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Joey Porter fires back at Seahawks' comments
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
By Paul Zeise and Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
DETROIT -- Steelers linebacker Joey Porter has been waiting for someone from the Seahawks to say something -- anything -- inflammatory. It appears he got his wish. And in typical Joey Porter fashion, he clearly won the war of words, at least for one day.
Porter was asked today what he thought of comments by Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens, who yesterday said that it is too bad Jerome Bettis's career will end without a Super Bowl trophy because it could have been a fairy tale ending to a great career.
Porter wasn't shy about making his opinion known.
"Now I'm looking for him on game day, now I'm looking for Stevens," Porter said. "He has to line up in front of me, and that information you gave me just got me started so I'll be out there looking for him at the 50-yard line. That information will go a long way because Stevens can't hide from me. He has to line up in front of me and I'll remind him of [what he said] every time I put him on his back.
"I was focused on football until right now, when you told me what [stevens] said. I don't blame him for thinking they came down here to win, but he said what he said and I'll be ready for him. I can never get an offensive player to say stuff like that no more, I'm always battling defensive guys. It is great that the tight end said it because I don't [ever] get to go against a tight end like that."
Porter didn't stop there. He was just getting warmed up.
"He should know his role," Porter said. "He hasn't done anything that makes anybody fear him, while Jerome is a Hall of Famer and everybody knows about him. Meanwhile, this guy is almost a first-round bust who barely made some plays this year. He has the nerve to say what Jerome is not going to do when he isn't going to be the deciding factor whether that happens or not. I'm going to make sure he don't have anything to do with the outcome of the game.
"I would think someone would say something, but I wouldn't think it would be him -- he's too soft to say something like that. He'll have the opportunity to back up his words, but I'm going to have an opportunity to back up my words.
"You ever see the movie "Underworld"? I was sleeping all week, but I got my first taste of blood right here, and it is great when you haven't tasted it in a while. This week was boring until now. He definitely is one who hasn't earned the right to say what's on his mind. There is no way he can hide from me. I needed to hear that, I needed something to get me going."
After this morning's round of interviews that ended at 9:15 a.m. the Steelers went straight to work at the Pontiac Silverdome. There, all of their meetings, a catered lunch and practice will occur. Practice was scheduled for 1:15 p.m. and was to last about two hours, the same schedule for a Wednesday during the regular season. They will follow the same procedure tomorrow.
"It's kind of good to get back to football,'' coach Bill Cowher declared early this morning. "I think that is what we are all kind of looking forward to now. The fun and games are over with now and it's getting ourselves ready to play the game.
"It'll be a normal Wednesday practice, fast tempo and just a normal practice,'' Cowher said.
Halfback Duce Staley, given time off since the weekend to attend his father's funeral in South Carolina, did not appear at the team's interview session this morning but was expected to join them at practice.
Joey Porter fires back at Seahawks' comments
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
By Paul Zeise and Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
DETROIT -- Steelers linebacker Joey Porter has been waiting for someone from the Seahawks to say something -- anything -- inflammatory. It appears he got his wish. And in typical Joey Porter fashion, he clearly won the war of words, at least for one day.
Porter was asked today what he thought of comments by Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens, who yesterday said that it is too bad Jerome Bettis's career will end without a Super Bowl trophy because it could have been a fairy tale ending to a great career.
Porter wasn't shy about making his opinion known.
"Now I'm looking for him on game day, now I'm looking for Stevens," Porter said. "He has to line up in front of me, and that information you gave me just got me started so I'll be out there looking for him at the 50-yard line. That information will go a long way because Stevens can't hide from me. He has to line up in front of me and I'll remind him of [what he said] every time I put him on his back.
"I was focused on football until right now, when you told me what [stevens] said. I don't blame him for thinking they came down here to win, but he said what he said and I'll be ready for him. I can never get an offensive player to say stuff like that no more, I'm always battling defensive guys. It is great that the tight end said it because I don't [ever] get to go against a tight end like that."
Porter didn't stop there. He was just getting warmed up.
"He should know his role," Porter said. "He hasn't done anything that makes anybody fear him, while Jerome is a Hall of Famer and everybody knows about him. Meanwhile, this guy is almost a first-round bust who barely made some plays this year. He has the nerve to say what Jerome is not going to do when he isn't going to be the deciding factor whether that happens or not. I'm going to make sure he don't have anything to do with the outcome of the game.
"I would think someone would say something, but I wouldn't think it would be him -- he's too soft to say something like that. He'll have the opportunity to back up his words, but I'm going to have an opportunity to back up my words.
"You ever see the movie "Underworld"? I was sleeping all week, but I got my first taste of blood right here, and it is great when you haven't tasted it in a while. This week was boring until now. He definitely is one who hasn't earned the right to say what's on his mind. There is no way he can hide from me. I needed to hear that, I needed something to get me going."
After this morning's round of interviews that ended at 9:15 a.m. the Steelers went straight to work at the Pontiac Silverdome. There, all of their meetings, a catered lunch and practice will occur. Practice was scheduled for 1:15 p.m. and was to last about two hours, the same schedule for a Wednesday during the regular season. They will follow the same procedure tomorrow.
"It's kind of good to get back to football,'' coach Bill Cowher declared early this morning. "I think that is what we are all kind of looking forward to now. The fun and games are over with now and it's getting ourselves ready to play the game.
"It'll be a normal Wednesday practice, fast tempo and just a normal practice,'' Cowher said.
Halfback Duce Staley, given time off since the weekend to attend his father's funeral in South Carolina, did not appear at the team's interview session this morning but was expected to join them at practice.
