Knowing the right choice would be hard to make for Steeler's safety Ryan Clark, his Head Coach made it for him. During his press conference earlier today, Mike Tomlin stated he had decided to not allow Clark to play Sunday due to a sickle-cell trait, when combined with the high altitude, nearly killed Clark after a game in Denver a few seasons ago.
"I met with him and informed him I am not going to allow him to play in the game," Tomlin said. "It was an easy decision for us. When looking at all of our data we came to the determination he is at more risk so we are not going to play him. It's that simple."
Today's decision is hardly a surprise, seeing Clark hasn't traveled with the Steelers that last two times the teams played in Denver - 2009 and 2010. The last time Clark played in Denver, 2007, he became violently ill - his condition becoming so severe he lost his gall bladder and spleen.
Clark shared his appreciation on Twitter this afternoon: "Well I guess we all know now. I will not be playing. Glad that it's out now. So no more questions to ask. Thanks for your concern!"
The Broncos face the Steelers Sunday afternoon.
0 recs | 70 comments
From every Ravens fan in the world to the amazing fanatics at Mile High......
Good Luck!!! Go Tebow em!!!!
BALT21 - January 3, 2012
We'll beat them for you, as long as you promise not to play us too hard next year..
Teboner - January 3, 2012
Baltimore Beatdown
those guys are my boys, they are awesome! We surely will beat the Squealers!
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
Great respect for Mile High
the blog and the stadium, I love the air in Colorado.
BALT21 - January 4, 2012
smart move for pittsburg—not worth the risk. won’t help us much since our offense rarely encounters the safety position…
oxmouth - January 3, 2012
hey-o
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
I say we allow the game to be played at a neutral site, not at high altitude.. in the interest of fairness..
Teboner - January 3, 2012
mile high will be a neutral site
after its invaded by hordes of black and yellow fans
Calikula - January 3, 2012
This is true - i was at the 05 AFC championship game and '07 game.
The stadium is essentially 60% broncos fans 40% steelers fans
Bustafluff - January 3, 2012
But, what can you do...
If I had to live in Pittsburgh, I’d take every opportunity to get the hell out of there as much as I could as well!
Bustafluff - January 3, 2012
HA HA HA
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
It pisses me off for all sports.
Seeing Red Wings fans at an Avs game
Seeing hoards of Giants fans at the Rockies game I attended in September
Seeing Lakers fans at a Nuggets game
GTFO my stadium unless you are rooting for the Colorado based team.
Thnikkaman - January 3, 2012
so
I will not go to a Nuggies game at Pepsi Center in a Mavs shirt, you have my word, GO BRONCOS!!!
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
Feel free to wear your Mavs shirt in Pepsi center.
I plan on wearing Avs gear in Minnesota and Rockies gear in Chicago, Milwaukee, and any other venu I can get my butt to.
Thnikkaman - January 3, 2012
well
I’m always a respectful man and fan, unless we’re playing a rival, the Raiders and Spurs are both silver and black and guess what, they’re both scum!
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
Totally agree
Freaking Hate Duncan, biggest cry baby in the NBA
Only spurs I’ve liked are Michael Finley and Sean Elliott.
trumanj - January 4, 2012
just remember
Michael Finley was a Maverick once before he joined the devil
the new Bradfather - January 4, 2012
Or hordes of Rd Sox fans at the World Series
Calikula - January 3, 2012
who don't know anything about the team!
Red Sox Nation was pretty much created by ESPN, I’m an O’s fan, so you know I’m loyal!
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
pretty much this
MrFNSunshine - January 3, 2012
I don't like that our home field
gets taken over by Steeler fans, but as a Bronco fan that is not from Denver, please be nice. Some of us have to see our Broncos play in opponents stadiums and hope to be treated appropriately so I ask that you do the same. Besides Bronco fans MUST be selling their tickets to Steeler fans so who’s causing the problem?
Digger24 - January 3, 2012
Yeah, that part is terrible also
I wont be there, so I wont jinx us ;)
Calikula - January 3, 2012
hmmm that doesn't make much sense
Bustafluff - January 3, 2012
lol I was kidding.
I will take any help we can get in this game.
Teboner - January 3, 2012
I would be a bit concerned
Our secondary is very depleted. The Steelers just signed Anthony Madison for the game on Sunday. If you are signing players during the playoffs that usually means that your team is basically on life support.
