Sports

SUPER BOWL XL

Porter hopes Seahawks give up

Compiled from staff and wire reports
Published February 3, 2006

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DETROIT - Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter stoked a relatively tame war of words Thursday, saying the Steelers will be so physical in Super Bowl XL the Seahawks will want to leave the field.

"We're going to try to tap out as many people as we can," Porter said during the players' final media session. "We're going to try to send as many people as we can to the sideline."

Asked what "tap out" meant, Porter patted the top of his head, a signal players use to take themselves out of a game when they are injured or need a rest.

Porter, known for making inflammatory comments, did his best early in the week not to say anything controversial. But Wednesday, he responded to a comment by Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens that it would be a sad ending for Steelers running back Jerome Bettis' homecoming when he left Detroit without the trophy.

Thursday, the verbal foray had become such a hot topic that both were seated on risers with microphones for interview sessions rather than more intimate tables as scheduled. Stevens, third on the Seahawks in receptions and receiving yards, seemed eager for the controversy to go away but did not back down.

"This is something I wish I didn't have to deal with, but it's not that big a deal," Stevens said. "What's said right now won't have any impact on Sunday. I'm pretty close to unaffected.

"Some people need something to be motivated. If that's what he found, that's what he found. I meant it, and I meant it with no disrespect."

Steelers linebacker James Farrior laughed at the notion of any player leaving the game because it was too physical.

"I don't know if he's going to be able to tap anybody out," Farrior said. "This is the Super Bowl. He's going to really have to play hard to tap somebody out."

LABOR UNREST: Gene Upshaw, president of the players' union, painted a gloomy picture of talks to extend the collective bargaining agreement. The union and league are far apart, he said, because the owners cannot agree on a revenue-sharing plan.

"We're further apart now than when we started," Upshaw said. "For anyone to think we're close, that's not reality."

There is a rift between the owners of big-revenue teams, including the Cowboys, Patriots, Eagles, Redskins and Texans, and small-revenue teams. The big-revenue teams want to retain revenues from sources such as new stadiums and marketing.

The current agreement expires after the 2007 season, but there is no salary cap in place for '07. Without an extension in place by March3, negotiations for rookie and free agent contracts will be difficult.

Upshaw also said the union will make plans to decertify. He said it is prepared to "cease to be a union" to prevent a lockout.

HEADS OR TAILS?: Tom Brady will be at the Super Bowl but in an unusual role. Brady will do the coin toss. The quarterback, a two-time Super Bowl MVP in leading New England to three titles in the past four seasons, is the first active player to do the coin toss.

12TH MAN: The Seahawks filed notice to move the dispute over the "12th Man" slogan to a federal court in Houston. The action means the case will not be resolved before Sunday's game. A&M owns the trademark to its "12th Man" reference for supporters who attend games. It won a temporary order this week from Judge J.D. Langley, an A&M graduate, to keep the Seahawks from using it for marketing. Seattle has recognized its fans as a "12th Man" since the mid 1980s and retired the No.12 jersey in 1984.

- JOANNE KORTH and RICK STROUD, Times staff writers, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER and ASSOCIATED PRESS

[Last modified February 3, 2006, 01:25:14]

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