Steelers and Cardinals

As a lifelong Steeler fan (since 1955), I am obviously happy that the Steelers are going back to the Super Bowl with a chance to win a record 6th Super Bowl title. I am also happy to see the Cardinals going as well. They are a decades old-league doormat that has finally, for the first time since 1948, made it to the championship game. While I never had any emotional attachment to the Cardinals, I would say they were the franchise in the NFC I liked the best.

When (at the age of ten), I began to root for the Steelers, they were a traditional doormat in the NFL's Eastern Division. Since their inception in 1933, they had never won a divisional title, in fact, they usually finished last in their division. It wasn't until 1972 that they won their division for the first time. I was present in San Diego when they beat the Chargers 24-2 to clinch that championship. The first playoff game was decided by Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception" to beat the Raiders. The following week, they lost to Miami. Two years later, they won the first of their 5 Super Bowls. Since then, they have been strong most every year.

But even as the Steelers were turning a woeful franchise into one of the NFL's most successful, the Cardinals languished, first in Chicago playing in old Comiskey Park, then St Louis and now Phoenix. Their last NFL championship was 1947, a record of sports franchise futility exceeded only by the Chicago Cubs.

This year wasn't expected to be much different though they were in a weak division, which allowed them to get into the playoffs with a 9-7 record.

The rest is known to the reader, so let me close by saying that I view this as a very attractive match up, which most fans probably don't. I will, of course, be pulling intensely for the Steelers. But if the Cardinals do win, there will be a consolation.