It doesn't matter what the naysayers have to say about Ben, the facts are he is going to be playing in the Superbowl in two weeks time with a team that nearly everyone liked to make fun of. I bet I could name quite a few other teams and players that would like to be in their position right now. Good luck Ben
Good for Ben. Try to get over the impulse to wish for the world to suck for everyone who you every had some issue with.
He had a great punt downed at the 1 yard line and it set up the safety and the big game changing TD for fitzgerald. Pitt did Prevail at the end.
I'm happy Ben made it as far as he did, too bad his team couldn't win it all. I wish him nothing but luck in the future.
Ben is a good story for a player, I hope he gets better in the future. I met him at camp and he was a great guy, spoke with me at the fence for like 10 minutes while he was signing stuff for the fans. I'm glad for Ben and his Aussie fans that he got to play in the big game.
That certainly would have been a key play. I thought he had a pretty typical game for him - two very nice kicks (45 gross/44 net in the second quarter, the one pinning Pittsburgh back on the 2 in the fourth quarter), two okay kicks (43 gross/39 net in the first quarter and 31 gross/net to the 18 yard line in the third quarter), and one horrible shank in the fourth quarter (27 yards gross/net). It's those once-a-game shanks that led to him being cut by the Jets.
If Arozona had won, that punt downed at the one would have been the turning point of the game. But I agree with earlier posters, Ben just shanks too many. One shank in 20 punts, anything worse is not good, and Ben does it about once every 6 or 7.
Yeah, I'm good with that - but it was highly contingent. It always is. Hey, who wouldn't love doing the whole Roman Emperor thing? Thumbs up, live, thumbs down, death. Roger Vick, he's the first to go - but I'll play all merciful and shit.
I was at work when the game was played, so I didn't have an opportunity to see the game. A sports radio commentator said down here that,his end over end punts were fine. It was the sprial punts that were the ones that were shanked. If you don't hit the sweet spot with a spiral, it's shanked. Simple as that! Imho, at least he got there and had a real hot go!
I'd say he represented Australia pretty well even though most of the country was working or not giving a shit. Of course they were probably talking about the crying at the Open opposed to Benny. I'd like to see him become and ambassador of the game in Australia. We know those AFL guys are tough but I wanna see some position players. Ben has the size to play WR or TE but he got into the game too late. Maybe if he and Rocca got together and started a program we'd see some AFL guys earlier in their careers make the jump to the NFL.
There are already a few punting 'schools' in action, trying to identify kids with big legs who might not make it in our local football codes (Aussie Rules, Rugby Union and Rugby league). To be honest I doubt you will ever see another Aussie in the NFL playing in a position other than punter. Growing up here everyone wants to play our football, there is no pro Gridiron league, just a smattering of fans for the sport. You might get some younger punters, like Matt McBrier, come through the college system.
so what we scored 54 points against the Cards we would have to go threw them to make the SB. We would had to beat the Steelers and I don't think we could had.
