> 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 DVD---2005 season
> highlights included, as well as the 2006 playoffs!
>
>
> vince palamara