LenDale White Defends Decision to Deface Terrible Towel

Earlier this week, JJ pointed out that Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan admitted that defacing the Terrible Towel wasn't "... what this coach is about, that's not what our team is about. You do it in between the lines ... the rest of it is unacceptable."

He was referring to this, when teammates LenDale White and Keith Bulluck went to town on a Terrible Towel in the closing minutes of their Week 16 beatdown of the Steelers. Myron Cope's spirit was not amused. Tennessee would lose to Baltimore in the divisional round of the playoffs, and Pittsburgh would win their sixth Super Bowl in team history.

There's a lesson in there somewhere, and Finnegan learned it. White, however, did not. Appearing on Sporting News Radio Wednesday, White shared his thoughts on Finnegan's remarks:

"That's football to me. I have fun with the game and like I said, if Troy [Polamalu] and Willie Parker and Big Ben... if me stepping on that towel made them want to win a championship even hard[er] then I feel bad for their coaches anyways. If me and Keith Bullock... if me stepping on your towel made them win a Super Bowl ... they better hope we step on it again this year right?

We go out there and play, we love this game. you brought your towel into our stadium, that's our house and we defend it how we defend it. Cortland defends it how he does. He get his personal fouls and his fines and that's what he does."

Like LenDale, I feel awful for the Steelers coaching staff, many of whom have won two Super Bowls in three years. It must be an unbearable existence.

Look, in general, it's silly to think that a bunch of grown men would be offended by other grown men disrespecting a canary yellow hand towel. But the Steelers are Pittsburgh. And Myron Cope was the patron saint of football in that town. It doesn't take a lot of brain power to put the two together -- just ask T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

White contends that bringing "your towel into our stadium" left the Titans no recourse but to "defend [our house] ... how we defend it," and I'm fine with that. Defending your house is critical in the NFL (and the real world!). I suppose it's a good thing the Ravens didn't have their version of the Trophy Towel during the AFC Divisional game. The Titans would probably be world champs right now.

As Gretz mentioned via e-mail, Heinz Field might not have enough security if White does it again. We'll find out Sept. 10.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-15-2009 @ 3:16PM

soulcitysigma1914 said...

what a fat bastard

5-15-2009 @ 4:24PM

skins2win said...

HAHAHAHA! Players and fans of other teams have come to hate your stupid little towels. What does it symbolize anyhow? If I had a truck load of them I would wipe my butt with one everytime I made a poop. Steelers fans bash everything thats not black and wizz yellow, but can't handle when it happens to them. GET OVER IT!

5-15-2009 @ 9:09PM

Roger Ray said...

The Towel is a income source for a non-profit organization that takes care of handicapped folks. Myron's son happens to be a resident there.
It also is a great way to connect to your fellow fan's and to show your colors... way before color's meant something else.
I loved Tenn's cute little baby blue colored towels. Mmmm, so sweet cuddly.

5-15-2009 @ 3:42PM

screwface5 said...

Lendale White YOUR ARE A BAMA, you don't even make sense. He could have just shut his mouth and not said anything about his teammates comments (which were right), like Keith Bulluck did, but he had to justify it somehow, like it is somehow good sportsmanship and if thats football to him I hope he knows he just put a hit on himself, because all the steelers are going to have a target on ending his season.

5-15-2009 @ 3:50PM

slfpgh said...

redskins are a great team,not. what in the hell did you ass kissin losers ever win? the senate bowl? Maybe the toilet bowl. also lets talk about your craps! did well this year. Made it to the second round. Ha,ha. The skins might make it to the hula bowl.LOSERS.

5-16-2009 @ 12:37PM

Tenabuggy said...

Three Super Bowl trophies, baby!

5-15-2009 @ 4:57PM

the skins are the most profitable franchise in NFL history............they haven't won a superbowl since the first gibbs, but atleast they have alot of good fans unlike the titans who will probably never win the big game. On the other hand Pittsburghs fans are probably the best in football and one of the reasons they have won 6 superbowls and you wouldn't want to be cheering another team at heinz field, so stomp on them terrible towels all you want, but unless you want to end up in a couple body bags don't do it in there house. And what other team has won as many superbowls as them? Cowboys might be considered Americas team, but they weren't better than them in the 70's, or now, so their is no comparison. Anyone who atleast doesn't respect the Steelers is stupid, because their a blue collar team in a very small market (ever been to pittsburgh?) with only a few big contract players, only one on offense (Polamalu, Harrison, Farrior and Roethlesberger) Harrison just got his big contract after the superbowl and yet they can beat all these teams that have alot more money to waste. I'm a skins fan, because i was born and live in d.c. but i've always respected the steelers because of this and plus my moms from a steeltown outside pittsburgh so keep on sippin' haterade, but it ain't going to get you a superbowl, let alone 6 of them

5-15-2009 @ 5:30PM

sandytarrdesign said...

The Steelers are bunch whinning babies.

5-15-2009 @ 6:11PM

shummey327 said...

All you Steelers haters can quit your whinning and sit back and watch the Steelers win number 7

5-15-2009 @ 9:16PM

neil said...

Lendale have another donut you lard azz...nobody in Pittsburgh even knows who you are when you come here this year you better strap it up cause we are going to turn your big azz up to the sun

5-15-2009 @ 11:38PM

J.P. Perkins said...

Screw the Squealers & their filthy snot rag.What a bunch of iron belt losers.Your city is a garbage heap,your players are classless punks,& the fans
are illiterate cross breeders.Have a nice day.

5-16-2009 @ 3:57AM

gcn said...

JP Perkins must have bet his house on the Cards, what a buttsore loser.

5-16-2009 @ 9:24AM

Mr. Perkins,did you finish grade school?? How does it go at Mcdonalds? that is what you do,right? Get your guns out and blow everyone away! You will still be a loser!!!!!

5-16-2009 @ 10:19PM

vegassteeler said...

Dumb Ass, I can`t wait till James cracks this fool when he tries to run up the middle. First of all I never even heard of him until he did that and it was stupid. So is he saying stomp all handicap children. Dumb Ass do your research I know you can google.

5-18-2009 @ 5:51PM

stoneylee3 said...

all you wanna be football enthusist who hate the steelers we are a proud team and we will kick ass on anybody who disrespects us or our town. so shut the @#$% up especially you skins2win

5-18-2009 @ 6:17PM

Joe said...

skins2win...you have serious anger issues relating to the Steelers, probably your normal reaction to fear. If you didn't sound so ignorant and squat when you pee, maybe you could become a Steelers fan. It's just a game, let it go and get over it....