Ward outruns evil in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
Published: December 22nd, 2011 | Tags: Hines Ward, Batman, Ben Roethlisberger, Bill Cowher, Chris Nolan, Pittsburgh Steelers, The Dark Knight Rises
Heinz Field is notoriously tough on the visiting team, but nothing has ever come close to this.
Moviegoers are drooling over the release of “The Dark Knight Rises” trailer — giving the world an official glimpse at the third installment of Christopher Nolan‘s Batman trilogy.
Gotham is on the rocks, besieged by mayhem and unrest, and nobody — not even the city’s beloved football team, the Rogues — is free from the enveloping darkness.
Gotham’s clash with the rival Rapid City Monuments was filmed at Heinz Field and, to be sure, these Rogues bring a heavy Steelers vibe.
At kickoff, we’re treated to a familiar face, as Steelers (Rogues) WR Hines Ward fields the ball. What happens next (and we’ll leave it to you check it out above) sears the mind.
Batman has his plate full this time around.
Ward — whom some speculate is nearing an end with the Steelers — isn’t the only familiar face in the film. Thomas Tull, who joined the Steelers’ ownership in 2009, is the film’s executive producer and lobbied for “The Dark Knight Rises” to shoot on location in Pittsburgh.
It paved the way for Ben Roethlisberger and a collection of veteran teammates — with Bill Cowher as coach — filming the gridiron scenes back in August. In addition, Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl makes an appearance as a member of the Monuments.
This much is clear: Ward hasn’t run this fast in years.
– Marc Sessler