Pittsburgh Steelers Triumphs in Super Bowl 43 with Historic Win

By Tony Vega

What a game and what a way to finish the NFL 2008 season! Super Bowl 43 began with an historic entry as the Arizona Cardinals for the first time in franchise history made it to the Super Bowl.

Arizona struggled out the gate and came alive in the fourth quarter that turned this game into a dramatic event worthy of a script. Pittsburgh rallied in a stellar performance crushing Arizona's hopes with 5 seconds remaining, the rest is history. Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23

Prior to the start of the game, some real heroes graced the field. Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger the captain of US Airways Flight 1549 made an appearance along with his crew and received a standing ovation; General Petraeus was there to perform the coin toss and received appropriate cheers as well. It was a treat to see some real live action heroes on the field in Tampa.

Here are some historical facts about the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Arizona Cardinals and Super Bowl 43;

The Pittsburgh Steelers is the only team to have six Super Bowl wins. They have achieved this feat under four different presidents; Ford, Carter, Bush, and Obama.

In last year's big game, Plaxico Burress of the NY Giants hauled in the winning catch with 35 seconds remaining. In Super Bowl 43, Santonio Holmes caught a Roethlisberger strike for the winning touchdown with, yep you guessed it, 35 seconds remaining. That catch earned Holmes the MVP designation for Super Bowl 43.

The first historical and jaw dropping play came at the end of the half with the Cardinals in the red zone. Kurt Warner was picked off by James Harrison, which he returned for a record 100 hundred yard run into the end zone extending Pittsburgh's lead.

Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the youngest coach in franchise history to lead a team to a Super Bowl win. Mike Tomlin at 36-years old played against one of his current players in college, what an amazing feat for Mr. Tomlin.

The Arizona cardinals and Mr. Warner have a lot to be proud of. Quarterback Kurt Warner has a storied career with a pair of Super Bowl entries and a MVP designation as quarterback for the LA Rams in Super Bowl 34.

The Arizona Cardinals will certainly have a place in the history books by finally making it to the Super Bowl and sharing the stage with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the nation watched the Steelers win their sixth Super Bowl title.

Also for the first time, the Empire State Building has split its tower lights to honor both teams to celebrate the Super Bowl during the weekend. On Monday, the Empire State Building will have the Pittsburgh Steelers colors illuminated on all four sides of the tower to commemorate their historical win. Only in New York, folks.

Great game and certainly one for the record books. Another little historical tidbit that won't end up in the books, for the first time as a sports fan, yours truly won the final score of the Super Bowl 43 office pool. How about that!?

Sources;

NFL.com

Super Bowl 43 with Jon Madden and Al Michaels