Večeras u Detroitu 40. Superboul

PLUS 14 ZA PITSBURG, OJHA, KAKO CE DA PRSNE MALI MIS OD COVEKA KOGA GRESKOM PROGLASISE MVP-ijem, KAKO CE SVEDJANIN DA SE ZALEDI, JOJ, JOJ, PLUS 14 VEC U PRVOJ CETVRTNI A POSLE LAGANO TRK I ODBRANA I KRAJ! CELICNI ZAUVEK

Go Steelers... Go Jerome... Go go go...

Seattle vs. Pittsburgh

DETROIT (Feb. 1, 2006) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers can get one for the thumb. The Seattle Seahawks want the first one.

Either way, the team winning rings for Super Bowl XL could be considered a surprise.

The Steelers will go for their fifth championship, and what would be their most improbable one, and try to prevent the underdog -- but top-seeded -- Seahawks from winning one in their first trip to the biggest stage in American sports.

Ben Roethlisberger hopes to become the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl and Steelers teammate Jerome Bettis strives for what could be a perfect end to a Hall of Fame career, playing in his hometown of Detroit in what might be his final season.
"To be in the Super Bowl, I am living the dream," Bettis said. "Then to be at home, it's an unbelievable dream. It's one of those things you don't want to end."

Those stories, along with Pittsburgh emerging from the AFC despite being its lowest-seeded team, have generally overshadowed a Seattle squad that was the NFC's best throughout the season and features league MVP Shaun Alexander.

"People expect the Steelers to win this game. Oh well, we're not getting caught up on it. It is what it is," Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said.

After entering the playoffs as one of the most unlikely teams to get this far, the Steelers joined the 1985 New England Patriots as the only clubs to win three consecutive road games in the postseason.

Seattle, meanwhile, cruised through two victories at home to make the Super Bowl for the first time. The Seahawks were the NFC's No. 1 seed and many have long expected them to reach this point, something no one said about the Steelers when they were 7-5 with four weeks left in the regular season.

They've since won seven games in a row to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 10 years.

"I don't know how (the Seahawks) can feel disrespected when everybody had them going to the Super Bowl, anyway. We feel like we're the underdog," Steelers wideout Hines Ward said. "Nobody was talking about us. For us to do what we have done, people want to jump on the bandwagon now."

During their four Super Bowl runs in the 1970s, the Steelers had to win only one road game. This time, they had to win in three hostile environments and beat the three highest-seeded teams in the AFC.

Pittsburgh won in Cincinnati -- a team whose fans hadn't seen a playoff game in 15 years -- for its first road victory in the playoffs under coach Bill Cowher.

Then came the hard part.

The Steelers emerged with a wild 21-18 victory at Indianapolis against a team many predicted would win the Super Bowl following its 13-0 start. Pittsburgh's best performance of the playoffs came in Denver, winning the AFC championship game 34-17 against a club that hadn't lost at home all season.

"With all the road that we traveled to get here, it means nothing if we go out here and lay an egg in this game," Ward said. "If we don't go out and take care of business, then all that had work that we have done, nobody's ever going to remember it."

One thing the Steelers, particularly Joey Porter, will remember is Jerramy Stevens' recent comments.

The Seahawks tight end didn't go as far as to guarantee his team would win, but Stevens did say Bettis would be unhappy walking away from Ford Field.

"It's a heartwarming story and all that, but it will be a sad day when he leaves without that trophy," Stevens said.

That comment fired up Porter, as did Stevens' comment that the Steelers linebacker would have trouble going against Seahawks All-Pro tackle Walter Jones.

"I've been asleep all week but now I got woke up," Porter said. "I've got my first taste of blood and now I'm thirsty for more."

Porter leads a Pittsburgh defense eager to shut down Alexander, who set an NFL single-season record with 28 touchdowns and led the league with 1,880 yards rushing. He ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle's 34-14 rout of Carolina in the NFC title game.

Pittsburgh had the league's third-best rushing defense during the regular season, but has given up 4.3 yards per carry in the playoffs. The Steelers didn't allow 100 yards rushing in any of those three games, but their opponents had to rely mostly on the pass because they were playing catch-up.

Steelers Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu knows one of his team's biggest challenges will be slowing down Alexander.

"He carries more size and more speed than anybody. He has that combination," Polamalu said. "As far as his size, he can run you over. His speed, his agility, his ability to make people miss. I think the combination he carries is far above anybody else."

Still, Alexander isn't even the running back getting the most attention this week.

That's because Bettis could be playing his final game, having said there's a good chance he will retire at season's end. Born and raised in Detroit, Bettis has scored a touchdown in each of Pittsburgh's playoff games and teamed with Willie Parker to form a formidable 1-2 punch this season.

