Not to ruin any celebrations...

[mat1419]

But this Super Bowl has huge potential to be a dud. At least from the NFL's stand point. I think it's great what both teams have done and I know their fans will be going nuts for this, but there won't be a huge amount of national appeal with these two teams.

That said, this match up is better than if the Broncos had made it, because the Steelers fans are spread nationwide. And the Steelers have a great story to bring to the table with Bettis and his almost definate last game.

But for the NFL, when a team from the upper Northwest wins the NFC, where generally people compare the top team in the conference to the 5th or 6th in the AFC, they've got to be worried. Not only is the fan base smaller than they like, and certainly more off the radar, they're faced with a match up of the 6th seed in the AFC versus the top team in a weak conference.

Now I know fans of the teams and real NFL fans will watch. They'll find the intrigue in the fact that the top NFC team is playing the top AFC team based on playoff performance. But for the common fan, the fan that shows up one day a year, this match up doesn't hold much for them. To them it's like a 4 seed and a 7 seed making it to the NCAA championship. Yeah, it's a championship game, but it doesn't feel like one.

One of two things will happen: 1) These teams, or at least one of them, are in the beginning of a legit run. The Seahawks are the NFC's beast now, or the Steelers are done playing second fiddle to Manning and Brady all year. One or both of these guys can follow the path of the Pats team that beat the Rams out of nowhere.
or 2) We get the Bucs/Raiders again. Both teams played damn well and got to where they were, but when push comes to shove, it was a lot of circumstance that got them there, and things will fall back into place next year.

I have no idea which this is from an objective standpoint, but I am curious to see how the NFL markets this Super Bowl to peak the average fan's interest.

[sundaysetsashes]

good points made. i think its going to be like a bucs/raiders matchup type thing where seattle may fall into obscurity next year. but i think pitt may be starting a run

[RedWineSheets]

Well put.

[LeftWideOpen]

good points made. i think its going to be like a bucs/raiders matchup type thing where seattle may fall into obscurity next year. but i think pitt may be starting a run

I think both these teams are set up well for long term success, as long as the running game's are addressed. For Pitt, that means an upgrade on Willie Parker. For Seattle, that means Alexander is re-signed.

Seattle has no chance to fall into obscurity because they play in the NFC West. St.Louis might make a quick turnaround, but Arizona and San Fran are still about 2 years away from mattering.

Pittsburgh has to deal with Cincinati, who should only get better if Palmer returns healthy. Baltimore is also only one offensive playmaker away from mattering, and Cleveland is a year or two away from mattering.

Either way, I don't think this season's SB contestants will drop off like some of the previous Super Bowl teams (mostly the losers). They will both be back and successful next season if they address their running games.

[SuperJoe]

To them it's like a 4 seed and a 7 seed making it to the NCAA championship. Yeah, it's a championship game, but it doesn't feel like one.

i disagree. this pittsburgh team is far from bad. remember this team went 15-1 in the regular season last year and didn't really lose much this year. this is still very much the same steelers team as last year. they had to deal with injuries, such as roethlisberger being out for a bit. granted they barely made the playoffs, but i still feel that the steelers and pats were the 2 best teams in the AFC this year. and don't discredit seattle either. in an arguably bad conference, seattle showed the only true domination of anybody. however, the seahawks are still a very good team. i'd say this is more of a 2-3 matchup.

i do agree with the marketing though. people wanted a pats/eagles rematch coming into this season. but everything flipped this year. chicago and the bungles winning their divisions? eagles winning 6 games? falcons didn't even make the playoffs? but this super bowl isn't really much different to recent SB's. up to last year, people still were barely giving the pats any credit for being as good as they were. and even after 3 titles, i still don't think they were as marketable/favorable as say, the cowboys of the 90s. but seriously, think back. besides oakland/tb, how about carolina/new england? what a bad combo that was.

i am intrigued for this game, and will surely be watching as this is the closest a lions fan will ever get to seeing a super bowl in detroit.

