I don't think he is anywhere near as dirty as Laimbeer (he would have been banned from the league by now), but he may be more dangerous, just because of his strength. But then again, you could say the same thing about Perk, or Baby, or even KG.
I really think it is tough for C's fans to get too up and arms about Howard being dangerous or dirty, because he really is not any worse than guys on our roster. However, I think it would be nice to see the media recognize the fact that the guys on the C's roster are no worse than him.
Boston is painted as a dirty team, and I really don't think it is fair. Guys like Howard, Barnes, Artest, Odom, and Vujacic, are every bit as dirty as anyone on the C's. This is what you see at this point in the playoffs. Great teams have dirty players. It is part of the game.