Parker, though, has been quiet this postseason while Cowher often has gone to Roethlisberger and the passing game to throw off opposing defenses. Parker rushed for 1,202 yards during the regular season but has been limited to 132 yards on 47 carries in the playoffs.

Roethlisberger, though, has more than made up for that drop-off by picking apart secondaries during the postseason, completing 68 percent of his passes for 680 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. Pittsburgh is throwing for about 35 yards per game more in the playoffs than it did during the regular season.

"I think that teams have really come out to stop the run, so when a team puts eight or nine guys in the box to stop the run it's pretty hard, you can only ask those five guys up front to move so many people," Roethlisberger said. "I am sure that they are up for the task, and Seattle, we expect them to come out and try to stop the run again."

Roethlisberger, who will turn 24 next month, is the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl -- 213 days older than Miami's Dan Marino was in 1985.
His counterpart, Hasselbeck, also seems to have matured this season, and it showed in Seattle's playoff opener when he helped keep the offense on track against a tough Washington defense even after Alexander left with a concussion. In this postseason, Hasselbeck has completed 67 percent of his throws, and passed for three TDs and no interceptions.

"I expect him to play very well on Sunday. He has prepared himself well all season," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "I think this season we have eliminated a lot of our demons and the things that have plagued us in the past that have allowed us to go over the top.

"He has been very, very consistent down the stretch."

While Holmgren looks to become the first coach in league history to win a Super Bowl with two teams, Cowher wants to win his first.

The longest-tenured coach in the NFL lost his only trip in 1995 and had been 1-4 in AFC title games before beating Denver. That leaves one of the league's most well-liked coaches in position to quiet the critics who say he can't win the big one.

"There is a lot of tradition with Pittsburgh and to be a part of that would be really special," Cowher said. "We have the four trophies in our building and I pass them every day and to bring another one there would be very gratifying and very special for the whole team."

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Seahawks -- 1st place, NFC West; first-round bye; beat Washington Redskins 20-10, divisional round; beat Carolina Panthers 34-14, NFC championship game. Steelers -- 2nd place, AFC North; beat Cincinnati Bengals 31-17, wild-card round; beat Indianapolis Colts 21-18, divisional round; beat Denver Broncos 34-17, AFC championship game.

SEAHAWKS LEADERS: Offense -- Hasselbeck, 3,459 passing yards and 24 passing TDs; Alexander, 1,880 rushing yards and 28 rushing TDs; Bobby Engram, 67 receptions and 778 receiving yards; Joe Jurevicius, 10 receiving TDs. Defense -- Bryce Fisher, 9 sacks; Michael Boulware, 4 INTs.

STEELERS LEADERS: Offense -- Roethlisberger, 2,385 passing yards and 17 passing TDs; Parker, 1,202 rushing yards; Bettis, 9 rushing TDs; Ward, 69 receptions, 975 receiving yards and 11 receiving TDs. Defense -- Porter, 10½ sacks; Chris Hope, 3 INTs.

SEAHAWKS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 153.6 yards per game (3rd); Passing Offense -- 216.1 ypg (13th); Total Offense -- 369.7 ypg (2nd). Rushing Defense -- 94.4 ypg (5th); Passing Defense -- 222.4 ypg (25th); Total Defense -- 316.8 ypg (T-16th).

STEELERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 138.9 ypg (5th in NFL); Passing Offense -- 182.9 ypg (24th); Total Offense -- 321.8 ypg (T-15th). Rushing Defense -- 85.5 ypg (3rd); Passing Defense -- 198.0 ypg (16th); Total Defense -- 283.5 ypg (4th).

LAST MEETING: Nov. 2, 2003; Seahawks, 23-16. At Seattle, Darrell Jackson scored a fourth-quarter touchdown on a 14-yard pass from Hasselbeck and his 43-yard catch-and-run set up Alexander's late 1-yard TD run.

STREAKS AND NOTES: Seahawks -- Hasselbeck hasn't been intercepted in his past five games. ... WR Jackson has averaged 101 yards receiving in four postseason games. ... Seattle led the NFL with 50 sacks during the regular season and has four in the playoffs. ... WR Jurevicius, who went to Super Bowls with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay, has only two catches for 37 yards in this postseason. He had 55 for 694 in the regular season. Steelers -- Pittsburgh's defense has forced six turnovers and totaled 11 sacks in three playoff games. ... Ward has seven TD receptions in each of his past seven playoff games. ... CB Willie Williams, who played with Seattle from 1997-2004, is the only Steeler to have appeared in a Super Bowl -- with Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX. Five Seahawks have been to the Super Bowl. ... Since Week 12, Pittsburgh has scored an average of 29 points, more than double what Seattle has allowed in that span (12.4).



