Thursday, February 02, 2006
XL Mouths: He Said, He Said
There goes Joey Porter, again. The mouthpiece of the Steelers is doing what he does best; he's running his mouth. Now, don't get me wrong, Porter is one of the better linebackers in the game. But this guy's mouth is always talking. So it should come as no surprise that this week, when 1 out of every 3 is walking around Super Bowl headquarters with a notepad and microphone, Porter's words make headlines.
First, let's give credit where credit is due. It was actually Seattle tight end Jerramy Stevens who lobbed the initial verbal grenade in Detroit. Earlier this week, Stevens was asked if he saw any sentimental value to the notion that Jerome Bettis was returning home to play for a title. Stevens reply? "It's a heartwarming story, and all that, but it will be a sad day when he leaves without that trophy."
Eyes bugged out of reporters heads. Pens scribbled furiously on notepads. Did this guy just
guarantee a Seahawks victory? Well, in the name of all things Joe Namath, it was time to stoke the simmering fire.
To put this into context, it's important to understand that there is such a demand for stories during Super Bowl week that Ben Roethlisberger's lunch order becomes breaking news. So you can only imagine the thought running through the mind of every scribe present: Find me Joey Porter. He'll have something to say about this.
Boy, did he ever. Porter rushed to the defense of Bettis and the Steelers, saying, "I've been asleep all week but now I got woke up." (Tell me about it!) "I've got my first taste of blood and now I'm thirsty for more," he continued. "I'm going to make sure he owns up to those words."
Wow. Talk about tossing another log on the fire. But, on Thursday, Joey kept talking.
He added today that Pittsburgh's gameplan is to "send as many people to the sideline as we can." That's not exactly earth-shattering insight, since the Steelers shipped the Bengals' Carson Palmer and the Colts' Peyton Manning there in the playoffs.
So why is this such a big deal? Sure, there is more pressure on Stevens and Porter now, because they each have a case of foot-in-mouth disease. But this is the Super Bowl. The two teams should refuse to shake hands, and want to slam each other to the turf. There will be plenty of time to ask forgiveness in the offseason. Right now, though, it's gametime. We can thank Joey Porter for the reminder.
Remember, football fans, NewsChannel 5 is live in Detroit all week with Super Bowl coverage. You, too, can chime in with an e-mail at chandler@newsnet5.com
First, let's give credit where credit is due. It was actually Seattle tight end Jerramy Stevens who lobbed the initial verbal grenade in Detroit. Earlier this week, Stevens was asked if he saw any sentimental value to the notion that Jerome Bettis was returning home to play for a title. Stevens reply? "It's a heartwarming story, and all that, but it will be a sad day when he leaves without that trophy."
Eyes bugged out of reporters heads. Pens scribbled furiously on notepads. Did this guy just
guarantee a Seahawks victory? Well, in the name of all things Joe Namath, it was time to stoke the simmering fire.
To put this into context, it's important to understand that there is such a demand for stories during Super Bowl week that Ben Roethlisberger's lunch order becomes breaking news. So you can only imagine the thought running through the mind of every scribe present: Find me Joey Porter. He'll have something to say about this.
Boy, did he ever. Porter rushed to the defense of Bettis and the Steelers, saying, "I've been asleep all week but now I got woke up." (Tell me about it!) "I've got my first taste of blood and now I'm thirsty for more," he continued. "I'm going to make sure he owns up to those words."Wow. Talk about tossing another log on the fire. But, on Thursday, Joey kept talking.
He added today that Pittsburgh's gameplan is to "send as many people to the sideline as we can." That's not exactly earth-shattering insight, since the Steelers shipped the Bengals' Carson Palmer and the Colts' Peyton Manning there in the playoffs.
So why is this such a big deal? Sure, there is more pressure on Stevens and Porter now, because they each have a case of foot-in-mouth disease. But this is the Super Bowl. The two teams should refuse to shake hands, and want to slam each other to the turf. There will be plenty of time to ask forgiveness in the offseason. Right now, though, it's gametime. We can thank Joey Porter for the reminder.
Remember, football fans, NewsChannel 5 is live in Detroit all week with Super Bowl coverage. You, too, can chime in with an e-mail at chandler@newsnet5.com
Posted at 1:23 PM
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