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Super Bowl Will Be A Clash Of Styles

The Associated Press

The Vince Lombardi trophy is polished and ready for the victor of Super Bowl XLIII.

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 31, 2009

TAMPA - The football universe is aligned today for a Bizarro World clash between the Steelers and Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium.

Super Bowl XLIII features a matchup of unparalleled contrasts as Arizona and Pittsburgh each prepare to make NFL history by hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

"Everything about this game is different, and all the opposites sure make it wonderful to talk about," said former quarterback Joe Theismann, whose Redskins suffered a 38-9 Super Bowl loss to the Raiders 25 years ago at Tampa Stadium. "I see Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers as an extension of Pittsburgh ... unrelenting. And it's only fitting Kurt Warner is Arizona's quarterback, because Phoenix is a retirement community."

Like the regions they represent, the Cardinals and Steelers appear to have little in common.

While the storied Steelers seek a record sixth Super Bowl victory, the Cardinals boasted exactly one postseason win in franchise history before this improbable playoff run.

"We're trying to make history ourselves," said Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby, a catalyst for a defense that has posted a startling 12 takeaways while upsetting Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia. "We've never done this before in our organization and we're trying to be the first team to etch our names in stone."

Pittsburgh captured its "One For the Thumb" three years ago by beating Seattle for a fifth Super Bowl ring.

Now the AFC champions (14-4) are working to accessorize another hand under the steely direction of 36-year-old Mike Tomlin, the former Bucs assistant who is the youngest coach in Super Bowl annals.

"You feel the tradition every time you walk past all those trophies," Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark said. "It's like growing up with a big brother who is successful - you want to live up to that legacy."

Led by crafty coordinator Dick LeBeau and linebacker James Harrison, the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, the Steelers rely on a suffocating unit that allowed an average of only 3.9 yards per snap, the league's stingiest mark in 30 years.

For much of their 9-7 regular season, the Cardinals couldn't make a big stop, yielding an NFL-high 36 touchdown passes.

"People have said they don't like the fact that the Cardinals are in the Super Bowl," Arizona defensive end Bertrand Berry said. "Well, too bad. We're here. We've earned the right to be here and we're not going to make any apologies for it."

Pittsburgh remains a 7-point favorite, but the NFC champion Cardinals are counting on another terrific start by Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who has turned the postseason into his personal showcase with 23 catches for 419 yards and five touchdowns.

Fitzgerald's three TD catches helped the Cardinals open a 24-6 halftime lead against the Eagles in the NFC title game, one week after Arizona reeled off 33 consecutive points at Carolina against the NFL's only unbeaten home club during the regular season.

Pittsburgh's attack doesn't offer the same sizzle, but the Steelers controlled the clock against the Chargers and Ravens, and Roethlisberger hasn't thrown a postseason interception in 59 pass attempts.

"The Steelers are very well respected throughout the league," Arizona general manager Rod Graves said. "They are a physical team, they're tough and they have a mentality about them. We'd like to develop that kind of mentality on our football team."

Even Arizona players anticipate a pro-Steelers crowd tonight as a still-developing fan base in Phoenix builds a lasting bond.

"In Pittsburgh, the Steelers are a religion," said Rays manager Joe Maddon, a native of Hazleton, Pa. "In Arizona, the Cardinals are the flavor of the month. There's a huge difference in culture between these two teams."

With only three head coaches since 1969, the Steelers represent stability. Dan Rooney is one of the league's most influential owners, and season tickets are handed down to the next generation through wills and attorneys.

Until they moved from Tempe to their spectacular new Glendale stadium and hired Coach Ken Whisenhunt, Bill Bidwill's Cardinals were a distressed franchise, a desert mirage that went through coaches and quarterbacks with equal dispatch.

"You couldn't have written a better story," said Arizona guard Reggie Wells, who will try to keep Warner upright against LeBeau's elaborate blitz package. "I have tremendous respect for the Steelers as an organization and what they've done for the city of Pittsburgh. We're just over here, trying to make our own mark. It'll be interesting to see which team gets to write the story line."

Reporter Ira Kaufman can be reached at (813) 259-7833.

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