Super Bowl XL

I haven't made a true "first post" for a week now, so I decided to do so. The first thing that came to my mind as a subject for my first post was the Super Bowl. Being the avid Steelers fan that I am, I will be counting the hours until the big game this Sunday. This is the second Super Bowl appearance for the Steelers since 2006, my freshman year at Penn State. Although I am extremely excited for the game this Sunday, it seems as if it will not come close to the enthusiasm that I had back in 2006.

I have though of several reason for this:

1. Been there, done that:
In 2006, the Steelers were returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995. At the time I was in 3rd grade and I remember crying when Niel O'Donnell threw two game changing interceptions to Larry Brown that gave the Dallas Cowboys their fifth Lombardi Trophy. When the Steelers beat the Seahawks three years ago, it was so gratifying and seemed to wash away the tears from my childhood (I don't think I would have cried if they would have lost three years ago).
2. Lag time between AFC Championship and SB
This year, and in many recent years, the NFL has scheduled an off week between the AFC/NFC championships and the Super Bowl. This is supposed to give the players a chance to rest; however, in a money driven society, it really gives the media and the NFL another week to "hype up" the Super Bowl. I feel like this extra week kills my mojo. I was so excited after the AFC championship win vs. the Ravens that I wanted the Super Bowl to be played the next day. This extra week seems to throw ashes on the fire.

3. The Arizona Cardinals
C'mon, they are playing the Arizona Cardinals. I just can't get pumped for this matchup. Sure, the Super Bowl is on the line but winning requires beating the Arizona Cardinals! This is the franchise that hadn't hosted a home playoff game in nearly forty years. I tend to forget about most things down there in the dry heat of Arizona. Maybe I will pay for my underestimation of the Red Birds. Are there even any Cardinals in Arizona? I can't seem to picture the same bird that used to frequent my bird feeder in the frigid temperatures of Western Pennsylvania winters at a Tuscon golf course. Maybe they are just super hardy?


B.K.