The Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. What could be better? Now this seems like a Super Bowl. These are teams with rich traditions – teams that scream Super Bowl.
Last year’s New Orleans- Indianapolis match up didn’t seem right. I mean the Saints in the Super Bowl? A team from Indianapolis? The only Colts that I remember in the big game were from Baltimore. To make matters worse the Saints actually won the darn thing. The Saints aren’t supposed to win the Super Bowl. What’s next, the Clippers winning an NBA Championship?
But this year order has been restored. This is a championship. The Packers and the Steelers. It just sounds like a title game. The Packers started this whole Super Bowl thing by winning the first two games. When you think of a Super Bowl highlight, you think of Bart Starr connecting with Max McGee for a touchdown – the first in Super Bowl history.
The Super Bowl isn’t Drew Brees behind center guiding the Saints it’s Terry Bradshaw calling signals for the Steelers. It’s Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier and the gold and black. It’s the terrible towel waving and Jack Lambert growling.
Lynn Swann pulling a touchdown pass out of the sky and Mean Joe Greene pulling a running back out of his helmet. That’s a Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl isn’t the Arizona Cardinals – nice story and all – but the Cardinals? C’mon. No. It’s Starr and McGee and Ray Nitschke. It’s Vince Lombardi and Chuck Noll. Who was the coach of New Orleans last year? See you already forgot.
Green Bay is called Title Town from the days of Lombardi and still is to this day. Pittsburgh was Title Town in the 1970s. The Steelers won four Super Bowls in six years during that reign and they have won two more in the last five years.
When Pittsburgh goes to the Super Bowl it usually wins. This is the Steelers eighth trip to Super Sunday and they have won six of seven. Their one loss was to Dallas in 1996, 27-17. But they have won in their next two appearances and they are trying to win their third Super Bowl in the last six years.
The Steelers have been so successful, they have had three coaches in the last 35 years. Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin have all won the big game. Noll set the bar extremely high and Cowher and Tomlin have done a great job of trying to reach it.
The Packers have had a few more coaches over the years but they have nearly matched the Steelers when it comes to the Super game. Like Pittsburgh, they have only lost once in the Championship game. But that was to Denver in 1998-better known as the year of John Elway.
After the two initial victories in I and II they won another one over New England in Super Bowl XXXI – before falling to Elway and friends the following year.
This is the Packers fifth Super Bowl appearance and they are seeking their fourth win. These aren’t the Buffalo Bills. Between Pittsburgh and Green Bay, their overall combined Super Bowl record is 9-2.
I know people that hate the Falcons, Saints, 49ers, and yes even the Cowboys. But it’s funny I really don’t know anybody that hates the Packers or Steelers. Well Chicago Bear fans hate the Packers but I don’t know any Bear fans.
These teams aren’t despised, they’re respected. They’re not hated, they’re admired. How can you hate a team that has set the standard for success? You just tip your hat and say good job.
So relax and enjoy the game. The Super Bowl is back. This isn’t the Eagles, Saints or Seahawks. It’s Title Town- the Packers. This isn’t the Colts, Bucs or even the Pats. It’s the Steel Curtain- the Steelers. This is a real Super Bowl.
That’s my principle.
Tim can be reached at tim@midvalleysports.com.
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