Sextuply Super

      I think the most gratifying thing for me about the Steelers' thrilling sixth Super Bowl win is the fact that the heroes of the game, the players who will garner all of the attention when the highlights of Super Bowl XLIII are replayed throughout the years, are the same three players who deserve much of the credit for the Steelers making it to the big game in the first place. Last year David Tyree was the hero for the Giants, and while his bizarre and spectacular catch certainly deserves a place in highlight history, Tyree was not a major contributing factor to the Giants' overall success in 2007. The heroes of Super Bowl XLIII, however--Santonio Holmes, James Harrison, and Ben Roethlisberger--were not only the key players in yesterday's win, they were largely responsible for carrying the Steelers through the regular season and into the Super Bowl.

      Harrison's MVP year as leader of the NFL's best defense, Holmes's season-long emergence as the heir to Hines Ward's "go-to-guy" throne, and Roethlisberger's repeated fourth quarter trips to the phone booth for his Superman costume were three of the biggest reasons for a 14-4 record going into the Super Bowl. Then, in the big game, all they did was make the greatest defensive play in Super Bowl history for a 14-point swing just before the half, and execute an 88-yard drive in the final two minutes for the winning touchdown on a perfect pass and a circus catch. I was especially glad that Polamalu's fine season did not end with him as the goat, caught out of position on Fitzgerald's 64-yard touchdown catch and run that gave the Cardinals their first lead with only minutes to play. Yeah, the officiating sucked, but there's no doubt in my mind that the Steelers won one of the most exciting Super Bowls I've ever seen. Go Stillers!