But there is no second thought about that decision. A person’s life means lot more than football games.
Good Luck Broncos fans! I am sure it will be a hard fought game with the winner winning by a margin of 3 points.
Han - January 3, 2012
Yeah, but we had to pick up another Offensive Lineman
I would much rather be signing safeties than lineman during the playoffs.
And WTG Tomlin and who ever else in the Steelers organization made this call! Sorry we have to beat you in the playoffs.
Arimaris - January 3, 2012
I really don’t think so. Anthony Madison was signed as a ST gunner. We lost Brown to IR and Cortez Allen is doubtful for this weekend. Madison is NOT going to get any time at DB.
John Stephens - January 3, 2012
There's a few Steelers, former and present, that I cannot stand
But Ryan Clark is one for which I have a ton of respect. Glad to see their staff made the easy, and the right call. They will miss him.
boanst - January 3, 2012
Ryan Clark and Mike Tomlin
are the only Squealers I respect, rape, pro-Taliban and DUI, that’s what the Steelers are all about, even though Mendenall won’t play so I guess just rape and DUI pretty much
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
Well we have our own DJ and Prater racking up DUIs, so we really cant talk much
Calikula - January 3, 2012
Dont forget our resident stalker...
Teboner - January 3, 2012
wonder what he's listening to?
Probably “every breath you take” by the Police
Calikula - January 3, 2012
good call!
i heard sting talking about that song once and how he thought it was weird that everyone got all sappy about it when, he said,“it’s actually pretty creepy.”
oh, and i think mcbean was found not guilty, so y’know, maybe he’s just listening to the matrix 3 soundtrack or something.
oxmouth - January 3, 2012
Yeah I never got the sappy feeling from it
the 1st time I heard it I was like: “wtf is wrong with this stalker motherf@@ker?” Its my theme song for when I stalk people at night, you know, just to mix things up. I wonder if Harris got my sombrero I left on the porch?
Calikula - January 3, 2012
yep. creepy, folks. not sappy. there’s a difference. … or there should be.
everyone loves a good porch sombrero. no complaints there.
oxmouth - January 3, 2012
songs going back to the 40’s have proven one thing. You can say absolutely anything you want as long as you A) Make the music fit a certain mood and/or B) Give it a chorus that has words that can be interpreted a certain way that will give it “mass appeal”
A recent example of a song that does this is “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon. The song has absolutely nothing to do with what 99% of the people that use it as their wedding song thinks it does.
FrankWyt - January 3, 2012
i don’t know about the kings of leon wedding song but it always bugs me when they play “sunrise sunset” from fiddler on the roof. it’s mostly just about getting old and dying. happy wedding!
oxmouth - January 3, 2012
not so sure it’s a wedding song actually. But I have seen/heard so many stories about love lost or some such nonsense when talking about that song. I mean..the most “loving” part of it is the bit about being in a dark alley with soft lips…head while he’s driving…
FrankWyt - January 3, 2012
Also…Sting/Sumner has used this to his advantage MANY times…
FrankWyt - January 3, 2012
there it is...
he just picked it up. he’s looking around to see who left it… going inside his house…
oxmouth - January 3, 2012
Sweet!
Wonder if he knows its me. Think its too soon to start flashing?
Calikula - January 3, 2012
hold on. i throw some rocks at his bedroom window and ask…
oxmouth - January 3, 2012
Thanks ox
Calikula - January 4, 2012
and Matrix 3 soundtrack for sure
It looks like he’s kung fu’ing Agent Elrond in his head
Calikula - January 3, 2012
Yikes, we also had a rapist
Calikula - January 3, 2012
no, not really #hypocrisy
but if you poll NFL fans, you’ll find they respect us a lot more than the Squealers, a lot of that has to do with Big Ben
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
I'll concede that point to you
Calikula - January 3, 2012
You don’t see what the reason for that is? I’ll tell you, it’s the same reason multiple people are accused of the same thing, yet one gets year long attention, and the other gets a back page story that disappears after a day. It’s the same reason one player can get suspended for something that 4 other players were not suspended for, despite the fact that they had the same number of infractions.
