I am absolutely shattered and I have a numb face thanks to three fillings, but I couldn’t care less. Last night – or more accurately, in the early hours of this morning – I watched the MIGHTY Pittsburgh Steelers claim their sixth Superbowl title in just about the most amazing game I’ve ever had the privilege to watch.
I’ve been a Steelers fan ever since my aunt gave me one of their jumpers when I was about 7 or 8 years old. Granted, being able to watch them wasn’t always easy, but Channel 4 used to have excellent coverage with Mick Luckhurst and Gary Imlach, and ever since I’ve been hooked. It’s not a greatly popular sport here in the UK unfortunately, often being criticised for being too stop/start or ‘too soft’ compared to rugby (for the record, I *love* rugby and I can’t wait for this weekend’s start to the Six Nations), but I love it. I was lucky to grow up being able to watch people like Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas and Christian Okoye, and somehow it just keeps getting better. I’ve seen a lot of good players come and go from the Steelers, but somehow they manage to keep a strong team and the same legendary defense. Thigpen, Bettis, Randall-El – all gone, but with Big Ben dishing the ball out in his own less-than-orthodox manner, Ward catching the big money plays and Polamalu rampant in the backfield I don’t think this team is going anywhere soon.
The match itself last night was just awesome. Right from Pittsburgh’s first drive down the field I thought I was going to be watching a special game, they were picking up yardage at will and had such a good mix of plays. Arizona looked poor in comparison. ‘That’ TD interception though, at the death of the first half, anyone who saw the game will know just how special that was. I was literally bouncing up and down in my seat with excitement, which doesn’t normally tend to happen at 1 in the morning… I’m convinced that’s the fastest and most controlled that linebacker has ever run, but the back-blocking his team did for him to escort him the length of the pitch was sublime.
It was getting really late and I was wishing Bruce Springsteen off the stage so the game could get back underway and I could get some sleep before work in the morning, and once it did restart the third quarter was largely unspectacular. The fourth though, the fourth made all the tiredness and high likelihood of me falling asleep on my keyboard at some point today all worthwhile. When the Cardinals held firm at 3rd and Goal and forced the FG – which was then overruled after one of the Card’s trampled the kick holder about a week after the ball had left! – and then kept them out *again* on the replayed set of downs, I started to have an uneasy feeling. Watching Arizona march down the field on the next posession without running the ball once was pretty tough, and after the Safety and another TD, my bubble had really burst. Roethlisberger came into his own in the final drive of the game though, and the Steelers really showed why they deserved a sixth title. I was praying for a Field Goal, never mind a Touch Down, so seeing Holmes haul down that catch right using every inch of the pitch was incredible!! The replay was nerve-wracking, but I was sure he got both feet in and thankfully I was right.
I’m constantly yawning now, but in no way do I regret staying up ’til 3 in the morning. Perhaps this year I’ll finally bite the bullet and pay out for a replica jersey. It’ll have to do until I win a lot of money and can afford to go to Heinz Field, wave a Terrible Towel and watch a match against the Browns :).