NFL

Cowher's fashion: Steelers in white

By wire services
Published January 25, 2006

PITTSBURGH - To coach Bill Cowher, his team simply looks right in white.

The Steelers will buck years of tradition and wear their white away uniforms in the Super Bowl against Seattle, though they are designated by the league as the home team and could wear their black jersey tops.

The black jerseys and gold pants are the Steelers' traditional look, and many sports teams have switched to black uniforms in recent years because they believe them to be more intimidating.

Cowher made the choice without consulting with ownership, saying, "We're not playing at Heinz Field so, in my mind, it's an away game."

The Steelers' road success no doubt factored into Cowher's decision to wear white for the fourth consecutive game. The Steelers are the only No. 6 seed to reach the Super Bowl and the first to win at the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 teams in a conference to get there. They have won in successive weeks at Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Denver.

Their choice puts the Seahawks in their metallic blue home jerseys. Seattle was 10-0 in the regular season and playoffs at home but 0-2 away from Qwest Field wearing blue, losing at Jacksonville in Week 1 and at Washington in Week 4.

Cowher became perplexed at constant questioning about the jersey issue at his weekly news conference, finally saying, "You want to know what shoes I'm wearing, too?"

BEEN THERE: To Matt Hasselbeck, the best thing about Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren right now is not his game planning. It's not how he handles his players or assembles a staff.

For the Seattle quarterback, the most impressive thing about Holmgren is that he has been to the Super Bowl.

"It was really a comforting feeling today for him to say, "When I was in this Super Bowl, we did this, and in that one, we did this,' " Hasselbeck said. "I feel we are really prepared."

Holmgren was an assistant with the 49ers when they won the 1989 and '90 Super Bowls, then coached Green Bay for a victory in 1997 and a loss in '98.

Five Seahawks players have gone to Super Bowls: defensive tackle Chuck Darby and wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, who won it with the Bucs in January 2003; center Robbie Tobeck (with Atlanta in 1999), defensive end Grant Wistrom (St. Louis, 2000 and '02) and punter Tom Rouen (Denver, 1998-99).

SIGNING: The Steelers signed linebacker Arnold Harrison from the practice squad to replace Andre Frazier, who will miss the Super Bowl with a broken right ankle. Frazier was injured in Sunday's AFC Championship Game against Denver.

[Last modified January 25, 2006, 00:56:11]