Porter gives media lesson

The outspoken LB doesn't want to hear that the Steelers are America's team.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
PITTSBURGH -- The whirlwind known as Steelers linebacker Joey Porter has decided to impose a gag order upon himself.
Thursday, the seventh-year linebacker from Colorado State said that after Tuesday's NFL-mandated Super Bowl Media Day in Detroit, he won't speak to the press until after the Steelers' championship game against the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 5.
"I need to be getting my skills ready for the biggest game of my live," said Porter, 28. "I can't be doing interviews that are going to take time away from studying ... unless the money's right."
Despite being the first sixth seed to advance to the Super Bowl, the Steelers are favored to win the franchise's fifth NFL Championship, making the disrespect card the Steelers have been using for weeks hard to play.
Porter doesn't buy it.
Hypocritical
"We don't believe that we're America's team," Porter said. "Now we are? After you all have been [writing] us off for dead? Why should we believe that?
"You can't say that you are with us now when you wrote us off for dead," Porter preached. "I still have got all the articles. So there is no way I can believe you now that you are truly with us."
In the Steelers' wins at Indianapolis and Denver, Porter produced key plays on blitzes.
Late in the fourth quarter of the 21-18 Colts game, Porter sacked Peyton Manning at the Indianapolis 2.
And in the first quarter of Sunday's 34-17 win over the Broncos, Porter's sack of Jake Plummer produced a fumble that defensive tackle Casey Hampton recovered.
"The biggest thing after that is we got points out of the drive," said Porter as the Steelers increased their lead to 10-0.
Porter's mouth can be a lightning rod for controversy. Before the Colts playoff game, Porter accused Indianapolis of not being willing to play "smashmouth football."
Those words were about a team that embarrassed the Steelers 26-7 on Nov. 28's "ABC's Monday Night Football."
And after the playoff win, Porter suggested the officials "cheated" in overturning safety Troy Polamalu's fourth-quarter interception.
No fine
Steelers coach Bill Cowher called Porter's complaint ridiculous. While many expected Porter to be fined, he escaped when the NFL admitted that the officials erred in their ruling.
Porter says he feels strong connections for Cowher and Dick LeBeau, who also was Cowher's defensive coordinator on the 1995 Super Bowl team.
"The chemistry they have working with each other is real good," Porter said of Cowher and LeBeau. "[LeBeau] is one of the inventors of the 3-4 defense; he knows how to run it. And we have a [head] coach who lets the coordinator do what he does best."
As proof of Cowher's trust in LeBeau, Porter said he believes Cowher has only attended a defensive skull session "once all year and that was after the second Cincinnati game."
Porter said he understands Cowher's firebrand style.
"He's always been the same guy," said Porter who admitted he wasn't sure how to "approach a guy like that.
"You see a coach on the sideline fired up and grabbing people's facemasks and yelling at them -- I definitely didn't want to be that guy being yelled at," Porter said.
"I just like to go out there and do everything he asks me to do, as far as running to the ball and just knowing my assignments."
Porter said he can relate to Cowher's emotions.
"I just try to be myself -- I play with a lot of emotions," Porter said. "He accepts how I play."
Unit lacks recognition
Porter called the Steelers secondary -- cornerbacks Deshea Townsend and Ike Taylor and safeties Polamalu and Chris Hope -- one of the most underrated secondaries in the game.
"That definitely allows us to be more aggressive when Coach has faith in them. We can put them in some coverages and they're going to give us time to rush after the quarterback.
"If they get burnt, I feel it's my fault because they called a blitz and if we didn't get there, then we've left the quarterback with too much time."
Having dismissed Manning's Colts and Plummer's Broncos on their home turf has the Steelers rolling.
Just don't try to tell them they're America's sweethearts.
williams@vindy.com