Steelers ready to kick things off

It's the eve of the biggest game in their careers and the Steelers are ready to get things rolling. It's been a week filled with media commitments and the hype leading up to the game, but now, that's all behind them.

There is one goal, one focus, one reason for being in Detroit. It's all about winning Super Bowl XL.

"There is a lot of excitement, but at the same time, we know we came here for one reason, and that's to take care of what we came here for," said running back Willie Parker. "It's about business.

"Every team always expects to go to the Super Bowl. That's just something you have to put in your players' minds, put in your teammates' minds and coaches' minds. At the beginning of the year, our goal was to make it to the big dance and win."

For two weeks the teams have been waiting for Super Bowl Sunday. It's been two long weeks, and tonight is going to be a long night as the players try to keep themselves calm.

"It seems like it's been a long time since we played our last game," said tight end Heath Miller. "Our focus is on our game plan and Sunday. It will be a normal Saturday night. I plan to get plenty of rest. I'm sure I'll toss and turn a little bit. I've done that many times this year."

Head coach Bill Cowher will address the team on Sunday morning. What he is going to say is not something he plans out, instead it comes from the heart, it flows as his thoughts and emotions flow.

"What exactly I'll say, I'm not exactly sure right now. It's kind of a last-minute thing," said Cowher. "The biggest thing right now is not to make this game out bigger than what it is. I think it's very important to do that.

"We've talked each day about making sure we prioritize the things we're doing and not lose sight of where we were seven weeks ago, and keep reminding them about that. We've played well in the last seven weeks, because we've prepared well. We've played a little bit with a chip on our shoulder and recognizing that we've got a tough road ahead of us and we took nothing for granted.

"And we cannot afford to think that we're going to show up and just by showing up we're getting it done. We're not going to do that. We've had good weeks of work, and we recognize there's a fine line there. There's been a sense of urgency and a desperate state we've played in the last seven weeks, and I don't think Sunday will be any different. We understand the magnitude of the game. But it cannot affect how you play the game."

Sijetl sigurno pobedjuje!

Bice smor od tekme, ali finale je finale, i mora da se gleda. Ipak, igra pasovima je zakon, a toga ce biti premalo veceras...

Na osnovu iskustva od 4. odgledana superbola, pobediće ekipa čiji hvatači budu manje nervozni.Nadam se samo da ću imati priliku da na domaćoj televiziji pogledam i 41. superbol.

Jedva cekam, cujem da program na 3K veceras pocinje u 20 casova i traje do 4 ujutru. Valjda pustaju polufinalne tekme, a onda u 00:30h pocinje prenos. Ma samo da Pitsburg dobije!!!!

Na svim sportskim sajtovima ovde pa i na ESPN-u Steelersi su veliki favorit. 61%-39% je na ESPN-u za Steelerse. Ali ja mislim da ce Seahawksi da pobede. Znam da su Steelersi jaci pogotovu sto je Rotlesberger u formi i sto im je odbrana izuzetno jaka. Ali Alexander ce da razvali tu odbranu. Jos da im i pass igra krene i bice svasta. Moj prvi favorit je bio Indianopolis koji nije u finalu zbog problema glavnog Coach-a kome je umro sin pa nisu ni trenirali dobre 2 nedelje. Ali Steelersi su dotukli Indianopolis i to je jedan od razloga sto cu navijati za Seattle. Koga god sam ovde pitao svi su rekli da navijaju za Pittsburg. Jedan od razloga je i Bettis kome je ovo zadnja sezona pa bi voleli da se oprosti sa krunom. Realno vece sanse ima Pittsburg ali ja navijam za SeaHawkse i mislim da ce dobiti. Jedva cekam pocetak mece. Nadam se da je neko obezbedio prenos za vas tamo u SCG pa da i vi uzivate. Ovde naravno ima na ABC u 6:15 mislim. Al oni ukljuce u 5 pa pricaju i smaraju sa taktikama i mogucnostima. Pozdrav svim NFL fanovima i nadam se da cete imati mogucnosti da pratite mec i uzivati u njemu.

Ma "autobus" ce da ih pokida!!!

Da pojasnim za ljude u Srbiji; danas je veliki praznik u Americi,finale americkog fudbala,tojest SUPER BOWL.
Danas oko 90 miliona amerikanaca gledaju TV (u proseku),znaci i oni koji prate sport i oni koji ne prate. Tradicioonalno se naruce pice ili pravi BBQ,znaci hamburgeri,hot dogovi,pileca krilca i bataci (tzv.buffalo wings),rebra itd..uz to se jede hladna krompir salata,cips i pije budweiser ili coors,oni sa malo vise ukusa coronu. Ugalvnoms e sastaju prodicno;muskarci se zakuju ispred tv-a,a zene "domacice" prepricavaju poslednje traceve u kuhinji i spremaju gotovu salatu,jer treba ipak naci i odgovarajuce cinije. za dezert su pite (na eng. "pie") sa slagom ili sladom na njoj.

