It’s increasingly looking like the Pittsburgh Steelers have decided not to let Ryan Clark play in Denver Monday night, even if Clark wants to and the doctors have cleared him.
Jason La Canfora of NFL Network says unnamed league sources describe Clark as “highly unlikely” to play because of a rare sickle-cell trait that caused him life-threatening health problems the last time he played in Denver’s high altitude. After that game, Clark needed emergency surgery to remove his spleen. He also had health problems after he played in Denver when he was a member of the Redskins in 2005 and had to miss the following week’s game.
La Canfora writes that Clark wants to play, and that a final decision hasn’t been made, but that the Steelers are widely expected to keep him off the field. Even though doctors have said he can play, the Steelers as an organization apparently view it as just too risky.
As Mike Florio noted in the latest PFTV segment, we can’t help but feel respect for Clark for his willingness to put his own health on the line in order to compete. But we should also have plenty of respect for the Steelers for wanting to play it safe with the health of their starting free safety.
It is better to err on the side of caution. If the Steelers lose because Ryan didn’t play then they lose. The game isn’t worth Ryan’s life.
GO STEELERS!
it’s only one game …. sit him …
It’s only football. Protect the player from himself. Nobody loses anything.
BIG up’s to the STEELERS, they are putting a person’s life before the outcome of a game. I have to respect their STAND!
Let’s not make Ryan Clark out to be the tough guy hero that wants to sacrifice his life for the good of the Steelers. I have seen it all before. Just like boxers who get injured and know they won’t be medically cleared. They know they can’t fight to win with the injury but spout all the way “let me fight” “I can do it” I’ll kill him” knowing the fight will never take place. Sure Clark knew he would be not allowed after last time. Just talk.
Pervy if thats what you think about Clark then you had no idea who Clark is as a person .
Life is bigger than football . In Pittsburgh we are a big family . Thats what makes Steeler football like no other . You wouldnt understand it . But Clark isnt grandstanding . He would go and play and not think twice about it .
As a Ravens fan I can say I’d love to see the Broncos beat the Steelers but for him to play would be extremely stupid…even if his playing still leads to a loss. It just ain’t worth it in the long run!
What will the Steelers do if they have a playoff game in January in Denver with Ryan Clark playing or not ????
@steeltownpride – Listen. I’m not discounting him as a player or his want to contribute. I boxed from 6 to 36. I know what sports is. Don’t tell me I don’t understand competition.Boxing kills people every year. Football doesn’t. Sure he “wishes” he could play. With a wife and daughter,if he truly would play like you say, then I call him f@ckin idiot! It is a GAME! Medically cleared?? Bullshit! Doctors are not God. A dumb one killed my mother. Really,enough with Steeler fans and players are so great that the rest of us don’t understand. Pure crock of shit!!!
steeltown pride says- In Pittsburgh we are a big family.Thats what makes Steeler football like no other.
————————————————–That’s what I’m saying. Would that sense of elitism exist with less rings? Man, that statement borders on the sickening Fightin’ Irish of Notre Dame sense of we the best. AND I AM IRISH!!! I don’t hate you fans or your team. Just don’t blow hard like the Patriots!!
I thought Clark would play. His spleen caused him problems the last time, and that’s not going to be an issue this time (since his spleen has been removed.)
I spoke to a doctor today and he changed my mind. The blood is more likely to sickle after a quick change in temperature or altitude. At first, it affects the spleen, which is a highly vascular organ. After the spleen, the next most vascular organs are the lungs and the brain. You can make it without a spleen. But you really need your lungs and brain.
Thanks Smith, that makes one writer from PFT that respects the Steelers….cough Florio cough
thanks for the medical info mike s
Good! Seriously, it’s life, almost death, and a players future with his family long after their career is over.
Hopefully cooler heads prevail.
PervyHarvin says:
November 4, 2009 9:10 PM
Let’s not make Ryan Clark out to be the tough guy hero that wants to sacrifice his life for the good of the Steelers. I have seen it all before. Just like boxers who get injured and know they won’t be medically cleared. They know they can’t fight to win with the injury but spout all the way “let me fight” “I can do it” I’ll kill him” knowing the fight will never take place. Sure Clark knew he would be not allowed after last time. Just talk.
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What the hell are you talking about? Why are you even chiming in on this?
Yes, the Steelers beat the Vikings a week and a half ago – moving on. Perhaps you should, as well, instead of talking out of your ass because you’re still grumpy and are still trying to be an argumentative child about it. Isn’t there a Green Bay-related article you can go complain in response to?
Hey Michael David Smith – never have a comment not posted with you. Good job bro!!
I’d rather lose the game than lose Ryan Clark.
Its good to see that they wont play. I suffered a concussion 2 years ago that was outside of football and wanted to go out and start. I was in the same position, except it was a concussion so definately not as life threatening as what he went through.
PervyHarvin – I will knock your punkass out, come to Pittsburgh
@ Matt – I post where I want bro. What’s this have to do with the Vikes-Pitt. game? Nothing. That old news. Grumpy??LOL We just beat the Pack fool. Steeler game small compared to that!
