4. Heroes & Villains
Most athletes are easy to cheer for, easy to cheer against. But a few individuals transcend this and reach a you-gotta-love-this-guy or you-can't-help-but-hate-that-clown status. I haven't been informed of any heroic tales of cancer survival, orphan raising, or anything like that from either team. With no heroes, let's focus on the bad guys. The Steelers, for the most part, are a team of villains. Hines Ward is considered the "dirtiest player in the NFL. (Whatever that means) James Harrison has been fined tens of thousands of dollars for "cheap" and illegal hits this season alone. I can look past this easily, this is football after all. The only real "bad guy" on the team is quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. "Big Ben" has twice been charged with sexual assault and has maintained a "higher than the law" swagger for most of his playing time. I won't judge him personally, but all this makes it much easier to cheer against him.
Advantage: Green Bay
5. The Ray Bourque Inclusion
Whenever a fan is in doubt on which team to cheer for, it is common to find a player who seems "deserving" of a championship. The heading of this section points to Raymond Bourque, who played 21 seasons for the Boston Bruins without ever winning a Stanley Cup. Bourque was a stellar player, but also a fan favorite and "good guy", as far as hockey players can be good. At the end of his career he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, where he finally won that elusive trophy. I don't follow hockey closely, but I can still remember seeing him skate around the rink holding the trophy. Are there any Raymond Bourques in
this game? Not quite. Charles Woodson is as close as we can get. Woodson has been a top notch NFL cornerback since 1998. He has transformed from a flashy Heisman winner to an unassuming playmaker. He won the Defensive Player of the Year last season. Also, on the Packers is Donald Driver, a veteran receiver who is tough, productive, and quiet. Both are good guys and both are deserving of a Super Bowl trophy. I'll combine them for one Bourque point. (.75 for Woodson and .25 for Driver)
Advantage: Green Bay
6. Mascot
The Steelers mascot:
The Packers mascot:
Yeah, they don't have one.
Advantage: Pittsburgh, for the kids.
7.Proof of an Underdog
Since both teams have had their share of success in their histories, let's keep this controlled to this season. The Steelers completed a 12-4 record and were the #2 seed in the AFC entering the playoffs. Despite losing Big Ben for the first four games of the season, they have remained near the top of the standings for most of the season. The Packers had a 10-6 record and were the #6 seed in the NFC. They had to win their last win games to qualify after a stretch of losing three out of four games. They have overcome a slew of injuries to key players (Barnett, Finley, Grant, Poppinga, Tauscher). Despite all this, the Packers are a three point favorite by Vegas odds. I still the have to go with the Packers on this one. Steelers are no underdog, sorry.
Advantage: Green Bay
Halftime! Steelers now lead 5-4. The third (and probably final) installment comes tomorrow!
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