Dobro salu na stranu,hteli mi to da priznamo ili ne,americki fudbal ima veliku tradiciju koja ide daleko pre II svetskog rata. Danas igraju Pittsburgh Steelers i Seattle Seahawks. Pittsburgh ima veliku tradiciju i njihovi navijaci su mahom radnicka klasa koja se "prepoznala" u imenu Steelers (rudari). Seahawks (morski sokolovi) su tim sa mnogo manje tradicije i mnogo manje navijaca,uglavnom zitelji tog grada. Jedna velika zanimljivost su i reklame koje se specijalno cuvaju za Super Bowl jer je tada najveca gledanost,ove godine ce 1 sekunda,dakle i recima "jedna sekunda" kostati oko $87,000 tako da ako znamo da prosecna reklama traje oko 30 sekundi,lako je izracunati da ce kostati preko 2 mil dolara po prikazivanju Ima zaista orignalnih reklama koje,ponovicu,pocinju svoj vek i ciklus bas na poluvremenu Super Bowl-a.

Posto je Super Bowl vidjen kao svojevrsni spektakl koji se prenosi u maltene sve zemlje sveta,poluvreme je narocit "mini-spektakl",ove godine ce auditorijum da zabavljvaju Rolling Stones. Taj fudbalski teren se za minut pretvori u binu i koncert i niko ne moze da zamisli da su se pre samo nekoliko minuta tu krljali amerikanci u kacigama. Posle par numera ta ista bina se rasformira i eto ponovo jajaste lopte i kaciga. Da ne zaboravim,Beyonce Knowles ce pevati americku himnu pre utakmice (u americi se intonira americka himna pre svake utakmice ne samo americkog fudbala,NBA,hokeja vec i utakmica srednje skole,bilo cega.

Pobednik se slavi danima,mesecima godinama i vekovima evo. Majce i kape se natpisom "Super Bowl Champions su vec spremene pre utakmice" tako da se pobednik istog momenta kada se zavrsi utakmica moze da se sepuri kao CHAMPION. Za sva druga pitanja oko Super Bowl-a,javite nam se na info@obraduj.com

Ja se tresem od uzbudjenja, a dobio sam i proliv.

nadam se da ce od sledece sezone biti malo vise informacija o NFL na B92!!

HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO...
Danas ce ceo Detroit da navija za Steelerse ne samo zbog cinjenice da Pittsburgh ima najbolje navijace u NFL-u (bar 5-10 hiljada navijaca ide na svaku gostujucu utakmicu i mase cuvenim zutim terrible towelsima) nego i zbog toga sto je Jerome BUS Bettis, buduci hall of famer, poreklom iz Detroita... Ja zivim u Erie-u, gradu na oko sat i po vremena od 3 poveca grada Klivlenda (NFL tim Braunsi), Bafala (Bilsi) i Pitsburga (STEELERSI) i mogu vam reci da ovi ljudi obozavaju fudbal... Da li zbog velike istorije Pitsburga ili neceg drugog, ne znam, ali vecina ljudi ovde najvise voli Steelerse... U gradu vlada veliko ludilo, na svakom koraku se mogu videti rekviziti stilersa, prodavnice su okicene zutim i crnim bojama Pitsburga, na faxu (Penn State - the Orange Bowl winner) dosta studenata nosi dresove a najpopularniji su Big Ben, Ward, Polamalu, Bettis, i Parker... Toliko, idem da gledam pregame show...
Pozdrav svim navijacima Pittsburgha u Srbiji...

Zna se ko je jedini pravi sampion
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
GO PATS

@Steelers ready to kick things off
Majstore,napisi nesto sam,nemoj mi ovde copy/paste tekstove sa nekih drugih sajtova.Ili reci nesto svoje ili ne ostavljaj post.

imam tu srecu da nedjeljom gledam tekme na OBN-u, ali mnogo vise od toga, pomaze mi brat koji zivi u DC-ju i navija za Redskinse i daje mi komentare i pogadja kvote.
medjtim on ce se dobro razocarati, jer kako i vecina Vas na sajtu navija za Steelers-e!
moj tip su Seahawks-i!!!!

