Hard Feelings?

Big Ben: 'I don’t hate anybody'

By Joe StarkeyTRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, September 21, 2006

CINCINNATI – In a conference call Thursday with reporters in Cincinnati, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was asked about two much-publicized comments out of Bengals headquarters.
The first came from Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who told Sports Illustrated a few months back that he “hates the Steelers.” “I hope he doesn’t hate me,” Roethlisberger said, jokingly.
Does Roethlisberger hate the Bengals?
“Absolutely not,” he said. “I don’t hate anybody.”
The other comment came from Bengals coach Marvin Lewis after last year’s playoff loss to the Steelers, when Lewis was asked about the knee injury Palmer sustained in the game, on a hit from defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen. Lewis did not criticize the hit.
“To sit here like a baby and cry like their quarterback, it’s ridiculous,” Lewis said.
Lewis was referring to Roethlisberger’s comment earlier in the season, in reference to a hit from Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman in the game Dec. 4 at Heinz Field.
A few days after the game, Roethlisberger said, “From what I heard, (Thurman) said he got pushed or tripped or something; but anytime you go low on a quarterback, you know it's a little dirty.”
Yesterday, Roethlisberger responded to Lewis’s comment.
“I heard the comment, and I was kind of taken aback by it, because I don’t ever remember crying about it,” Roethlisberger said. “That’s not really my style. I don’t think it was a dirty hit when he did hit me, and I would never, even if I did think something was dirty, come out and say it was dirty. So, it kind of threw me for a loop when Coach Lewis said that, because I don’t expect that coming from him. But, hey, that’s the way he felt, and he’s entitled to his opinion, and that’s fine.”
Roethlisberger touched on one other issue: His fever at the Monday Night game against Jacksonville. It was reported at 104 degrees by ESPN reporter Michele Tafoya. Steelers coach Bill Cowher, the next morning, said the fever actually had been 100.4 degrees. Tafoya stood by her story, saying she asked Roethlisberger about the fever 90 minutes before the game.
Roethlisberger says that was not the case.
“I’m not really sure where she got 104,” he said. “You know me, I don’t really tell you guys anything. I told (ESPN’s) Chris Berman 100.4. I’m not sure what happened. I’m not going to throw her under the bus by saying she was lying. Who knows what happened.”

Joe Starkey can be reached at jstarkey@tribweb.com