him know he’s late, if you mess up, jump off sides you will be on the Tomlin news. Not really punishment but more be held accountable for your actions and it’s right there in front of the whole team that you’re letting them down.”

[Iron City South]

Tomlin has the coaching skills that Cowher wished he had . . .

Cowher totally checked out on us the year following SBXL. I knew it early too ... you could see it, you could sense it. All those years Cowher came so close, when he finally won the big one ..... he had no plan for not only getting down off the mountain, but no hunger or desire for climbing it again.

Tomlin has the right mindset.

[Captcoolhand]

Tomlin has the coaching skills that Cowher wished he had . . .

Cowher totally checked out on us the year following SBXL. I knew it early too ... you could see it, you could sense it. All those years Cowher came so close, when he finally won the big one ..... he had no plan for not only getting down off the mountain, but no hunger or desire for climbing it again.

Tomlin has the right mindset.

you have to remember that it wasn't until Cowher dicided to finally play to win and not lose that he won. To bad it took him so long to figure that out.

Cowher was a good coach and he did well for this team for the most part so I never down the guy for what he did. The guy is still young and there's any number of teams that would welcome him in if he ever decides to come back.

Tomlin came here with good intent and alot of great players that was already exstablished. he's made mistake but the team rebounded from them. Hopfully we can continue to keep this dynasty going.

Just a thought: How well would have Tomlin been able to turn a team around like say the Browns or Bengals, KC or the Jets.

[Silverback 92]

Big Bens face plant/accident didnt start us out to good either. JB retires. Got to admit several players seemed like they were just going through the motions

[Sir Blitzelot]

I'm really interested in seeing how this team is going to come out and play this season, and whether or not they will have that same intensity that they seemed to possess last season. Sure, everyone on the team is saying the right things, but talk and on field execution are two completely different things.

[Iron City South]

you have to remember that it wasn't until Cowher dicided to finally play to win and not lose that he won. To bad it took him so long to figure that out.

That's the funny thing about it ... Cowher didn't figure it out. Its been widely published that Ben Roeth had a sit down chat with Cowher just before the playoff run convincing Cowher to air it out and play to win, and not to play not to lose.

It was Ben that changed Cowher's mindset and game strategy, not Cowher.

[HUNT4SEVEN]

Tomlin has the coaching skills that Cowher wished he had . . .

Cowher totally checked out on us the year following SBXL. I knew it early too ... you could see it, you could sense it. All those years Cowher came so close, when he finally won the big one ..... he had no plan for not only getting down off the mountain, but no hunger or desire for climbing it again.

Tomlin has the right mindset.

i agree ICS Tomlin is just more polished than Coward will ever be..an i believe Tomlin will win more superbowls than Coward did when it's all said an done!i'm just ready for the season to begin already

[yinzer]

I'm really interested in seeing how this team is going to come out and play this season, and whether or not they will have that same intensity that they seemed to possess last season. Sure, everyone on the team is saying the right things, but talk and on field execution are two completely different things.

same here. i think tomlin will have them ready to go.

[86WARD]

Tomlin has the coaching skills that Cowher wished he had . . .

Cowher totally checked out on us the year following SBXL. I knew it early too ... you could see it, you could sense it. All those years Cowher came so close, when he finally won the big one ..... he had no plan for not only getting down off the mountain, but no hunger or desire for climbing it again.

Tomlin has the right mindset.

I agree 100%...you could totally see it in him too. He didn't have that "Hungry Cowher" look to him that last season.

[DanRooney]

That's the funny thing about it ... Cowher didn't figure it out. Its been widely published that Ben Roeth had a sit down chat with Cowher just before the playoff run convincing Cowher to air it out and play to win, and not to play not to lose.

It was Ben that changed Cowher's mindset and game strategy, not Cowher.

Unfortunately, it was also Ben's idiotic decision to play a handful of games after week 1 of the 2006 season when he clearly was not healthy that costed us a chance to go to the playoffs