The Steelers officially have vacated the throne of defending Super Bowl champions. At least they didn't relinquish
it to the Patriots. In the five years since the Patriots last won the Super Bowl, the team that I've rooted for in the big
game has won. That doesn't count Super Bowl XLI, when the Colts beat the Bears. I really didn't care who won that one.
Here are 10 random thoughts and observations, mostly about the Super Bowl, that have been rattling around my brain
like loose marbles:
Dressed for success
The team wearing the white uniform has won six straight Super Bowls.
The Patriots started the streak with their win over the Eagles in
Super Bowl XXXIX. But the Steelers gave the streak some momentum when
they won three straight road playoff games in their white jerseys
in 2005. To keep that mojo going, Bill Cowher chose the white jerseys
even though the Steelers were the "home" team for Super
Bowl XL. The team in white has won ever since. Talk about Cowher Power.
Mark your calendars, maybe
Don't be surprised if the Steelers play in the Thursday night season
opener for the second year in a row.
As the Super Bowl champions,
the Saints will host that game, and the Steelers are on the Saints'
home schedule. I'd say it's either going to be the Steelers, the Vikings
(which might aid Brett Favre's decision-making process) or the Falcons.
The Saints' other home opponents are the Panthers, Buccaneers, Rams,
Seahawks and Browns.
The last two games between the Steelers and Saints have been entertaining.
In 2006, the Steelers won a 38-31 shootout at Heinz Field. In 2002,
the Saints beat the Steelers 32-29 at the Superdome in Tommy Maddox's
first start for the Steelers.
In 1967, the Steelers came
close to being the first team ever to lose to the Saints. They overcame
a 10-0 deficit in the fourth quarter and won 14-10. The Saints fell
to 0-7 in their inaugural season but beat the Eagles the following
week for their first franchise win.
Neat stuff, huh?
If the NFL maintains the formula
of starting the season the week after Labor Day, the 2010 Thursday-night
opener would be Sept. 9.
Memo to the owners
The increasing likelihood of a lockout in 2011 has me really pissed
and a little less excited about the 2010 season. Hey owners, your
workers sacrifice their bodies for you, compromising their short-
and long-term health and even their life expectancy in some cases.
So what if they have a bigger piece of the revenue pie. They deserve
it.
Memo to the Steelers
I hope the Steelers learned from watching the Saints what
can happen when your defensive backs actually catch the ball.
Look a little closer
The MGM Mirage puts the Steelers' odds of winning Super Bowl XLV at 7-1, second only to the Colts at 5-1. Apparently they're anticipating the
return of Troy Polamalu and figure the Steelers were just a dropped interception or two away from the playoffs in 2009. What
they're not seeing is the signs of age on the Steelers' defense.
Up with Who?
Those
who wondered why The Who was chosen for the Super Bowl halftime show,
let's not forget that Up With People was the act for several Super Bowl halftime shows, most recently in 1986.
Less of Moore
My biggest disappointment
with the CBS telecast of the Super Bowl is that Colts' offensive coordinator
Tom Moore, who I like to call "Coach Pruneface," got very
little face time. I find the sight of Moore hilarious. He constantly
looks like he's swallowing grapefruit juice or some rotten-tasting
medicine.
Blue Collie
I imagine Colts wide receiver Austin Collie is pretty bummed
out about the way the Super Bowl turned out. Maybe we can call this
"Austin Collie and the Infinite Sadness." I know, I know.
Lame. Don't worry. I won't close with this one.
Heaven for the Saints
I think everyone, including me, rooted for the Saints in this Super Bowl with the exception of Colts fans, certain gamblers and George W. Bush. It's nice to see the people of New Orleans have something
to celebrate post-Katrina. It's also a good lesson in perserverance
considering the futility Saints fans endured for so many years.
But there's one image from this season that stuck with me
and made me pull for the Saints just a little bit harder.
When
the Saints beat the Patriots 38-17 in a Monday-night game Nov. 30,
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick stood next to each other on the sidelines near the end of the game, looked at each other and couldn't figure out what to say.
The Colts came back to beat the Patriots
in the 2006 AFC championship game. The Giants beat the Patriots in
Super Bowl XLII. The Steelers beat the Patriots at Gillette Stadium
to establish themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders in 2008. Then there was that Saints' victory.
Not only did that game help me like the Saints a little more, it also helped me finally forgive them
for losing to the Patriots in the final weekend of the 1980 regular season, which knocked the Steelers out of the playoff
picture the year after they won their fourth Super Bowl. Like the Saints were going to beat the Patriots anyway. They were
1-15 that year.
By the way, the Patriots come to Heinz
Field next season.