@ Cleveland Sucks Rat’s Ass blah -What a dumbazz username! Son, you have a better chance of taking Bid Bens job than knocking me out! LOL You keyboard killers make me laugh!
PervyHarvin
Don’t listen to all of them. They don’t realize that you mistakenly logged onto a football blog to post your rambling boxing rant.
I’m here to help. Log out and then log back on to: proboxing talk.com. Those people will both understand and appreciate your ramblings.
Pervy:
You are nothing more than a disgruntled Vikes fan still upset that the Steelers beat your team. You make statements out of your ass without doing any research. You don’t follow the Steelers closely like us Steeler fans do, so you don’t really know a damn thing about the team or its players, now do you?
If you did know something, you would know that Ryan himself was concerned about playing and stated it publicly, not as you tried to characterize him in your post. In fact, here is what he said on 10/31:
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“But you have to take yourself out of it from that standpoint, realize you do have children, you do have a life and you have a career that you would like to be long, so you want to come out healthy.”
While he said doctors may have cleared him, they still have not done so to his satisfaction.
“That’s understanding the situation enough to know nothing’s going to happen to me,” Clark explained. “I mean, you can hear certain things, they can put papers in front of you and tests in front of you, but until you’re completely comfortable with what you’re hearing, it’s going to be a tough decision.
“And right now I haven’t taken in enough information to make a decision either way.”
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He of course wants to play as any competitor would, but is absolutely concerned about it, and said it in public.
Most of us fans have been vocal on these threads about our support of him and not wanting him to play. And now tt sounds like the Steelers, being one of the classiest organizations in the league, will make the decision to not let him play.
You dope.
“As Mike Florio noted in the latest PFTV segment, we can’t help but feel respect for Clark for his willingness to put his own health on the line in order to compete. But we should also have plenty of respect for the Steelers for wanting to play it safe with the health of their starting free safety.”
____________________________
And yet, Perez Florio, et al have not problem questioning the ethics of the Eagles and Westbrook for, basically, the same thing?
Hypocrites!
Big steelers family? Pittsburgh: the white trash capital of the united states. I’ll give $hitsburgh credit where credit is due. Could one imagine how even more awful that city would be without the steelers? Maybe the pirates will make a run in the playoffs next year. Heard their basketball team is sweet too.
Go cavs…..
-squeelers hater
@Pervy – you boxers are all talk, you won’t last a minute with us MMA fighters, you wouldn’t last more 2 minutes against me
@ Cleveland sucks blah blah – LOL Funny you say that. I teach MMA guys in Minneapolis the standup game. You ever hear of Sean Sherk,Brock Larson, Brett Rogers? Trained with all of them. Know Brock Lesnar too. You talk too much,which tells me you not a real fighter. Didn’t see me threatening anyone. Grow up.You are welcome to our Academy any time. You may learn something.
@ Cleveland sucks blahblah –Can we get back to football now Billy Jack?? Before Laxwe37 starts to look like he’s on to something! lol
Goldhooka….
It’s ironic someone scumball from Cleveland calling Pittsburgh the white trash capital of the US LOL. Wow….Cleveland is the *sshole of the earth….and you know it.
Vox apparently you’ve never visited east Cleveland before. Quite the opposite of white trash. And neither the west nor east side will ever claim Parma. Least our cities’ name isn’t prefaced with ‘pitt’.
Go cavs!!
Go $hittsburgh squeelers!!!
@ Holeinone09- LOL You not getting out clean either! Why would I follow the Steelers? Disgruntled over that shit loss at Pitt? Hope to see your ass in the SB. We will be there. Will you? Glad you know all things about your team. Maybe you should get a front office job!!! Call me dope? LOL Ouch! That stings! I can put my opinion anywhere I please,quit being so damn sensitive. Thought Pitt a tough crowd?
pervy – so when you say trained with all those BUMS you mean you let them use you as there punching bag? Yeah man its easy to “train” with guys that are capable of wiping the mat with your face. You know what those guys probably did? They beat up in practice then banged your wife/girlfriend. Get off the roids man
@ Sewer Rat Punk – Bumbs?? Brock’s UFC HW Champ you tool!! LOL You don’t know what you are saying kid. Very obvious to me that you are not or never were a fighter. I am the “trainer” meaning I show them how to lay out people. I have been around fighters all my life,none talk like you. Get back to the carwash kid,before you really do PISS ME OFF!!!
You guys are really slinging the testosterone in here. Kind of makes me think of that scene in Silence of the Lambs when Jodie Foster walks through the prison. A girl never knows what might come flying at her.
My loyalty is to my Steelers. But this Clark thing is a no-brainer and it’s stupid that we’re still discussing it. I think that’s all Pervy was saying. At any rate I do know he’s one of the few Vikes fans who didn’t whine about their loss to us.
@Holeinone09 … Ryan already has all the info he needs to make a decision. What happened last time is all the info he needs. It’s too dangerous for him to play. I’m hoping the decision was made long ago and all this is just gamesmanship to keep the Broncs from knowing who’s going to be in the secondary.