Hard Hat Award (Game #2, vs. Chicago)

Hard Hat Award (Game #2, @ Chicago)

No one 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 matchup against the 0-1 Bears, the entire Stillers roster fell flat on its face with a gutless, weak-assed performance.   Hard hits were rare, intelligent plays was rarer, and carelessness abounded throughout the entire game.   A dropped TD pass; foolish, lazy penalties (such as blocking in the back on a punt return); whiffed sacks; and shoddy coverage were rampant in this ghastly loss.   A tell-tale sign of lack of Hard Hat play was the fact that the defense forced zero turnovers.  (Harrison did force a fumble late in the 4Q, but again, with the Stillers standing around, the Bears recovered a ball that skittered and bounced around for 10 yards.)   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.  

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.  Simply put, Hard Hat kind of football leads to victory; pansy football (a term used here long before Troy Pola popularized it) leads to defeat.  Given the poor effort and lack of toughness this past Sunday, it should come as no surprise that the Stillers got beaten.  

Kudos to no one for winning the Hard Hat Award.  Don�t wear the Hard Hat proudly, fellas. 

Previous 2009 Hard Hat Winners:

Game #1, vs. Tenn.:  Jamie Harrison and Keyaron Fox