Brian: HERE WE GO AGAIN!!

Remember last year during the New Orleans Saints' run to and through the Super Bowl? It seemed like the only thing you ever heard from fans was that chant: "Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints, who dat?" Kinda like that cool-at-first, but ultimately annoying Tomahawk Chop that Atlanta Braves fans stole from Florida State back in the '90s. Actually, that Saints chant was started back in the early '80s, if I recall - the Saints were terrible back then, but every now and then, they gave their fans reason to hope, if only for a short while. Well, fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers had their own chant back in the '70s, and if you listen closely, you'll still hear it these days. No seriously, you WILL still hear it. Why? Because "PITTSBURGH'S GOIN' TO THE SUPER BOWL. WE GOT A FEELING! PITTSBURGH'S GOIN' TO THE SUPER BOWL. WE GOT A FEELING!" I'm hearing Ronald Reagan telling all Steelers fans, "Well....there you go again." Yep, here we go, off to Dallas, already the first team to win 6 Super Bowls, and hopefully very soon to be the first to Lucky 7. Hmm, more Lombardi Trophies than anyone, but playing the team that should maybe rightfully own the Lombardi Trophy. Also, playing their 8th Super Bowl, tying a record set by the team whose home stadium is the site of this year's game.

Subplots and trash-talking aside, the Steelers-Packers clash in Super Bowl 45, or XLV, if you took Latin, in my opinion will be a classic for the ages. Well okay, here's another subplot, one that to me is actually the most intriguing. Everyone who follows the NFL knows that the Steelers defense has been one of the most successful for a number of years now, mainly because of their variety of blitzing schemes and their ability to stop opposing running games. The architect of that defense for years has been Dick LeBeau, the defensive coordinator. However, about 15 years ago, back in the mid-'90s, the defense that was once known as the Steel Curtain came to be known by a new name. Anyone remember "BLITZBURGH?" I do - I actually had a t-shirt with that very name across it. Anyway, before Dick LeBeau arrived in Pittsburgh, the coordinator of that defense - really the one that started it all - was Dom Capers. If you don't know yet where I'm going with this, the subplot here is that Dom Capers is currently the defensive coordinator for the Packers. The major similarities between the two Capers squads are a primarily 3-4 formation (3 down linemen and 4 stud linebackers) and defenses that over the course of a season simply just do not give up a lot of points. In fact, this year I do believe the Packers and Steelers were the best two teams in that category. In '94-95, Capers had Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene - this year, it's Clay Matthews and AJ Hawk. It's interesting how those Packer linebackers even have similar hairstyles to what Greene had back in the day. Comparing defenses, the Super Bowl could be a total wash. The Steeler D still features stud linebackers, just like the Packers, but while the Packers can say all they want how they have Charles Woodson, they still don't have Troy Polamalu, who is probably the biggest difference maker the NFL has seen in the last 5+ years.

As for the offenses, if you compare quarterbacks, there is obviously some fun to be had there, too. Aaron Rodgers was actually my first fantasy pick (3rd overall in my league) this season, so I've followed him closely, and I am really excited for him to have a chance to shine on the biggest stage of them all. Since he came back from his second concussion of the season a month or so ago, he has clearly been the best QB in the league, and there is no disputing that. Probably the saddest thing about the next two weeks will be the constant comparisons between Rodgers and Brett Favre, even though by now, there shouldn't be any more of those conversations. Of course, the Steelers' QB has a little something to prove himself. Say what you want about Ben Roethlisberger, but for most of his still-young career, all he has done is win. Rarely flashy, usually overshadowed by off-field issues, and always living in the shadows of the NFL's "golden boys" in Indy and New England, Roethlisberger has a chance to win his third Super Bowl in only his 7th year in the league. And while Brady had similar success while twice being named MVP of the Super Bowl, Ben hasn't had those kinds of performances in his first two Bowls. He did come up big two years ago to beat the Cardinals late, but his stats for the game weren't really MVP-caliber. And five years ago, in their win over the Seahawks, the Steelers might have just as well had Trent Dilfer quarterbacking in that game because all Ben did was score on a short run that still has Seattle fans crying conspiracy. ;oP It is my hope, for Roethlisberger's sake, that he has a huge game and gets named the game's MVP, but granted, that will take a lot of help from a mostly inexperienced group of receivers.

I know I can go on and on, and maybe many don't care about my utlimately biased views of the Super Bowl, so I won't take this much further. I will just say this, though. The early Vegas oddsmakers have the Packers as a 2 1/2 point favorite, and while that surprises me a bit, I know the Steelers will be just fine with that. To me, they always seem to play better when they're not expected to. Whatever happens, though, my hunch is that this could possibly be one of the most evenly matched and best Super Bowl games ever played, and may the best team win! (yeah, we will)