[FondestMemory]

I think both these teams are set up well for long term success, as long as the running game's are addressed. For Pitt, that means an upgrade on Willie Parker. For Seattle, that means Alexander is re-signed.

pittsburgh's running game is just fine. if you're judging it just by the playoffs, yeah, willie hasn't been playing well.

but there's still duce staley, who just hasn't been dressing cause they don't need him. he'll be back next year. verron hayes is a great third down back who can step in and get carries if needed. and parker's only in his second year, his first as a starter. and he broke 1000 yards.

so yeah, pittsburgh's running game is in no trouble. and they'll keep their core unit of stars around for a while, so they'll be good for quite a few years after this one.

[sundaysetsashes]

this is arguably one of the worst seasons in the NFLs history. there wasnt much competition really. there were either really good teams or shitty teams. no one meddled in mediocrity. which every NFL season has had. there was an article written on espn.com awhile back discussing the same thing i just said. and i dont think it sucked because the eagles sucked, it was just all around a season to forget. the shitty teams outnumbered the pretty good teams by a wide margin

[sundaysetsashes]

and im cringing with the thought that pitt is really going to win the superbowl. they totally deserve it though.

[mat1419]

i disagree. this pittsburgh team is far from bad.


it's a perception thing. the Steelers were totally overshadowed by the Colts and Pats all year. Not to mention when Pitt wins, they do it somewhat quietly. I agree that as far as talent goes, they should be given respect, but to the general public, especially after their up and down regular season, they aren't as impressive. Remember, a lot of the nation has only seen Pitt a few times this year, and one was getting handled by Indy.

[sundaysetsashes]

the white quarterback theory is strengthened for yet another year...

[mat1419]

how about carolina/new england? what a bad combo that was.


it was a bad combo...but the Pats were going for 2 in 3 years and the dynasty talk was already starting up. Plus Brady was already a household name by then. That was enough to get people in for the first quarter. Then they gave them an amazing game.

[Johnny_G]

pittsburgh's running game is just fine. if you're judging it just by the playoffs, yeah, willie hasn't been playing well.

but there's still duce staley, who just hasn't been dressing cause they don't need him. he'll be back next year. verron hayes is a great third down back who can step in and get carries if needed. and parker's only in his second year, his first as a starter. and he broke 1000 yards.

so yeah, pittsburgh's running game is in no trouble. and they'll keep their core unit of stars around for a while, so they'll be good for quite a few years after this one.

They'll cut Staley next year. Don't be surprised to see him return to Philly in a one year deal most likely incentive based...

[SuperJoe]

it was a bad combo...but the Pats were going for 2 in 3 years and the dynasty talk was already starting up. Plus Brady was already a household name by then. That was enough to get people in for the first quarter. Then they gave them an amazing game.

yes, but still, the 3 SB pats still are not THAT huge. i'd liken them to the detroit pistons, in that, even though they were quite good, they still don't get a lot of respect. hell, it took brady 3 super bowls to be put on the same page as manning, mcnabb, and vick.

[mat1419]

yes, but still, the 3 SB pats still are not THAT huge. i'd liken them to the detroit pistons, in that, even though they were quite good, they still don't get a lot of respect. hell, it took brady 3 super bowls to be put on the same page as manning, mcnabb, and vick.
the Pats were enough to bring people in to watch. Detroit has been a great team for a few years, but still pulls in crappier ratings than Shaq vs Kobe. All I'm saying is there's not enough back story to either of these teams for people to latch on right now.

[sundaysetsashes]

plus the NBA isnt a moneymaker like the NFL is. the NBA is finally trying to market their product to non-urban communities. ie cleaning up their image. so even if detroit rolls out 5 championships in 6 years, they still wouldnt be front page news.

