HAS HINES WARD BEEN STEALING?

by WCK, 100% Injury Rate

For the most part, Hines Ward seems like a pretty good guy. A tireless worker, great teammate, and consumate professional. But he's now found himself in some pretty nasty legal trouble and is being accused of some pretty bad stuff.

A business associate of Ward has accused the Steelers receiver and another associate, who together own a South Side bar, of removing money from the business and insurance fraud. Ward owns the Locker Room Bar & Grille, which opened in December 2005 in Pittsburgh.

The accuser says Ward and two associates failed to deposit cash receipts into the company accounts and have diverted the funds to their own personal bank accounts. The accuser states that despite profits of more than $1 million and insurance money of $500,000, the company's bank accounts totaled less than $19,000 as of last week.

The accuser also claims that Ward and his associates created false invoices to defraud the business of insurance proceeds of $300,000.

"We don't know where the money went," said the accuser's attorney, Bruce Fox. "There's been a lot of money drained from the business."

The main question is how large a role Ward played in this. The court proceedings have just begun, but you might keep your eye on this. If Ward is found guilty of embezzling and insurance fraud, I'd think Goodell might have a chat with him.