@ Aleksandar-USA
burazeru nisi ni svestan koliko se ovde gleda i prati NFL
vise infa na www.safsrbija.com www.vukovi.org
i naravno ocekujem pobedu Seattle-a

PLUS 14 ZA PITSBURG, OJHA, KAKO CE DA PRSNE MALI MIS OD COVEKA KOGA GRESKOM PROGLASISE MVP-ijem, KAKO CE SVEDJANIN DA SE ZALEDI, JOJ, JOJ, PLUS 14 VEC U PRVOJ CETVRTNI A POSLE LAGANO TRK I ODBRANA I KRAJ! CELICNI ZAUVEK

Go Steelers... Go Jerome... Go go go...

Seattle vs. Pittsburgh

DETROIT (Feb. 1, 2006) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers can get one for the thumb. The Seattle Seahawks want the first one.

Either way, the team winning rings for Super Bowl XL could be considered a surprise.

The Steelers will go for their fifth championship, and what would be their most improbable one, and try to prevent the underdog -- but top-seeded -- Seahawks from winning one in their first trip to the biggest stage in American sports.

Ben Roethlisberger hopes to become the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl and Steelers teammate Jerome Bettis strives for what could be a perfect end to a Hall of Fame career, playing in his hometown of Detroit in what might be his final season.
"To be in the Super Bowl, I am living the dream," Bettis said. "Then to be at home, it's an unbelievable dream. It's one of those things you don't want to end."

Those stories, along with Pittsburgh emerging from the AFC despite being its lowest-seeded team, have generally overshadowed a Seattle squad that was the NFC's best throughout the season and features league MVP Shaun Alexander.

"People expect the Steelers to win this game. Oh well, we're not getting caught up on it. It is what it is," Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said.

After entering the playoffs as one of the most unlikely teams to get this far, the Steelers joined the 1985 New England Patriots as the only clubs to win three consecutive road games in the postseason.

Seattle, meanwhile, cruised through two victories at home to make the Super Bowl for the first time. The Seahawks were the NFC's No. 1 seed and many have long expected them to reach this point, something no one said about the Steelers when they were 7-5 with four weeks left in the regular season.

They've since won seven games in a row to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 10 years.

"I don't know how (the Seahawks) can feel disrespected when everybody had them going to the Super Bowl, anyway. We feel like we're the underdog," Steelers wideout Hines Ward said. "Nobody was talking about us. For us to do what we have done, people want to jump on the bandwagon now."

During their four Super Bowl runs in the 1970s, the Steelers had to win only one road game. This time, they had to win in three hostile environments and beat the three highest-seeded teams in the AFC.

Pittsburgh won in Cincinnati -- a team whose fans hadn't seen a playoff game in 15 years -- for its first road victory in the playoffs under coach Bill Cowher.

Then came the hard part.

The Steelers emerged with a wild 21-18 victory at Indianapolis against a team many predicted would win the Super Bowl following its 13-0 start. Pittsburgh's best performance of the playoffs came in Denver, winning the AFC championship game 34-17 against a club that hadn't lost at home all season.

"With all the road that we traveled to get here, it means nothing if we go out here and lay an egg in this game," Ward said. "If we don't go out and take care of business, then all that had work that we have done, nobody's ever going to remember it."

One thing the Steelers, particularly Joey Porter, will remember is Jerramy Stevens' recent comments.

The Seahawks tight end didn't go as far as to guarantee his team would win, but Stevens did say Bettis would be unhappy walking away from Ford Field.

"It's a heartwarming story and all that, but it will be a sad day when he leaves without that trophy," Stevens said.

That comment fired up Porter, as did Stevens' comment that the Steelers linebacker would have trouble going against Seahawks All-Pro tackle Walter Jones.

"I've been asleep all week but now I got woke up," Porter said. "I've got my first taste of blood and now I'm thirsty for more."

Porter leads a Pittsburgh defense eager to shut down Alexander, who set an NFL single-season record with 28 touchdowns and led the league with 1,880 yards rushing. He ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle's 34-14 rout of Carolina in the NFC title game.

Pittsburgh had the league's third-best rushing defense during the regular season, but has given up 4.3 yards per carry in the playoffs. The Steelers didn't allow 100 yards rushing in any of those three games, but their opponents had to rely mostly on the pass because they were playing catch-up.

Steelers Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu knows one of his team's biggest challenges will be slowing down Alexander.

"He carries more size and more speed than anybody. He has that combination," Polamalu said. "As far as his size, he can run you over. His speed, his agility, his ability to make people miss. I think the combination he carries is far above anybody else."

Still, Alexander isn't even the running back getting the most attention this week.

That's because Bettis could be playing his final game, having said there's a good chance he will retire at season's end. Born and raised in Detroit, Bettis has scored a touchdown in each of Pittsburgh's playoff games and teamed with Willie Parker to form a formidable 1-2 punch this season.