FrankWyt - January 3, 2012
Clearly the steelers are scared
scared to lose to the crappy broncos, scared that their safety will die. Boo Hoo. I wish I could sit out almost 6% of my work days “so I won’t die”. God what a sissy. JK BTW
GO BRONCOS!
Mike Agnew - January 3, 2012
Classy comment
Calikula - January 3, 2012
Dude he through in a JAYKAY
Teboner - January 3, 2012
I guess that makes it all better
“haha you have a life threatening condition!!! Sissy!!!” JK LOL TTYL!!!
Calikula - January 3, 2012
i laughed
Bustafluff - January 3, 2012
thank you
This was a joke. Don’t try to get me to feel bad about a millionaire’s health issues.
Mike Agnew - January 3, 2012
Not that funny
And your last line just proves that you’re scum
steakman - January 3, 2012
This guy laughed, so I guess it was pretty funny
/\
I
Seriously, is this story even news anymore? He hasn’t played here since 2007.
Anyway, sorry for the joke and I will try to be totally serious from now on. Good work fun killing A-hole.
Mike Agnew - January 4, 2012
I've got nothing against jokes
But making fun of a life-threatening medical condition is almost never acceptable. Also, whether or not Clark’s a millionaire is irrelevant; he’s a fellow human being and you’ve no right to make comments like that about him just because he’s paid well to play football. I mean, you’re concerned about Von’s thumb and Dawk’s neck, right? They’re millionaires too…
steakman - January 4, 2012
Football is only a game
I hope Ryan Clark doesn’t die at the 40-yard line someday
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
Gotta admire how this was handled.
I feel terrible for Clark on this one, but at least the decision wasn’t forced on him. We’ve seen the kind of stuff athletes are pressured into enduring so that they can play, and it’s nice to see the coach step in and take away any pressure or guilt Clark might have been having on not risking his life for a game.
Poster_Formerly_Known_As_Royal_Fan - January 3, 2012 via mobile
Classy move by Tomlin.
I applaud it.
MrFNSunshine - January 3, 2012
Tomlin is class
even though I hate Ben, I hate Ward, I hate pretty much every Steeler for what they did to us in 2005, but I am a Dungy disciple myself so I cannot hate on one of my brethren in Mike Tomlin. That goes for Lovie Smith and Rob Marinelli as well, we’ve never met but Dungy is a Mentor Leader for each of us!
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
Could really change Polamalu's game
Clark is a master at covering for “Troy-being-Troy,” when he guesses from 20 yards away and launches himself into a play. He’s able to do that because Clark is very consistent about protecting the deep part of the field. His absence could really change some of the things that they normally would do.
Could really help us in play-action. If Polamalu is crowding the line and bites on the fake, there will be lots of space in the middle. Also could open things up for Tebow on rollouts that are designed run/pass options.
shasta77 - January 3, 2012
rollouts need to be meticulously executed
so Tebow can break contained, if this occurs, watch big things happen for us, you will see!
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
also
I was listening to KOA at work today and a fan called in, saying, we as fans, need to cheer the Broncos on, ensuring they do their best, let’s be more unified, yes, the Broncos need to give us a reason to cheer but let’s be supportive, thus creating a symbiotic relationship! We both need to benefit from one another’s energy!
the new Bradfather - January 3, 2012
I would love to know what kind of spoiled ass fans get to go to so many games that they can't cheer for their team the whole time regardless of what is happening on the field.
Mike Agnew - January 3, 2012
I have only been to two Broncos games...
and one was pre-season, but my brother and I cheered the whole time.
Mike Agnew - January 3, 2012
I know it can't be me
I only live 8 hours away from Denver but I’ve only been to one Broncos game, the real problem is a travel companion to help share driving responsibilities at night while traversing I-70. I prefer gorgeous female brunettes, primarily of Mediterranean extraction, oh heck, I’ll put up with Russians
the new Bradfather - January 4, 2012
Rapist
What happened in the rape trial of our Bronco that impregnated the sleeping girl??? Did they plea bargain it down to following too close?
Baghdad - January 4, 2012
The trial got postponed til next month
Calikula - January 4, 2012
Fans
Some fans jump off the bus too soon or boo everything. But when the team is playing really bad you want the General Manager , owner, and coach to know that kind of play is not acceptable .You pay alot for your seats
Baghdad - January 4, 2012
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