My hometown team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, is heavily favored to win Super Bowl XLIII.
But don't take the word of British sportswriters, Las Vegas odds-makers, computer simulations, and Donovan McNabb ... there's one reason why Pittsburgh will win its sixth Super Bowl on Sunday:
The Steelers defense.
Troy Polamalu will be a nightmare to Kurt Warner, who had a miserable 0-5 record when playing on the East Coast during the regular season.
Ryan Clark will deliver big hits if Warner tries to throw to Anquan Boldin or Larry Fitzgerald down the middle.
The defensive line will shut down Arizona’s inconsistent running game.
Furthermore, Steelers coach (and chess enthusiast) Mike Tomlin will have the defense ready for any gadget plays former Steelers offensive coordinator and current Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt may have up his sleeve.
Meanwhile, the offense has found its stride. The O-line is finally clicking, giving a boost to our running game. Santonio Holmes has started making the big plays he was expected to make at the beginning of the season. At age 32, Hines Ward is showing no signs of slowing down. And Big Ben is as poised and confident in the pocket as ever.
Sports
Then there’s the matter of the Steelers fan base.
Super Bowl XL in Detroit was practically a home game, with Steelers fans far outnumbering Seattle Seahawks fans. Even though Tampa is considerably farther away from the Steel City than Detroit, Raymond James stadium is likely to be filled with noisy, Terrible Towel-waving fans.
Sure Phoenix and Tampa are both Sunbelt cities, and the Cardinals are playing for their first NFL championship title in 61 years, but on Sunday, Tampa will be Steelers Country.
The Steelers have the best traveling fans in the world.
If you don’t believe me, consider the fact that there are Steelers fans in space.
When Scott Brodbeck isn't writing for NBC4 and NBCWashington.com, you'll find him eating pierogies and drinking Rolling Rock at the Pour House.
