|
|
Sport Sections |
|
|
| | |||
| Wednesday, December 27 Associated Press | |||
| DENVER -- The San Francisco 49ers seem to be playing right
into Bill Romanowski's hands.
A week-long war of words between the irascible Denver linebacker
and 49ers players J.J. Stokes and Garrison Hearst continued
Thursday after Hearst called Romanowski a "racist dope pusher."
Shrugging off the characterization, Romanowski attacked Hearst's
standing -- or lack thereof -- in the NFL. Hearst has been sidelined
by a severe ankle injury the past two seasons.
"Garrison Hearst? I don't even know who he is," Romanowski
said. "Has he even played? I mean he's jawing and saying all that
in the paper. That's the last of my worries."
The feud stems from an infamous confrontation three years ago
when Romanowski spit in Stokes' face during a nationally televised
Monday night game.
Vilified in the days following the game, Romanowski later
offered an apology and the teams played a preseason game without
incident on Aug. 25.
Asked again this week about his regrettable night in San
Francisco, Romanowski rekindled the rivalry when he said Stokes has
"no fight in him. If somebody did that to me, they'd have to throw
me out of the game, because I'd go after him."
Stokes fired back, saying Romanowski lacks integrity and relies
on performance-enhancing drugs.
Romanowski is known for his quirky fitness regimen that includes
a hyperbaric chamber and a tackle box filled with vitamins and
nutritional supplements. He also has been charged with fraudulently
obtaining prescription drugs.
Romanowski has a history of playing head games with opposing
players, but Broncos coach Mike Shanahan questioned his judgment
this week.
"If Bill did strike it up again, it's a bad decision on his
part," Shanahan said. "He tried to apologize. Obviously he didn't
take his apology. For him to go back into it I think is a mistake,
but Bill has a way of trying to get players to get out of the
mindset of playing and start thinking of other things. I'm sure
that's the direction he's going."
| ALSO SEE
Round Two? Romanowski tells Stokes to 'fight back'Griese or Frerotte? Broncos say they can win with either | ||
Bill Romanowski talks with Andrea Kremer about his feud with the 49ers.
Mike Shanahan talks about Bill Romanowski's verbal jousting with San Francisco.