That’s Super Bowl 43 for those that don’t know how to read Roman numerals once they get beyond X’s, V’s and I’s. Don’t worry, I had to look it up myself.

This year’s matchup is pretty much everything the NFL and NBC could have hoped for. You’ve got the historic power franchise in the Steelers and the feel good underdog in the Cardinals, who are making their first ever trip to the big game. The last time these two teams met was Week Four of the 2007 season, when Pittsburgh walked away with a 21-14 win. That was the second to last game Matt Leinart has started in the NFL.

The Steelers had the league’s best defense by far this year, giving up just 237.2 YPG, nearly 23 YPG less than the next best defensive unit. Only once did a team gain more than 300 yards of total offense against the Steelers this year. The Cards offense, on the other hand, was one the best this year, averaging 365.8 YPG, a distant second in the NFC behind the Saints’ supercharged attack.  They racked up at least 300 yards of offense sixteen freaking times this season, so something’s gotta give.

Arizona’s going to rely on University of Pittsburgh product Larry Fitzgerald just like they have all year, but the Steelers held Andre Johnson, TJ Housyomomma , Plaxico Burress, Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens to a grand total of two touchdowns (56.6 YPG on avg) in seven total meetings this season. Troy Polamalu has the ability to match every big play Fitzgerald makes with one of his own.

John Manuel of Baseball America ran through the SB43’s baseball ties earlier this week. Steelers running back Mewelde Moore spend three years in the Padres’ farm system and was rated the system’s 29th best prospect back in 2001. Third string QB Dennis Dixon was the Braves’ fourth round pick in ‘07 and is still active in their system, but he didn’t play baseball in ‘08 because of a knee injury. Hines Ward is a former 73rd round pick of the Marlins and Cards’ corner Matt Ware spent two years in the Mariners’ farm system. Polamalu was rated the fifth best prospect in the state of Oregon out of high school in 1999, but he instead went to USC on a football scholarship and the rest is history.

Here’s your open thread for the night. I’m assuming SB43 will be the primary topic, but feel free to talk about anything and everything. Just be civil.

Enjoy the game.

Wow, that NFC Title game was something else, huh? Congrats to the Arizona Cardinals on finally clinching the first Super Bowl berth in franchise history.

The Ravens last played in the AFC Title Game way back in 2001, when they were on their way to winning the first World Title the city of Baltimore has seen since the Colts won Super Bowl V way back in 1971. The boys from Steeltown are playing in their third AFC Title game in the last five years, but in the end that doesn’t really mean much of anything.

This should be a great, an old school smashmouth kind of game. It looks like Mother Nature won’t interfere much after dumping snow on the Three Rivers area all night. Enjoy the game.

The Cardinals, long the laughing stock of the NFL, are playing the biggest game in franchise history today, and perhaps the biggest sports event the state of Arizona has seen involving an Arizona team since … well … a warm November night back in 2001. Donovan McNabb and the Iggles aren’t new to this NFC Championship game thing, as this will be their fifth trip to the game in the last nine years.

Does Kurt Warner have another shot at something special left in that right arm? Can McNabb continue to persevere through all the crap he has to deal with? Should be an exciting game, chat away about it here.

Donovan McNabb, Jake Brian Westbrook and the rest of the Iggles storm into the frigid Meadowlands today, looking to get back to the NFC Title Game for the first time in five years. The G-Men were there just last year obviously, but they’ve lost three of their last four games. The bye week should have helped, as it gave Brandon Jacobs’ knee and Justin Tuck’s leg (amongst other walking wounded) a chance to rest up and get healthy. The two teams split their regular season matchup. This should be a good one.

In other local football news, the Jets will interview Ravens’ defensive coordinator Rex Ryan for their head coaching position today. I approve.

Chat away about the game here. Enjoy.

It’s fitting that Chad Pennington would be the one standing in the way of a possible Jets’ playoff spot, but Gang Green has no one to blame but themselves after the past few weeks. It’s a simple scenario: the Jets need to beat the Dolphins AND the Ravens to lose at home to Jacksonville. The Pats already knocked off the Bills 13-0 to clinch a playoff spot and need the Jets to win to clinch a postseason berth.

Talk about the action here if you want. Just play nice.