January 30, 2009

Super Bowl Showdown

The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII

By Lorin Driggs

Super Bowl XLIII will feature a match-up between one team making its seventh trip to the NFL's championship contest and one going to the big game for the first time. The Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of the American Football Conference (AFC) championship, will meet the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, February 1.

AL MESSERSCHMIDT—GETTY IMAGES Cardinals’ quarterback Kurt Warner releases a pass in the winning game against the Eagles.

Veterans and First-Timers

Pittsburgh goes into the game as the favorite, with six previous Super Bowl appearances and five wins. The Steelers defense allowed the fewest points of any NFL team during the regular season. For most of the young Arizona team, the Super Bowl will be a new experience. But 37-year-old quarterback Kurt Warner, is a Super Bowl veteran and MVP. Warner led the St. Louis Rams to the NFL championship game in 1999 and 2001.

The Cardinals earned their trip to the Super Bowl with a dramatic upset victory over the favored Philadelphia Eagles on January 18. With the Eagles leading by one point in the fourth quarter, the Cardinal's Warner threw a TD pass, his fourth of the game, which clinched the win. The final score was Arizona 32, Philadelphia 25. Speaking to a crowd of fans after the game, Warner said, "When nobody else believed in us, when nobody else believed in me, you guys did and we're going to the Super Bowl."

GREGORY SHAMUS—GETTY IMAGES Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward runs the ball during the championship game against the Ravens.

For the hard-hitting, tough-guy Steelers, defense was the key to their victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game. With less than five minutes to play, Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu intercepted a pass and ran it back 40 yards, ending a Ravens rally that might have turned the game around. The final score was Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 14. Looking forward to the big game against the Cardinals, Troy Polamalu described what Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger brings to the Steelers: "Nothing can ever replace experience," Polamalu said. "Ben has a lot of big-game experience and when we get in these tough situations, close games, we have a lot of confidence."

Coach vs. Coach

On the sidelines on Super Bowl Sunday, the opposing coaches will have something to prove, too. Mike Tomlin has coached the Steelers for just two years, and he's the youngest head coach ever to take a team to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt was on the Steelers side of the field when Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl three years ago. The following year, he left Pittsburgh for Arizona after he was passed over for the head coaching job—the job that went to Mike Tomlin.

Super Music

For fans attending the game and those watching on TV, the Super Bowl will be more than hard-hitting football. Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson will sing the National Anthem, and Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band will provide entertainment at halftime.

Check timeforkids.com next week for TFK Kid Reporter Harrison Gilman's live reports from the game.

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