Spit Shield Purchases Skyrocketing In North Carolina

Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, beloved in many places that are not Seattle, may have given some clues yesterday about his plans for the future. He didn't announce anything, but said he'd have something to say about it next week. If he was going to stay, though, why wait to say it?

"That's for next week," Cowher said Tuesday when asked if he would return next season. "We'll talk about that next week. It won't go long. I'm not sure what the time frame is. But I think the most important thing is to be focused on this game."

What the hell... it's a slow news day, let's read into it. Pro Football Talk thinks he's done, too, and they say it's primarily about money. I think it's because he's never forgiven the Steelers for letting the dynamic talents of Kordell Stewart leave the organization.

If this is it, though, and Bill has given his last Cowher Shower, the highlight of his career will have been his triumph in Super Bowl XL in Detroit, where, if I'm remembering those SportsCenter reports correctly, Cowher gave birth to Jerome Bettis almost 35 years ago.

Cowher staying mum on coaching future [ESPN.com] Pro Football Talk Rumor Mill [ProFootballTalk.com]