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Saturday, December 09, 2000

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Steelers vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. tomorrow, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. TV, radio: KDKA; WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970).

Steelers punter Josh Miller said the fine levied against Oakland Raiders DE Regan Upshaw for spitting on him in Sunday's game was too severe. Upshaw was fined one week's salary, almost $30,000, by the NFL. "I think that's too much," Miller said yesterday. "That's a lot of money. I don't make the rules, but when I heard that number I was with my wife and she was like, 'Oh, my God.' If I would have done that and been fined $30,000, I'd have thought that was a lot of money." Miller said he expected Upshaw to be slapped with something closer to the $7,500 fine the league levied against Denver Broncos LB Bill Romanowski in 1997 when he spat on San Francisco 49ers WR J.J. Stokes. "I was thinking $10,000," Miller said. " I just think that's too much." Upshaw, who makes $500,000 this season, said he spat on Miller because the Steelers' punter used a curse word that "pushed me over the edge."

QB Kordell Stewart has practiced all week despite the calf injury that forced him out of the Raiders' game for one quarter and said he is experiencing no problems. Stewart, who will start his seventh consecutive game tomorrow when the Steelers play the New York Giants, said he has never missed a game because of injury, going all the way back to high school. "I've been blessed by the good Lord," he said.

Giants WR Ike Hilliard, who missed the past two games with a bruised lung and sternum, has practiced every day this week and is expected to return against the Steelers. However, former Penn State WR Joe Jurevicius probably will start at the second wide receiver position for the third game in a row. Hillard, though, wants to be sure he is able to absorb hits over the middle. "That's the game I play," he told the New York Times. "If you don't want to be hit, you're not a receiver." Also, Giants T Lomas Brown (back), who missed the first two days of practice this week, is expected to play against the Steelers.

Early inactives for the Steelers are C Dermontti Dawson (hamstring), RB Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala (foot), WR Kamil Loud and DT Jeremy Staat.