OWINGS MILLS – Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Terrell Suggs upped the ante in the blood feud with the Pittsburgh Steelers without even saying a word.
During interviews Wednesday, Suggs sported a black T-shirt that says, "Hey Pittsburgh" and has a large Raven giving the middle finger salute.
Over the summer, Suggs wore a shirt at training camp that said: "You bet your sweet ass I hate Pittsburgh."
Team officials tried to stop Suggs from wearing the shirt during interviews, but were unsuccessful in deterring him.
"Nah, there ain’t no message," Suggs said. "Like I always say, I put on for my city. They rep their city and I’m repping mine. So, here we go.
"Do I seem worried? This game is going to be what it is, regardless. It’s a physical dogfight, so I’m not expecting anything different. And this is the shirt I wore this morning. This is just the shirt I chose."
Suggs said the rivalry is unparalleled.
"When it comes to football, it’s the most physical game of the year," Suggs said. "It’s going to be a physical gang fight, just like the first two games were."
Suggs said the hatred extends to the fans in the stands.
"When we go down there, they always hit us with the number ones," Suggs said. "I don’t know how they act here because I’ve always been in the locker room by the time all the fans get here. I’m pretty sure we’re hitting them with the number ones. It’s whatever. We’re just going to go play a football game."
Suggs said he embraces the enmity between the two teams and cities.
"I like playing football, and I like being a villain," Suggs said. "We like playing on the road, so I’ll be the bad guy."
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