Parker, though, has been quiet this postseason while Cowher often has gone to Roethlisberger and the passing game to throw off opposing defenses. Parker rushed for 1,202 yards during the regular season but has been limited to 132 yards on 47 carries in the playoffs.

Roethlisberger, though, has more than made up for that drop-off by picking apart secondaries during the postseason, completing 68 percent of his passes for 680 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. Pittsburgh is throwing for about 35 yards per game more in the playoffs than it did during the regular season.

"I think that teams have really come out to stop the run, so when a team puts eight or nine guys in the box to stop the run it's pretty hard, you can only ask those five guys up front to move so many people," Roethlisberger said. "I am sure that they are up for the task, and Seattle, we expect them to come out and try to stop the run again."

Roethlisberger, who will turn 24 next month, is the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl -- 213 days older than Miami's Dan Marino was in 1985.
His counterpart, Hasselbeck, also seems to have matured this season, and it showed in Seattle's playoff opener when he helped keep the offense on track against a tough Washington defense even after Alexander left with a concussion. In this postseason, Hasselbeck has completed 67 percent of his throws, and passed for three TDs and no interceptions.

"I expect him to play very well on Sunday. He has prepared himself well all season," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "I think this season we have eliminated a lot of our demons and the things that have plagued us in the past that have allowed us to go over the top.

"He has been very, very consistent down the stretch."

While Holmgren looks to become the first coach in league history to win a Super Bowl with two teams, Cowher wants to win his first.

The longest-tenured coach in the NFL lost his only trip in 1995 and had been 1-4 in AFC title games before beating Denver. That leaves one of the league's most well-liked coaches in position to quiet the critics who say he can't win the big one.

"There is a lot of tradition with Pittsburgh and to be a part of that would be really special," Cowher said. "We have the four trophies in our building and I pass them every day and to bring another one there would be very gratifying and very special for the whole team."

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Seahawks -- 1st place, NFC West; first-round bye; beat Washington Redskins 20-10, divisional round; beat Carolina Panthers 34-14, NFC championship game. Steelers -- 2nd place, AFC North; beat Cincinnati Bengals 31-17, wild-card round; beat Indianapolis Colts 21-18, divisional round; beat Denver Broncos 34-17, AFC championship game.

SEAHAWKS LEADERS: Offense -- Hasselbeck, 3,459 passing yards and 24 passing TDs; Alexander, 1,880 rushing yards and 28 rushing TDs; Bobby Engram, 67 receptions and 778 receiving yards; Joe Jurevicius, 10 receiving TDs. Defense -- Bryce Fisher, 9 sacks; Michael Boulware, 4 INTs.

STEELERS LEADERS: Offense -- Roethlisberger, 2,385 passing yards and 17 passing TDs; Parker, 1,202 rushing yards; Bettis, 9 rushing TDs; Ward, 69 receptions, 975 receiving yards and 11 receiving TDs. Defense -- Porter, 10½ sacks; Chris Hope, 3 INTs.

SEAHAWKS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 153.6 yards per game (3rd); Passing Offense -- 216.1 ypg (13th); Total Offense -- 369.7 ypg (2nd). Rushing Defense -- 94.4 ypg (5th); Passing Defense -- 222.4 ypg (25th); Total Defense -- 316.8 ypg (T-16th).

STEELERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 138.9 ypg (5th in NFL); Passing Offense -- 182.9 ypg (24th); Total Offense -- 321.8 ypg (T-15th). Rushing Defense -- 85.5 ypg (3rd); Passing Defense -- 198.0 ypg (16th); Total Defense -- 283.5 ypg (4th).

LAST MEETING: Nov. 2, 2003; Seahawks, 23-16. At Seattle, Darrell Jackson scored a fourth-quarter touchdown on a 14-yard pass from Hasselbeck and his 43-yard catch-and-run set up Alexander's late 1-yard TD run.

STREAKS AND NOTES: Seahawks -- Hasselbeck hasn't been intercepted in his past five games. ... WR Jackson has averaged 101 yards receiving in four postseason games. ... Seattle led the NFL with 50 sacks during the regular season and has four in the playoffs. ... WR Jurevicius, who went to Super Bowls with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay, has only two catches for 37 yards in this postseason. He had 55 for 694 in the regular season. Steelers -- Pittsburgh's defense has forced six turnovers and totaled 11 sacks in three playoff games. ... Ward has seven TD receptions in each of his past seven playoff games. ... CB Willie Williams, who played with Seattle from 1997-2004, is the only Steeler to have appeared in a Super Bowl -- with Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX. Five Seahawks have been to the Super Bowl. ... Since Week 12, Pittsburgh has scored an average of 29 points, more than double what Seattle has allowed in that span (12.4).