[leafsacc]

the Super Bowl is a tradition no matter who is playing, i don't think there will be as much excitement surrounding the game, but i don't think that's going to stop people from watching. For a lot of people, this is the only game they watch all year, and they couldn't care less who was playing as long as they get to sit around with a bunch of their friends and eat junk food.

[sundaysetsashes]

theres only one intriguing story on either sideline:

will bettis go out on top and will holmgren be the first to win 2 SBs with different teams

[sundaysetsashes]

and by the way did anyone catch holmgren call hassleback brett in the pre-game interview?

[histrionics22]

the Pats were enough to bring people in to watch. Detroit has been a great team for a few years, but still pulls in crappier ratings than Shaq vs Kobe. All I'm saying is there's not enough back story to either of these teams for people to latch on right now.

Do you know this for a fact or are you just guessing on the Super Bowl numbers because you like the Pats? Personally I could barely watch last few years.

[histrionics22]

theres only one intriguing story on either sideline:

will bettis go out on top and will holmgren be the first to win 2 SBs with different teams

How about Ben Roethlisberger, going to the AFC Championship game in his rookie year and the Super Bowl in his 2nd year. I think thats a good story line.

[Drew Beringer]

Super Bowl XL: Commercials > actual game

[sundaysetsashes]

he likes the birds, not the pats.

[sundaysetsashes]

How about Ben Roethlisberger, going to the AFC Championship game in his rookie year and the Super Bowl in his 2nd year. I think thats a good story line.


thats not intriguing enough for the fly by night fan.

[mat1419]

Do you know this for a fact or are you just guessing on the Super Bowl numbers because you like the Pats? Personally I could barely watch last few years.
I'm not saying it because of the Pats at all...you can go way before them. Denver had a compelling story, same with Green Bay down through the Cowboys. You have to throw out the biases either way. If you're a fan you're going to watch. If you can't stand a team, you probably won't. It's the rest of the population that the NFL is focused on right now and there just isn't an easy storyline to make this a must watch game for the guy who doesn't watch football much.

[mat1419]

he likes the birds, not the pats.
this is true

[mat1419]

thats not intriguing enough for the fly by night fan.
this is also true...Dynasty, Superstar, Terrell Owens, Big Market...these are words Paul Tags is loving this time of year...he's lacking this year. Not to say there aren't great players on both teams, but the Hawks are way up in the corner and get less exposure, and the Steelers are a working man's team and aren't flashy.

[sundaysetsashes]

i even think holmgrens story line isnt intriguing. they are gonna have to ride the bus getting his ring in his last year as their big story i guess. but im sure they will find something else.

did u see the one guy said we might sign staley next year. i dont see it happening, but do u think it could?

[mat1419]

i even think holmgrens story line isnt intriguing. they are gonna have to ride the bus getting his ring in his last year as their big story i guess. but im sure they will find something else.

did u see the one guy said we might sign staley next year. i dont see it happening, but do u think it could?
rumors are flying about a lot of stuff if you check Spadarro's piece on the website. I've heard Duce quite a bit though and would be fine with that. I've also heard good things about drafting that WR from Ohio State which you be two huge gaps filled on O.

[sundaysetsashes]

the WR issue needs to be dealt with in signing an already proven WR. drafting one and sticking him on the other side of reggie brown maybe would be a bad idea in that eagles fans would riot

[mat1419]

the WR issue needs to be dealt with in signing an already proven WR. drafting one and sticking him on the other side of reggie brown maybe would be a bad idea in that eagles fans would riot
perhaps, but a first rounder is better than nothing, which knowing Reid is a very real possibilty. "we're good, we believe in the guys we've got...yada yada". I just hope they pull the moves they need to this year.

[sundaysetsashes]

i think if they cut kearse like they have been saying, they would have more than enough money to sign 3 stud free agents, and i hope theres enough out there this year.

