Shameful Act

[capnpete76]

I have a new hatred in my life. I am not the kind of person who just throws “hatred” out there...it is a rather strong sentiment, and with me it is something that is, and will be, permanent. Being a Steelers fan, I have no love what so ever for the rest of the AFC North. The “old” Browns, a.k.a. Ravens, the “new” Browns, and the Bengals are all bitter rivals, and I don't care who they are playing, I want them to lose. The Patriots, not a fan. But this goes much deeper than anything between these teams and the Steelers. These teams might be Steelers rivals, and they may look forward to the games between them, but there is something else. There is respect. While they love to talk trash and lay that great hit across the middle, they have respect for the team across the line of scrimmage.
What I witnessed yesterday was inexcusable. Shortly after an interception return for a touchdown, which all but secured a victory for the Tennessee Titans, the camera switched to the Titan sideline. What I saw was an unprofessional display of utter disrespect by a man who doesn't deserve to be paid so well to play the game of football. This Titan player, on camera, threw a Myron Cope Terrible Towel (or a likeness of one) onto the ground, and used his foot to grind it into the mud. What a coward. This “man” probably has no idea that the Terrible Towel is much more than a rag for the Steelers fans to wave after a touchdown. The proceeds from the sale of these towels go to the Allegheny Vally School. That “class-act” should look it up, an be ashamed of himself.
The Titans organization should be as appalled as I am. A member of their team, representing the Titans owners, organization and its coaches, embarrassed them today. They look classless and undisciplined. The Titans should not wait for the commissioner to act. This player should be fined and suspended. Perhaps a donation to the Allegheny Valley School is in order as well. If the Titans don't step up, the commissioner should. This kind of unsportsmanlike conduct should NEVER be tolerated.
No matter what happens to the player who did this, the line has been crossed. I will from now on see the Titans as a bunch of lowlife thugs, who don't deserve to be on the same field as the Steelers, the AFC North, or any other PROFESSIONAL football team.

[The_WARDen]

[RodWoodsonwasprettycool]

I'm not really sure of what to think about it.

Not to defend the Titans players, but I doubt a lot of folks know the story behind the towel and where the money goes to. The best thing for them to do would be to dominate some money towards Allegheny Valley.

I still don't think its very smart from a football standpoint though...The Steelers seem to be a team that thrives on extra motivation like that.

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by RodWoodsonwasprettycool

...The Steelers seem to be a team that thrives on extra motivation like that.

its a little bit more than that. all steelers love the rooneys like a parent. just like cope did. myron was an extension of the steeler family.

he was like the link between the fans and the "first family".

a good analogy is if you see a man slap a woman in public you are probably gonna be inclined to punch him in the face.

now if you see tha same dude walk up and randomly slap your momma, youre probably gonna beat him into a bloody pulp.

if the titans did that to a steeley mcbeam doll i doubt anyone would care. i'd laugh.

[brick]

Long after Tennessee dismantled Pittsburgh to clinch the top seed in the AFC, Titans coach Jeff Fisher finally saw the tape of players LenDale White and Keith Bulluck stomping on the Steelers' signature symbol, the Terrible Towel.

Fisher didn't see any news value in the antic, though it hit a nerve in one former Steelers coach.

"Why would it be a big deal? That if we play [the Steelers] again, they'll play harder? I don't think so," Fisher told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen. "They always play hard.

"I mean, I know we weren't happy to have 10,000 people in our stadium waving those yellow towels. It's a tremendous commentary on the great fan base the Steelers have but I'm sure our guys didn't like it. They're a good football team. They have our respect and I'm sure we have their respect. But this isn't a big deal to me."

Not for Bill Cowher. A CBS-TV studio analyst since resigning as Steelers coach nearly two years ago, Cowher became animated on the air while watching Bulluck and White trample the towel after Tennessee's 31-14 victory in Nashville clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The moment produced a flashback for Cowher, who was well known for his competitiveness and respect-the-game mentality while coaching Pittsburgh from 1992-2006.

