Pay Back, In Prime Time!

Week 16 of the 2008 regular season saw the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Tennessee to face the Titans for home field advantage in the playoffs.

In a typical AFC Central style, the Steelers and Titans played the type of game that is usually reserved for the playoffs.  With both teams playing very physical, the Titans out lasted the Steelers, 31-14, handing the Steelers their final loss of the 2008 season.

Nearing the end of the game, when the Titans had an insurmountable lead, RB LenDale White, LB Keith Bullock, DE Javon Kearse and TE Bo Scaife, proceeded to take the beloved Terrible Towel and do things, that I am not going to discuss in detail.

Following the game, former Steeler Head Coach Bill Cowher had this to say:

"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 Bullock should know better because "you are a veteran, Bullock."

The hype immediately started building for a rematch, in Tennessee for the AFC Crown, and a trip to the Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, the Titans could not live up to their end of the bargain, falling to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional game, forcing the Steelers to hold on to the grudge.

Whoever is in charge of the scheduling saw the opportunity to guarantee one of the highest ratings for an opening game, by scheduling the rematch in the first game of the season in Pittsburgh.

Some people reading this might not understand the significance of the actions of the Titans.  Let me enlighten you.

Former Steeler broadcaster the late Myron Cope, created the Terrible Towel back in the 1970's.  Steeler fans considered Cope as the Pope of Steeler Nation.  Cope is loved by Steeler fans across the world for his time with the Steelers.

To desecrate the Terrible Towel is equivalent to stomping on the grave of our beloved pope, and it is something that the Steelers, and Steeler nation do not take lightly.

Prior to Super Bowl XL, when the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh to secure the AFC North crown, TJ Houshmandzadeh wiped his shoes with the Terrible Towel in the tunnel leading to the locker room.

In the AFC wild card round, TJ was blasted by the defense every time he touched the ball, eventually being knocked out of the game on a hit by Ike Taylor.

In the days following the game, Bullock tried to down play the incident.  He said he was just emotional because Tennessee had secured home field advantage.

LenDale White on the other hand, did not back down.

So, while it is only the first game of the season, LenDale White better prepare himself for a heavyweight fight (shouldn't be a problem for him) in Pittsburgh.  And this time, he is going to have to do it without a belt.