Steelers ready to kick things off

It's the eve of the biggest game in their careers and the Steelers are ready to get things rolling. It's been a week filled with media commitments and the hype leading up to the game, but now, that's all behind them.

There is one goal, one focus, one reason for being in Detroit. It's all about winning Super Bowl XL.

"There is a lot of excitement, but at the same time, we know we came here for one reason, and that's to take care of what we came here for," said running back Willie Parker. "It's about business.

"Every team always expects to go to the Super Bowl. That's just something you have to put in your players' minds, put in your teammates' minds and coaches' minds. At the beginning of the year, our goal was to make it to the big dance and win."

For two weeks the teams have been waiting for Super Bowl Sunday. It's been two long weeks, and tonight is going to be a long night as the players try to keep themselves calm.

"It seems like it's been a long time since we played our last game," said tight end Heath Miller. "Our focus is on our game plan and Sunday. It will be a normal Saturday night. I plan to get plenty of rest. I'm sure I'll toss and turn a little bit. I've done that many times this year."

Head coach Bill Cowher will address the team on Sunday morning. What he is going to say is not something he plans out, instead it comes from the heart, it flows as his thoughts and emotions flow.

"What exactly I'll say, I'm not exactly sure right now. It's kind of a last-minute thing," said Cowher. "The biggest thing right now is not to make this game out bigger than what it is. I think it's very important to do that.

"We've talked each day about making sure we prioritize the things we're doing and not lose sight of where we were seven weeks ago, and keep reminding them about that. We've played well in the last seven weeks, because we've prepared well. We've played a little bit with a chip on our shoulder and recognizing that we've got a tough road ahead of us and we took nothing for granted.

"And we cannot afford to think that we're going to show up and just by showing up we're getting it done. We're not going to do that. We've had good weeks of work, and we recognize there's a fine line there. There's been a sense of urgency and a desperate state we've played in the last seven weeks, and I don't think Sunday will be any different. We understand the magnitude of the game. But it cannot affect how you play the game."

Sijetl sigurno pobedjuje!

Bice smor od tekme, ali finale je finale, i mora da se gleda. Ipak, igra pasovima je zakon, a toga ce biti premalo veceras...

Na osnovu iskustva od 4. odgledana superbola, pobediće ekipa čiji hvatači budu manje nervozni.Nadam se samo da ću imati priliku da na domaćoj televiziji pogledam i 41. superbol.

Jedva cekam, cujem da program na 3K veceras pocinje u 20 casova i traje do 4 ujutru. Valjda pustaju polufinalne tekme, a onda u 00:30h pocinje prenos. Ma samo da Pitsburg dobije!!!!

Na svim sportskim sajtovima ovde pa i na ESPN-u Steelersi su veliki favorit. 61%-39% je na ESPN-u za Steelerse. Ali ja mislim da ce Seahawksi da pobede. Znam da su Steelersi jaci pogotovu sto je Rotlesberger u formi i sto im je odbrana izuzetno jaka. Ali Alexander ce da razvali tu odbranu. Jos da im i pass igra krene i bice svasta. Moj prvi favorit je bio Indianopolis koji nije u finalu zbog problema glavnog Coach-a kome je umro sin pa nisu ni trenirali dobre 2 nedelje. Ali Steelersi su dotukli Indianopolis i to je jedan od razloga sto cu navijati za Seattle. Koga god sam ovde pitao svi su rekli da navijaju za Pittsburg. Jedan od razloga je i Bettis kome je ovo zadnja sezona pa bi voleli da se oprosti sa krunom. Realno vece sanse ima Pittsburg ali ja navijam za SeaHawkse i mislim da ce dobiti. Jedva cekam pocetak mece. Nadam se da je neko obezbedio prenos za vas tamo u SCG pa da i vi uzivate. Ovde naravno ima na ABC u 6:15 mislim. Al oni ukljuce u 5 pa pricaju i smaraju sa taktikama i mogucnostima. Pozdrav svim NFL fanovima i nadam se da cete imati mogucnosti da pratite mec i uzivati u njemu.

Ma "autobus" ce da ih pokida!!!

Da pojasnim za ljude u Srbiji; danas je veliki praznik u Americi,finale americkog fudbala,tojest SUPER BOWL.
Danas oko 90 miliona amerikanaca gledaju TV (u proseku),znaci i oni koji prate sport i oni koji ne prate. Tradicioonalno se naruce pice ili pravi BBQ,znaci hamburgeri,hot dogovi,pileca krilca i bataci (tzv.buffalo wings),rebra itd..uz to se jede hladna krompir salata,cips i pije budweiser ili coors,oni sa malo vise ukusa coronu. Ugalvnoms e sastaju prodicno;muskarci se zakuju ispred tv-a,a zene "domacice" prepricavaju poslednje traceve u kuhinji i spremaju gotovu salatu,jer treba ipak naci i odgovarajuce cinije. za dezert su pite (na eng. "pie") sa slagom ili sladom na njoj.