[histrionics22]

I'm not saying it because of the Pats at all...you can go way before them. Denver had a compelling story, same with Green Bay down through the Cowboys. You have to throw out the biases either way. If you're a fan you're going to watch. If you can't stand a team, you probably won't. It's the rest of the population that the NFL is focused on right now and there just isn't an easy storyline to make this a must watch game for the guy who doesn't watch football much.

Alright I get what you're saying. I think its a tradition for most of America. Football gets bigger every year too. I hate the Pats but I still watch the ones with them in them (Won some money as well). I just don't think the loss of compelling storylines will hurt the game.

[FondestMemory]

rumors are flying about a lot of stuff if you check Spadarro's piece on the website. I've heard Duce quite a bit though and would be fine with that. I've also heard good things about drafting that WR from Ohio State which you be two huge gaps filled on O.

i don't see why you don't think duce will be a steeler next year. there's no reason for them to cut him, unless jerome comes back.

[mat1419]

i don't see why you don't think duce will be a steeler next year. there's no reason for them to cut him, unless jerome comes back.
i didn't say one way or another. but he's a lot of cap space being taken up for a guy who hasn't played much. i personally think he's going to be, but right now the Steelers have a starter with Parker and Hayes as a 3rd down...there's a chance they might not want to keep spending that kind of cash on a guy who is 15 carries a game when he's healthy.

[sundaysetsashes]

yeah duce definitely wont be back. not with parker emerging and hayes backing him up. and hes injury prone. what makes you think he will stay with the steelers

[splitsecond]

Pittsburgh has a huge fanbase nationwide. Trust me, there is an appeal. I just feel sorry for Seattle, because no one outside of Washington gives a shit about the Seahawks.


Kind of reminds onf the 49ers/Chargers superbowl, except it should be a little closer.

[mat1419]

Pittsburgh has a huge fanbase nationwide. Trust me, there is an appeal. I just feel sorry for Seattle, because no one outside of Washington gives a shit about the Seahawks.


Kind of reminds onf the 49ers/Chargers superbowl, except it should be a little closer.
they do have a fan base all over thanks to the 70's, and those fans will be all about it. But it's not the same sort of fan base as the 49ers. That team was the popular team, so the bandwagon fans were very interested in them. That's not the case for these Steelers. Those bandwagon fans are in Indianapolis right now looking for Vanderjagt.

[sundaysetsashes]

san fran/san diego?

are you kidding me. bad superbowl example.

i dont think theres a single city in california that anyone couldnt market.

[still_life]

This game will have huge ratings, because it's the Steelers. The WC game against Cincinnati had 30.4 million viewers, and for comparison, the Rose Bowl had 35.6 million. SB 30 between Dallas and Pittsburgh was the highest viewed event ever. The Steelers always bring in ratings, this will be no different.

[Caleb Cattivera]

This game will have huge ratings, because it's the Steelers. The WC game against Cincinnati had 30.4 million viewers, and for comparison, the Rose Bowl had 35.6 million. SB 30 between Dallas and Pittsburgh was the highest viewed event ever. The Steelers always bring in ratings, this will be no different.

you gave up on the steelers a couple of weeks ago, your rooting for the seahawks right?

[mat1419]

you gave up on the steelers a couple of weeks ago, your rooting for the seahawks right?
depends who wins

[still_life]

you gave up on the steelers a couple of weeks ago, your rooting for the seahawks right?

I never "gave up", and I hate Seattle.

[mat1419]

Dallas
oh those guys with the insane amount of Hall of Famers playing? I wonder if they had anything to do with it???

[still_life]

oh those guys with the insane amount of Hall of Famers playing? I wonder if they had anything to do with it???

Insane amount? There's maybe 4 HOF players for that team, and that was their weakeast year during their run. Barry Switzer was a joke of a coach. It was a classic matchup, since it was the third SB meeting between the two.

[mat1419]

Insane amount? There's maybe 4 HOF players for that team, and that was their weakeast year during their run. Barry Switzer was a joke of a coach. It was a classic matchup, since it was the third SB meeting between the two.
at least 5 counting Moose who will eventually make it. Probably closer to 7.

