"If I have to put on a Jets hard hat to prevent it from being put on Mr. Rogers or The Chief, so be it," dinosaur says
OAKLAND - Local dinosaur Diplodocus carnegii says he is willing to put on a Jets hard hat in the unlikely event the Jets beat the Steelers Sunday night at Heinz Field.
The vow came about after the mayors of Pittsburgh and New York placed bets on the AFC championship game. If the Jets win, an unspecified sculpture in town would have a Jets hat placed on it, and the video would be posted to YouTube. If the Steelers win, the Terrible Towel will be draped on an unspecified New York landmark.
"I didn't give it much thought at first, because obviously the Steelers are going to win," says Dippy, who has sported Steelers gear periodically since arriving in town. "But then I thought - worst case scenario - who would wear the hat?"
Dippy immediately thought of several possibilities, none of them pretty. "It'd be bad if they put one on Mayor Caliguiri. Fred Rogers would be even worse. And then I thought, holy crap, they could try to put one on Art Rooney, Sr. That would be cataclysmic. I think another meteor would come down and wipe out all life on the planet again. I've been through that before, and let me tell you, it is no picnic."
That's when Mr. carnegii decided to volunteer. "Somebody needed to step up," he said.
Praise for Dippy's offer came from all parts of the city. Even Mike Tomlin acknowledged his offer, saying, "He and James Farrior set the tone for their outfits," the coach said. "And if I'm not mistaken, Dippy and James are the same age, too."