Dobro salu na stranu,hteli mi to da priznamo ili ne,americki fudbal ima veliku tradiciju koja ide daleko pre II svetskog rata. Danas igraju Pittsburgh Steelers i Seattle Seahawks. Pittsburgh ima veliku tradiciju i njihovi navijaci su mahom radnicka klasa koja se "prepoznala" u imenu Steelers (rudari). Seahawks (morski sokolovi) su tim sa mnogo manje tradicije i mnogo manje navijaca,uglavnom zitelji tog grada. Jedna velika zanimljivost su i reklame koje se specijalno cuvaju za Super Bowl jer je tada najveca gledanost,ove godine ce 1 sekunda,dakle i recima "jedna sekunda" kostati oko $87,000 tako da ako znamo da prosecna reklama traje oko 30 sekundi,lako je izracunati da ce kostati preko 2 mil dolara po prikazivanju Ima zaista orignalnih reklama koje,ponovicu,pocinju svoj vek i ciklus bas na poluvremenu Super Bowl-a.

Posto je Super Bowl vidjen kao svojevrsni spektakl koji se prenosi u maltene sve zemlje sveta,poluvreme je narocit "mini-spektakl",ove godine ce auditorijum da zabavljvaju Rolling Stones. Taj fudbalski teren se za minut pretvori u binu i koncert i niko ne moze da zamisli da su se pre samo nekoliko minuta tu krljali amerikanci u kacigama. Posle par numera ta ista bina se rasformira i eto ponovo jajaste lopte i kaciga. Da ne zaboravim,Beyonce Knowles ce pevati americku himnu pre utakmice (u americi se intonira americka himna pre svake utakmice ne samo americkog fudbala,NBA,hokeja vec i utakmica srednje skole,bilo cega.

Pobednik se slavi danima,mesecima godinama i vekovima evo. Majce i kape se natpisom "Super Bowl Champions su vec spremene pre utakmice" tako da se pobednik istog momenta kada se zavrsi utakmica moze da se sepuri kao CHAMPION. Za sva druga pitanja oko Super Bowl-a,javite nam se na info@obraduj.com

Ja se tresem od uzbudjenja, a dobio sam i proliv.

nadam se da ce od sledece sezone biti malo vise informacija o NFL na B92!!

HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO...
Danas ce ceo Detroit da navija za Steelerse ne samo zbog cinjenice da Pittsburgh ima najbolje navijace u NFL-u (bar 5-10 hiljada navijaca ide na svaku gostujucu utakmicu i mase cuvenim zutim terrible towelsima) nego i zbog toga sto je Jerome BUS Bettis, buduci hall of famer, poreklom iz Detroita... Ja zivim u Erie-u, gradu na oko sat i po vremena od 3 poveca grada Klivlenda (NFL tim Braunsi), Bafala (Bilsi) i Pitsburga (STEELERSI) i mogu vam reci da ovi ljudi obozavaju fudbal... Da li zbog velike istorije Pitsburga ili neceg drugog, ne znam, ali vecina ljudi ovde najvise voli Steelerse... U gradu vlada veliko ludilo, na svakom koraku se mogu videti rekviziti stilersa, prodavnice su okicene zutim i crnim bojama Pitsburga, na faxu (Penn State - the Orange Bowl winner) dosta studenata nosi dresove a najpopularniji su Big Ben, Ward, Polamalu, Bettis, i Parker... Toliko, idem da gledam pregame show...
Pozdrav svim navijacima Pittsburgha u Srbiji...

Zna se ko je jedini pravi sampion
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
GO PATS

@Steelers ready to kick things off
Majstore,napisi nesto sam,nemoj mi ovde copy/paste tekstove sa nekih drugih sajtova.Ili reci nesto svoje ili ne ostavljaj post.

imam tu srecu da nedjeljom gledam tekme na OBN-u, ali mnogo vise od toga, pomaze mi brat koji zivi u DC-ju i navija za Redskinse i daje mi komentare i pogadja kvote.
medjtim on ce se dobro razocarati, jer kako i vecina Vas na sajtu navija za Steelers-e!
moj tip su Seahawks-i!!!!

@ Aleksandar-USA
burazeru nisi ni svestan koliko se ovde gleda i prati NFL
vise infa na www.safsrbija.com www.vukovi.org
i naravno ocekujem pobedu Seattle-a