But even if we low ball it at 4, and I give you the Steelers have the most widespread fan base in the NFL...that rating wasn't for them.

[FASSWcore]

good points. i know that i'll be one of the diehards pushing for the steelers. it's in my blood.

[still_life]

at least 5 counting Moose who will eventually make it. Probably closer to 7.

But even if we low ball it at 4, and I give you the Steelers have the most widespread fan base in the NFL...that rating wasn't for them.

Moose isn't going to the hall, are you crazy?

Emmitt (lock), Aikman (probably this year, though I question him as a first ballot HOFer), Irvin might not make it ever, and perhaps Larry Allen with his constant Pro Bowl appearances. I guess Darren Woodson has a shot too.

Aikman said about 75% of the stadium was for the Steelers. People love this team, and this SB will have huge ratings. They won't be record breaking numbers, but it will be up there.

[weezer182]

i never understood why the superbowl needs to be in two weeks after the championship games. just play it a week later

[mat1419]

Moose isn't going to the hall, are you crazy?

Emmitt (lock), Aikman (probably this year, though I question him as a first ballot HOFer), Irvin might not make it ever, and perhaps Larry Allen with his constant Pro Bowl appearances. I guess Darren Woodson has a shot too.

Aikman said about 75% of the stadium was for the Steelers. People love this team, and this SB will have huge ratings. They won't be record breaking numbers, but it will be up there.
Moose is going in, nowhere near first ballot, but he'll be at least an old timers choice in 20 years. Irvin will make it next year. Aikman is in. Emmitt is in. Allen and Woodson are in. Haley is in. Sanders is in. On top of that they have 5 maybe's down the line.

[still_life]

I definitely forgot about Deion Sanders, he's in. Though he played so many places, it's easy to forget him as a Cowboy.

There is no way in hell Moose is going to make it, ever. He has 2 PB's, and 25 career TDs (including playoffs). The guy hardly ran the ball (never broke 215 yards in a season), and he wasn't that big of a pass receiver (never had 400 yards receiving). You have to be a Larry Csonka type FB to make the HOF, and he's far from it. I take it you've never looked at the list of RBs/FBs in the HOF, have you? No way he'll ever even get a vote.

[mat1419]

I definitely forgot about Deion Sanders, he's in. Though he played so many places, it's easy to forget him as a Cowboy.

There is no way in hell Moose is going to make it, ever. He has 2 PB's, and 25 career TDs (including playoffs). The guy hardly ran the ball (never broke 215 yards in a season), and he wasn't that big of a pass receiver (never had 400 yards receiving). You have to be a Larry Csonka type FB to make the HOF, and he's far from it. I take it you've never looked at the list of RBs/FBs in the HOF, have you? No way he'll ever even get a vote.
i think if you spend your career blocking for the NFL's all time leading rusher...you may get some votes. definately not a prototype statline for a HOF'er, but the circumstances are different.

regardless...smith, aikman, irvin, allen, woodson, sanders, haley. that's 7 before we even get into the maybes. point is, the Steelers brough their fans, but the TV's were tuned to the Superstars, and I'm not talking about Neil O'Donnell.

[still_life]

i think if you spend your career blocking for the NFL's all time leading rusher...you may get some votes. definately not a prototype statline for a HOF'er, but the circumstances are different.

regardless...smith, aikman, irvin, allen, woodson, sanders, haley. that's 7 before we even get into the maybes. point is, the Steelers brough their fans, but the TV's were tuned to the Superstars, and I'm not talking about Neil O'Donnell.

Lorenzo Neal has a better HOF case than Moose. The guy always blocks for a 1000 yard rusher, and on many different teams. FB is extremely tough to get in, and I don't see anyone that's played the position since the 80's ever getting in. They're just not used the way they used to be.