"That looks like a pregame talk the night before to me," Cowher said, his eyes lighting up and his voice rising. "If [we'd] meet in the postseason, I know what I'm pulling out the night before the game."

Cowher admonished White by saying, "You've got to learn ... I wouldn't do this, I wouldn't go there" and said Bulluck should know better because "you are a veteran, Bulluck."

Cowher's implied message to the Titans: There's a way to win in the NFL and that wasn't it, and you might regret the sideshow should the Steelers return to Nashville for the AFC championship game in four weeks.

"No disrespect to the Pittsburgh Steelers organization or the players on that team," Bulluck said Monday on ESPN First Take, referring to the towel stomp. "It's not anything personal or disrespectful. It's just the attitude you've got to take" in a game of such magnitude.

[+]

what a spineless moron. if fisher doesn't think that was a big deal then he doesn't know anything about football, and he's as much of an ass as bulluck and white are. and i don't care if bulluck or white didn't mean it as disrespect, the fact is that it WAS extremely disrespectful and it just makes them look like arrogant, classless players. and that is absolutely NOT the attitude you want to take in any game, the point is to win not to disrespect your opponents.

big props to Chin for telling them off for it.

[Aussie_steeler]

When a player or team openly mocks another team in such a childish way it usually comes back to haunt them.

I can live with Chris Johnson waving a white towel as he runs in for a touchdown mocking the terrible towel. (Remember Hines does similar things in celebration mocking other teams)

However stomping the towel in the mud by two players is a bit classless.

it could provide a little extra motivation for a possible AFC championship game ( not that any more will be needed)

[Aussie_steeler]

"I mean, I know we weren't happy to have 10,000 people in our stadium waving those yellow towels. It's a tremendous commentary on the great fan base the Steelers have but I'm sure our guys didn't like it. They're a good football team. They have our respect and I'm sure we have their respect. But this isn't a big deal to me."

Maybe the best way to deal with 10,000 screaming steeler fans is to get the locals to buy more tickets so they dilute the number of opposition fans.

Jeff Fisher - Dont treat the fans who travel and spend hard earned cash in your city with such contempt.

[JerseyDude]

As a person who has no rooting interest in either team I guess I can offer some outside perspective.

1. Myron Cope was an icon in the sports broadcasting world and an iconic member of the Steelers family. I 1000% respect what the processed of these terrible towles go to, its a fantastic charity!

2. Having been to 3 Steelers game in 2 years I would have to say that I'm a bit offened by the way some Steeler fans use these terrible towles during games. In Jacksonville I saw guys swiping them at the rear ends of chics as they walked by, I also saw another guy take his towel and run it acorss peoples face and laugh and a few other things as well. Now I know that its a VERY small percentage of the Steelers fans that are like this. Having said that just because Lendale White and Bo Scaife (not Keith Bullock) stomped it, is not an indication of the entire Titans organization. I know a few of the Titans personally K.Bullock being one of them and you wont find a classier guy in the NFL. Did the actions raise the ire of the Steeler Nation...yes, but this act by 2 guys is not indicative of the entire 53 man roster or the rest of the organization IMO.

[Aussie_steeler]

Originally Posted by JerseyDude

. I know a few of the Titans personally K.Bullock being one of them and you wont find a classier guy in the NFL. Did the actions raise the ire of the Steeler Nation...yes, but this act by 2 guys is not indicative of the entire 53 man roster or the rest of the organization IMO.

I would be interested in his perspective on this matter. Do you mind asking and posting it for us if you get a chance? That would make for some great reading.

[JerseyDude]

If I talk to him in the next few days I will be sure to ask him. I did speak to one of thier players yesterday after the game and he told me that some of the guys did say something to Lendale and Bo Scaife. If you notice from all the footage all KB did was hold up the towel and say something about you wont be waving these in our house or something like that.