Big Ben: 27-4 as a starter (2004-2005 seasons)---only losses (3 of
which were injury-related): Patriots, 2004 AFC Championship game (if
Plax holds on to sure TD pass, we are only down 7 with about 7+ minutes
to go in that game; Ben did some good things and was battling thumb and
toe injuries) and also in 2005 (if Randle El doesn't get `cute' and
lateral that pass to Ward, we probably win; again, Ben did some good
things), as well as the Bengals in 2005 (Ben has beaten Carson Palmer's
Bengals 3 times: twice in 2004 and big-time in the AFC Wild-Card game
in 2005; Ben had 3 TD passes in this lone defeat and was battling a
thumb injury) and Indy in 2005 (as we know, he got revenge in the AFC
Divisional Playoff game; Ben threw a TD pass to Ward in this Monday
night defeat and was coming off an injury-induced layoff).

Ben's FIRST NFL game: 2004 Pre-season at Ford Field vs. the
Lions...last game of 2005 season: 2/5/06 at FORD FIELD, SUPER BOWL XL
VICTORY!!!

So Ben didn't play a superb game in Super Bowl XL and there was some
controversy...

--Super Bowl IX, 1/12/75: Steelers win 16-6 over the Vikings---Future
Hall-of-Famer Terry Bradshaw is only 9 for 14 for 96 yards...BEN WAS 9
FOR 21 FOR 123 YARDS...Bradshaw threw a lone TD...BEN RAN FOR A LONE
TD... Future Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton's numbers were putrid: 11 for
26 for 102 yards, 3 interceptions, NO TD's! We were only winning 2-0
going into the third quarter (on a safety); a boring game. The Steelers
wore their white shirts and Terry had a beard (the other 3 Super Bowls:
black-and-gold shirts, Terry clean shaven)...WE WORE OUR WHITE SHIRTS
IN XL AND BEN HAD A BEARD...the game turned on a VERY controversial
"fumble-that-wasn't" by the Steelers Larry Brown: the Steelers left the
field dejected, the Vikings were in prime territory...then the
officials ruled Brown was down before the ball came loose (no
way!!!!!)...and the rest is history;

--Super Bowl X, 1/18/76: Steelers win 21-17 over the Cowboys---Future
Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach almost pulled out another miracle
comeback...Swann's great falling-to-the-ground acrobatic catch led to
no points (!);

--Super Bowl XIII, 1/21/79: Steelers win 35-31 over the Cowboys---the
Cowboys' Jackie Smith drops a SURE TD pass that would have tied the
game AND our go-ahead TD was aided by a very controversial tripping
penalty that cost Dallas 33 yards: Lynn Swann fell over Benny Barnes's
ankles and, as Bradshaw has admitted, it shouldn't have been a
flag...we were ahead 35-17 at one point...Staubach almost brought them
back (35-31);

--GAME BEFORE SUPERBOWL XIV: AFC Championship game vs. the Oilers,
1/6/80: Steelers win 27-13---late in the third quarter, officials ruled
that Oilers receiver Mike Renfro did not have possession of what
appeared to be a game-tying TD (WRONG!!!! He was in bounds; bad, bad
call)...and the rest is history...

---Super Bowl XIV, 1/20/80: Steelers win 31-19 over the Rams---Bradshaw
threw 3 INTERCEPTIONS and we were losing for most of the game...until
Lambert saved our butts by intercepting QB Vince Ferragamo's pass...and
the rest is history
(Steelers in the 1970's: regular season---99-44-1; playoffs: 14-4)

NON-STEELER SUPER BOWL "LUCK"---
Super Bowl XXV, 1/27/91: Giants defeat Bills BECAUSE SCOTT NORWOOD
BARELY MISSES A RELATIVELY EASY FIELD GOAL, one of the biggest blown
plays ever!;
All 3 of the Patriots victories were by exactly 3 points...and the
Eagles really blew it with poor clock management (sound familiar?)!;
Super Bowl XXXIV, 1/30/00: Rams defeat Titans, 23-16--- The Rams' Mike
Jones tackled Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line as time expired. Dyson
would have tied the game; Super Bowl V, 1/17/71: Colts beat Cowboys,
16-13, via a field goal... Dallas' Chuck Howley, who picked off two
passes, became the first defensive player and the first player from a
losing team to be named MVP.

The Steelers have been in the Super Bowl in the 1970's. 1980's, 1990's,
and in the new millennium (2000's)---
IX (1975), X (1976), XIII (1979), XIV (played in 1980), XXX (played in
1996), XL (2006)

Big Ben---ONLY QB to ever go to Championship game his first two years;
youngest to win the Super Bowl (Steelers: first 6th seed to go/ win;
only team to beat #1, #2, and #3 seeds on the road and win; three-way
tie for most Super Bowl victories: 5, along with Dallas and San
Francisco; tied for second with most Super Bowl appearances: 6, along
with Denver [who have `only' won 2])...comparison to other Hall-of-Fame
and/or outstanding QBs---
Jim Kelly: 0 for 4; never won a Super Bowl;
Fran Tarkenton: 0 for 4; never won a Super Bowl;
Dan Marino: 0 for 1; never won a Super Bowl;
Kenny Anderson: 0 for 1; never won a Super Bowl
Len Dawson: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Johnny Unitas: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Joe Theismann: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Brett Favre: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Kurt Warner: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Ken Stabler: won one Super Bowl
Joe Namath: won one Super Bowl;
Phil Simms: won one Super Bowl;
Steve Young: won one Super Bowl;
Also: John Elway: after FIFTEEN YEARS IN THE LEAGUE, won two...after
losing 3 very badly!

BEST run in sports history (as confirmed by a Congressional
resolution!): won 8 in a row---
Bears (who had an 8-game winning streak), Vikings on the road (who had
a 6 game winning streak...and Cowher NEVER won in a dome stadium
before!), Browns on the road, and Detroit on 1/1/06 (where, unbeknownst
to us at the time, we were headed for 2/5/06!); Bengals on the road (#3
seed, previously beat us), Colts on the road (#1 seed, league's best
record, heavily favored, dome stadium, previously beat us; the Fumble,
the Tackle, and the Miss), Broncos on the road (#2 seed, favored, 10-0
at home)...and the #1 NFC seeded Seahawks "on the road" in another
dome, Detroit's Ford Field (where Big Ben started his NFL career vs.
the Lions in the 2004 pre-season!!!)

YOU HAVE TO GET THE TWO-DVD SET "STEELERS: THE COMPLETE HISTORY" (2005;
NFL Films), 1933-2004 (too bad they didn't wait a year haha!)---the
main feature is 2 hours and 20 minutes long and covers 1933 up to and
including Beg Ben's 2004 season; incredible. All the `lean years'
(1930's-1960's; 1980's) are covered, NOT just the "glory
seasons"---Kordell, Brister, Malone, Stoudt, Hanratty, etc. etc. etc.
The bonus feautures are awesome, ESPECIALLY the 45-minute Jerome Bettis
special-VERY IRONIC!! You will see Tommy Maddox with the Bus when they
were both Rams in 1995...excellent miked-on-the-field comments, often
funny, by Bus, Ward, and Cowher...Jan. 2005 AFC lowlights, Hines Ward
crying, Jerome's reaction, and the tantalizing hint that Super Bowl XL
wil be played in Jerome's hometown of Detroit...which makes what they
did in 2005/2006 VERY story book! Also: the Bill Cowher, Terry
Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Myron Cope, Dick Hoak, and Bill
Saul segments/ specials are very entertaining, as is the Super Bowl
XIII feature..get this...as well as the SUPER BOWL XL DV