Emmitt is still the only slam dunk first ballot choice so far. Let's see what happens with Aikman on the list right now. I think Woodson is questionable, Irvin is very questionable because of his character, Larry Allen won't be first ballot probably, and Haley has a fairly good shot. If Favre and Bettis are done this year, then Deion might struggle to be a first ballot guy. No way Jimmy Johnson or fucking Switzer will ever be up for a HOF coach. And that's surprising since you have Noll, Walsh, and definitely in the future, Belichick, there.

I'm sure the Steeler fans dominated the TV viewings too. It's not like they were a flash in the pan team like these 05 Seahawks, 00 Giants, 98 Falcons types.

[mat1419]

Lorenzo Neal has a better HOF case than Moose. The guy always blocks for a 1000 yard rusher, and on many different teams. FB is extremely tough to get in, and I don't see anyone that's played the position since the 80's ever getting in. They're just not used the way they used to be.

Emmitt is still the only slam dunk first ballot choice so far. Let's see what happens with Aikman on the list right now. I think Woodson is questionable, Irvin is very questionable because of his character, Larry Allen won't be first ballot probably, and Haley has a fairly good shot. If Favre and Bettis are done this year, then Deion might struggle to be a first ballot guy. No way Jimmy Johnson or fucking Switzer will ever be up for a HOF coach. And that's surprising since you have Noll, Walsh, and definitely in the future, Belichick, there.

I'm sure the Steeler fans dominated the TV viewings too. It's not like they were a flash in the pan team like these 05 Seahawks, 00 Giants, 98 Falcons types.
I think Neal will have a shot too...but the fact that he wasn't tied to one guy will hurt him. Moose has become a legend by being in one place with Emmitt. You have to realize a total blocking full back is a fairly recent innovation. Back in the day full backs ran a whole lot more. The voting criteria will eventually change to match that. And I totally agree that most of those guys aren't first ballots, but they will get in. There are plenty of chances to get in, and they'll all get in before they even have to sweat it. Jimmy would be a HOF coach if he came back and did a little more, Barry, no way, not ever.

I'm not saying the Steelers are a flash in the pan team at all. In fact, I even mentioned that the NFL is thrilled they made it because if it had been Denver they were SOL. The point merely was, with a lack of storylines or really recognizable teams, this thing has a shot to be forgettable.

[still_life]

The FB position is pretty much dead in the NFL. I don't see anything bringing it back to the point where they start thinking about putting these guys in the HOF. When some excellent skill players like Art Monk aren't getting a fair shot, no way Moose Johnston is.

I was talking about the 95 Steelers being or not being a flash in the pan. They made the playoffs the three seasons before that one. If this was Denver-Seattle, it'd be horrible for the league. I think this has a chance to be one of the best SB's ever, because let's face it, most of the SB's have sucked. They've been a rout by halftime, or at best, the 3rd quarter. Anything close is a good SB today.

[mat1419]

The FB position is pretty much dead in the NFL. I don't see anything bringing it back to the point where they start thinking about putting these guys in the HOF. When some excellent skill players like Art Monk aren't getting a fair shot, no way Moose Johnston is.

I was talking about the 95 Steelers being or not being a flash in the pan. They made the playoffs the three seasons before that one. If this was Denver-Seattle, it'd be horrible for the league. I think this has a chance to be one of the best SB's ever, because let's face it, most of the SB's have sucked. They've been a rout by halftime, or at best, the 3rd quarter. Anything close is a good SB today.
sadly, it is a dead art. by now the guys big enough to be fullbacks in the 50's are fast enough to be running backs. power I was is going to be a college fad in 10 years. Art Monk will get in eventually too. You're thinking short term...it's a long process, there are a lot of chances to get in.

And I think this year could be a great Super Bowl. All the original post was saying was it isn't sexy match up. It probably won't pull in a random fan who heard the main story lines of Brady, and The Colts, and TO and suddenly these two teams he doesn't know a thing about are in the Super Bowl.