The franchises of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals couldn't be farther apart in terms of historic significance in the NFL.
Pittsburgh, along with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, is tied for the lead in all-time Super Bowl victories with five. Arizona, on the other hand, has been one of the league's laughingstocks year in and year out and is appearing in its first Super Bowl on Sunday.
Now, normally I know the right thing to do is root for the underdog, but I am going to give you five reasons why you absolutely must root for the Steelers this weekend.
5. The Steelers can become the first team to earn six rings. For those of us living in New Mexico, I don't think I need to stress how important this will be in knocking the horde of Dallas Cowboy fans down a couple notches. You would think the fact that the Cowboys haven't won a playoff game in 13 years would do the trick, but as many of you already know, Dallas fans remain the most loud, obnoxious and overconfident fans in the country. Seeing the look on these people's faces when Pittsburgh becomes the most successful franchise in NFL history will be priceless.
4. The Arizona bandwagon must be destroyed. It's excruciating enough neighboring Dallas, but can you imagine the multitude of Cardinals fans springing up throughout New Mexico if the Cardinals win? It's already happened in Arizona. I saw the Philadelphia Eagles play three games in Arizona in the late '90s, and even though the Eagles were just as inept in those seasons, Philadelphia fans probably outnumbered Arizona fans at those games. However, when I attended the NFC Championship in Arizona on Jan. 18, Arizona had miraculously established a "loyal" fan base. Of course, when the Cardinals lose to Pittsburgh and go 7-9 next year, all these phonies will thankfully go back into hiding.
3. How can you root against Hines Ward? In the era of Terrell Owenses and Chad Johnsons, Ward is a rare anti-diva wide receiver. Despite being relatively undersized, Ward is probably the toughest receiver in the league. And because of his unselfishness, he likely gets just as much joy out of blowing up an outside linebacker as he does from scoring a touchdown. The bottom line is this: Ward loves to play the game, regardless of the numbers he puts up. Rather than throwing a T.O.-like temper tantrum on the sidelines if he doesn't get his desired number of catches, he always contributes to the Steelers, on and off the field. And if he is somehow able to earn his second Super Bowl MVP, he will likely get a well-earned spot in the Hall of Fame.
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2. Another season of Matt Leinart on the bench. Remember in 2004 when Leinart won a National Championship and a Heisman Trophy at USC but decided to stay for his senior season despite being a lock for the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft? Of course, Leinart went on to lose to Vince Young and Texas in the National Championship, fall to No. 10 in the draft and has since been awkwardly holding a clipboard on the sidelines while Kurt Warner keeps piling up victories. If Arizona were to win, couldn't you see Warner taking his two Super Bowl trophies and leaving at the top, much like John Elway? But if they lose, perhaps Warner will have the itch to play one more season, leaving Leinart to remain on the bench, texting Nick Lachey about his new haircut.
1. Speaking of Warner, can you imagine the story lines that would be shoved down our throats if he were to win another Super Bowl MVP? Warner is famous for being the most spiritual, God-fearing athlete in the land. I don't have a problem with athletes thanking God after wins, as most of them do, but Warner takes it to another level. And because the NFL is a copycat league, this would lead to disaster. When drafting franchise quarterbacks, will teams ignore arm strength and pocket presence for one's ability to recite Hail Marys? Or will next year's Super Bowl XLIV be brought to us by the Bible? Whether you are deeply religious or an atheist, we all need to pray this doesn't happen.
