Gosh it's sometimes hard to say something on this site that hasn't been said. You people are so quick with great thoughts, by the time I finish writing something in draft my thoughts have been posted four times...Oh well, shows you the value of the site...
First, I wish I were one of the ones "displaced" with tickets for seats that weren't in existence. So what if we stood and watched? I did that for 25 years at Three Rivers. True, I didn't pay $800 to stand, but to have a free trip to the next Super Bowl the Steelers played in would be a great deal in my book. It's kind of like the airlines who offer a free round trip if you take a flight three hours later. I always jump on that deal. Five units of inconvenience is worth 20 units of compensation. There was nothing intentional or malicious here, and they are trying to make amends. This over-litigious world makes me sick. Reminds me of the guy who gets in a fender bender and walks into court with a neck brace trying to win the lottery. I really wish I were one of the 400 lucky ones who ended up standing somewhere with now a great future benefit in my back pocket. Of course, if I were in a wheel chair and ended up watching on television in a back room I might think differently. And, I am fully aware the Steelers might not make it back in my lifetime, but I would still be happy if Mary Rose had the deal in her pocket through her lifetime.
Second, I hope we can finally put behind us the notion of "Steeler Football," being a rough, tough macho thing where we impose our will on some frozen tundra to break the spirit of...blah, blah, blah. The last three Super Bowl winners, including the Steelers, have rushed for 50, 51 and 58 yards - the same amount totally that Franco Harris gained himself in one Super Bowl. The times have changed. Earlier in the decade, the Patriots and Colts won Super Bowls when we hardly knew who their running backs were. Sure, a running game is nice to have to close out a game or put a drive that keeps the opponent off the field, and certainly you need to run the ball when you have to and run the ball to keep the defense honest, but it seems to me that teams winning Super Bowls these days are not giving much of a priority to the importance of a running game.
Third, yet another notion to put to rest is this idea that having experience in the Super Bowl and "knowing what it takes" is some kind of advantage. The team with no experience played a flawless game while the been-there-done-that team committed three crucial turnovers. I alluded to this in a pre-Super Bowl take. I have never worn a football helmet, but I can tell you exactly what it takes. It takes 60 minutes of scoring more points than the other guy. Prior to this year, the virgin New Orleans Saints beat the team that "knew what it took." On and on. Experience in the Super Bowl being some kind of advantage is malarkey, proven again.
Fourth, speaking of malarkey, what a great time it was at Malarkey's in Dallas. Meeting Michael and Adrian was neat, even if I didn't have time to chat over a beer due to my book signing. Malarkey's is a great Dallas Steeler bar and the weekend, other than the ending, was a great Steeler celebration. I just wish Adrian would have brought his famous Momma, who would have loved the atmosphere. If I met some others at the signing with BTSC experience, I apologize for not connecting.