A Bit of Poetry

Haha, I know this won't get much attention, but in my english class my teacher told us to write 7 shakesperean sonnets on anything we deemed. I took the liberty of writing those seven on Super Bowl XLIII. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Super Bowl 43

I

On February 1st would the game start,

The Steelers and the Cardinals would spar.

Different ideals set these two teams apart,

In the end only one could be a star,

The Cardinals were forever defied,

For sixty-two years they had always lost.

Finally, they seemed to not be denied,

They'd shock the world, no matter what the cost.

They were the first to clinch their division,

But ended 9 and 7 on the year.

Many thought that the Cards shouldn't be in,

The playoffs looked bleak; why then, should fans cheer?

But after all these years, dreams came to be

The Cards'd play in Super Bowl 43

II

But before they'd get a chance at the crown

The Cards would have to play one final game

Their last opponent would be world-renowned,

As the Steelers wanted to their sixth ring claim.

Through seventeen weeks, the Men of Steel fought

Through winter storms and muddy fields they played

For their constant effort would be for naught

If there wasn't a Black and Gold parade.

Relying on their defense to be great,

The Steelers were able to crush their foes.

It was almost as if it were by fate

That they fended off all that had opposed.

And so when they kept winning, night after night,

The Vince Lombardi seemed well in their sight.

III

The day came, when without further ado,

The build-up was over, the bells chimed

Soon after, Steelers the first blood drew

It was 10-7 Steelers near halftime.

As the Cardinals neared towards the end zone

They were just one yard from getting ahead,

Kurt Warner took the snap, a blitz was shown

He threw it quickly, but was filled with dread.

For there was James Harrison, who had faked

He did not rush, and instead did none

Then intercepted the pass on his break

For a record 100 yards did he run.

And so at halftime, the Black and the Gold

Led by ten; the Steelers were on a roll.

1-1-PIT 1 (:18) (Shotgun) 13-K.Warner pass short middle intended for 81-A.Boldin INTERCEPTED by 92-J.Harrison at PIT 0. 92-J.Harrison for 100 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Super Bowl Record, longest interception return yards. Penalty on ARI-61-E.Brown, Face Mask (15 Yards), declined. The Replay Assistant challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld.

PIT 17 ARZ 7[1]

IV

The second half was a brand-new story

Twists and turns like no one could dream of

Neither team could be sure of victory

Until the trophy was held up above.

The Steelers would again go and score first

A Jeff Reed field goal from 21 yards.

Now the score seemed as if it were to burst

A miracle was needed for the Cards.

Finally, in the fourth quarter, began

The comeback, sparked by number eleven

Who purely out-jumped his defending man

And caught the touchdown way up in heaven.

Now the game was intense; the ante was upped

The Cardinals looked for ways to disrupt.

3-1-PIT 1 (7:41) 13-K.Warner pass short right to 11-L.Fitzgerald for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

PIT 20 ARZ 14[1]

V

And disrupt they did, for the Cardinals

Pinned the Steelers up close against the wall

The defense attacked them like animals,

Not resting 'til the enemy would fall.

And fall they did, as yellow flags were hurled

In the end zone, meaning a penalty

Was called on the Steelers, and then they curled

For the Cardinals would have a safety.

3-10-PIT 1 (3:04) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass deep right to 10-S.Holmes to PIT 20 for 19 yards (29-D.Rodgers-Cromartie). PENALTY on PIT-62-J.Hartwig, Offensive Holding, 1 yard, enforced in End Zone, SAFETY - No Play.

PIT 20 ARZ 16[1]

Now, victory was in reach for certain

And they took their chance quickly with a pass

Right down the gut of the famed Steel Curtain

On the scoreboard, the Cardinals surpassed

Larry Fitzgerald had caught their last score

The Steelers looked to rebound nevermore.

2-10-ARI 36 (2:47) (Shotgun) 13-K.Warner pass short middle to 11-L.Fitzgerald for 64 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

PIT 20 ARZ 23

VI

But the Cards didn't factor in Big Ben

2:37 left for him to win

Ben had come up clutch time and again

This game didn't have any different spin.

He still had to drive his team the distance

And boy did he drive them, he took charge

The plays amplified his own persistence

And so made Big Ben seem even more large.

Santonio Holmes caught and made big plays,

But dropped the score that could've ended it.

The second time that Ben threw it his way,

Three others were there, but Holmes didn't quit.

The ball sailed over heads, into Holmes's hands

The sound of the catch echoed through the stands.

2-6-ARI 6 (:42) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 10-S.Holmes for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Assistant challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld.

PIT 27 ARZ 23[1]

VII

35 ticks left, the Steelers were on top

The Cards got the ball for one final drive

The Steelers defense would need one more stop

They wanted to be the ones to survive.

And so, fittingly enough, the defense

Knocked the ball out and recovered as well

Ending the final remains of suspense

The Cardinals would be the one that fell.

1-10-PIT 44 (:15) (Shotgun) 13-K.Warner sacked at PIT 49 for -5 yards (56-L.Woodley). FUMBLES (56-L.Woodley), RECOVERED by PIT-99-B.Keisel at PIT 43. 99-B.Keisel to PIT 43 for no gain (75-L.Brown).

Pittsburgh Steelers at 00:05

1-10-PIT 29 (:05) 7-B.Roethlisberger kneels to PIT 28 for -1 yards.

END GAME[1]

For his nine catches, but mostly his last,

Santonio was named the MVP

To be mentioned with the greats of the past

For the beautiful, game-winning TD.

The Steelers are world champs times six, although

Perhaps next year they'll put on a seventh show.

[1]:http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/playbyplay?game_id=54465&displayPage=tab_play_by_play&season=2008&week=POST21&override=true