Dward00
09-21-2006, 10:01 AM
Bill Cowher tried Wednesday to downplay his liberal use of the Bengals' "Who-dey?" cheer.
"I'll say this: Imitation is the greatest form of flattery," Cowher said, four days before the Bengals play at Pittsburgh. "I have a lot of respect for that organization, for that football team. Maybe (it was) getting caught up in the moment."
Cowher first borrowed the line in the postgame celebration after the Steelers defeated the Bengals 31-17 in an AFC wild card playoff game Jan. 8 at Paul Brown Stadium.
"Who dey?" he yelled to his players.
"We dey," they screamed back in unison.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, a Cowher assistant coach for four seasons in Pittsburgh, showed film of Cowher's cheer Wednesday morning to his players.
"They've seen it," Lewis said of his players. "We do a lot of different things every morning, so we have some fun."
Lewis initially tried to downplay the significance of the video, saying he had not seen it. But after reporters said several players told them Lewis showed the tape to the team, the coach smiled and said that was accurate.
Cowher used the cheer during and after the parade in Pittsburgh to celebrate the Steelers' Super Bowl XL victory.
"Who dey?" Cowher shouted to fans during the parade.
"We dey," fans yelled back.
After the celebration, Cowher, Lombardi Trophy in hand, went to the microphone and hollered: "Who dey, who dey, who dey think going to beat the NFL? The Pittsburgh Steelers."
Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson saw the video Wednesday for the first time.
"I didn't like it," Johnson said. "It was very rude."
Defensive tackle John Thornton said the video will remind Bengals players what it felt like to lose to the Steelers.
"I'll say this: Imitation is the greatest form of flattery," Cowher said, four days before the Bengals play at Pittsburgh. "I have a lot of respect for that organization, for that football team. Maybe (it was) getting caught up in the moment."
Cowher first borrowed the line in the postgame celebration after the Steelers defeated the Bengals 31-17 in an AFC wild card playoff game Jan. 8 at Paul Brown Stadium.
"Who dey?" he yelled to his players.
"We dey," they screamed back in unison.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, a Cowher assistant coach for four seasons in Pittsburgh, showed film of Cowher's cheer Wednesday morning to his players.
"They've seen it," Lewis said of his players. "We do a lot of different things every morning, so we have some fun."
Lewis initially tried to downplay the significance of the video, saying he had not seen it. But after reporters said several players told them Lewis showed the tape to the team, the coach smiled and said that was accurate.
Cowher used the cheer during and after the parade in Pittsburgh to celebrate the Steelers' Super Bowl XL victory.
"Who dey?" Cowher shouted to fans during the parade.
"We dey," fans yelled back.
After the celebration, Cowher, Lombardi Trophy in hand, went to the microphone and hollered: "Who dey, who dey, who dey think going to beat the NFL? The Pittsburgh Steelers."
Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson saw the video Wednesday for the first time.
"I didn't like it," Johnson said. "It was very rude."
Defensive tackle John Thornton said the video will remind Bengals players what it felt like to lose to the Steelers.