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Media Day Notebook: Pittsburgh Steelers

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 28, 2009

A HAIRY SITUATION

To the surprise of virtually no one, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu fielded almost as many questions about his cascading hair Tuesday as he did football or the Arizona Cardinals.

"It's become like an extra appendage to me," Polamalu said. "Sometimes I wish I could kind of go without it - like when I'm out with my wife; you know, just out and about. I mean, it's kind of a dead giveaway. But you deal with it."

Even Polamalu's teammates got into the act. After grabbing a microphone to help out a Pittsburgh television station, offensive lineman Kendall Simmons asked Polamalu what his favorite hair care product was.

"I use the one that's willing to give me the free stuff," Polamalu said.

Polamalu, of course, is known as much for the big hits he delivers as his big hair. He's one of the more vicious players in the league but he doesn't apologize for his approach to the game.

"It's a dangerous sport and the dangerous hits are part of what drives it," Polamalu said. "It's what fans are attracted to, it's what guys make their money from."

Roy Cummings

HURRY UP AND WAIT

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn't a big fan of Super Bowl halftime shows. They're not bad, he said, if you're sitting at home watching on TV. If you're playing in the game, though, they can be problematic.

"You really have to be mentally prepared for it," he said. "I don't like it. None of us really like it. You really just want to get back on the field and play. That's why the time we normally have is just about right."

Halftime in a normal NFL game lasts about 15 minutes. The Super Bowl halftime runs about twice that long, which forces players to prepare for the second half much like they do the first, Roethlisberger said.

"Usually you just go in, get your corrections and go back out and play," Roethlisberger said. "But with this, you have to re-stretch and get ready all over again. It can be a pain."

Bruce Springsteen will perform for approximately 12 minutes during this year's halftime show. Roethlisberger said he wishes he could see - or at least hear - a part of that.

"We ought to try to get it piped in or something so we can listen to it," Roethlisberger said. "That would help kill some time anyway."

Roy Cummings

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