�� ��
Hard
Hat Award (Game #3, @ Cinci)
Stillers WR Mike Wallace is the winner of the weekly Hard
Hat Award, given to the Stiller player who
best embodies the iron-tough, hard-as-steel attitude of the steel workers
inside the blast furnace of a still mill.
In a tight game against divisional rival Cinci, the rookie Wallace
practically came out of nowhere and suddenly became THE �go to guy�, snaring 7 passes
for 102 yards, leading the team in both categories.�� Wallace didn�t pile up a bunch of cheesy 4-yard
outs, either.� He caught several passes over
the middle, in traffic, on 3rd down, to move the sticks.� And, unlike most of the receivers on this
team, Wally didn�t allow any passes to clang off his mitts for a harmless
incompletion. �And, unlike Tonio Holmes,
Wallace doesn�t do any preening, gesturing, or strutting after a big 1st down
grab.�� He pops up, lobs the ball to the
ref, and gets his ass back into the huddle�.which is what yer
supposed to do as a professional football player.�
There really was no one else in consideration by The Committee.�� It bears repeating that there is almost
always -- if not always -- a strong correlation between the number of players
in consideration for the Hard Hat,
and if the team won or lost.� A tell-tale
sign of lack of Hard Hat play was the fact that the defense forced zero
turnovers.� Turnovers are typically
generated either by ferocious hits or menacing harassment on skill players such
as QBs and receivers.�
In this case, nothing of the sort happened.��
An honorable Hard Hat Award
is, however, being given this week to longtime Stillers.com follower and bassist
for Alice Cooper, Chuck Garric.�� Still Mill
and Sister of Still Mill were Chuck�s guests at Tuesday�s Alice Cooper concert,
and Chuck and the gang kicked some serious ass with a bevy of high-quality hard
rock tunage.� Chuck
was a man possessed on the bass, and Mill and his sister were fortunate enough
to be able to discuss Stiller football with him after
the concert.� Chuck has been a dedicated
reader of this here web site for over 5 years, and he was current enough to
cite a few points from the latest Loose Slag article despite a hectic road
schedule.� I can attest that Chuck is a Hard Hat kind of guy, and had the
Stillers had just half of Chuck�s intensity and energy, they�d be sitting 3-0
right now instead of 1-2.��
Kudos to Wallace and Garric
for winning the Hard Hat Award.� Wear the Hard Hat proudly, fellas!��
Previous 2009 Hard Hat Winners:
Game #1, vs.
Game #2, @