Rashard Mendenhall Text Message

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie (and I emphasize rookie) running back Rashard Mendenhall is buddies with Baltimore Ravens rookie running back Ray Rice. The two will face-off this weekend as the Steelers play the Ravens on Monday Night Football. Rashard is getting his first start because of an injury to starting RB Willie Parker, so he decided to do a little trash talking to Ray via text message about how he was going to have a big game against the Ravens top-ranked defense. Of course, he was just joking around (every joke has some truth), but Ray let the defense know about this txt and now Baltimore has some extra motivation. According to Ravens linebacker Bart Scott:

“He said later that he was just joking, but it’s too late. Thanks for the bulletin-board material, rookie.”

I don’t know how close Rashard and Ray are, but I don’t think I would trust Ray with any confidential information in the future if I were Rashard Mendenhall. Not that this was confidential, but did he really think Ray would keep this information to himself? Obviously not. Instead, he opened his vault. Now the Ravens are really fired up. Not that they needed it. They haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 21 straight games, the longest active streak in the league. And they’ve only given up an average of 161.5 yards through their first two games. (FYI, the Steelers are second at 234.) I expect a low-scoring but always physical MNF brawl between the Steelers and Ravens. The question is who will get the last LOL.