BEFORE the Super Bowl!


On NFL Network:

Friday, February 4th @ 6:00 PM: Playbook

The experts offer their insight and analysis of the Steelers’ offense and how it will factor into the result of Super Bowl XLV.


Friday, February 4th @ 6:30 PM: The Coaches Show

Super Bowl XLV – Go inside the headset with former NFL head coaches Jim Mora and Brian Billick as they offer unique perspective and analysis of the coaching strategies and decisions going into Super Bowl XLV.


Saturday, February 5th @ 1:00 AM & 9:30 AM: Super Bowl Classics – XLIII

Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals (2/1/09) With Bruce Springsteen’s Halftime Performance – Ben Roethlisberger leads the Steelers to a dramatic come-from-behind victory in a wild back-and-forth game that set 12 Super Bowl records; Pittsburgh secured its record 6th Super Bowl with the win.



Ben sat down for two interviews earlier this week and both will be featured on Super Bowl Sunday:

– His interview with NFL Network‘s Michael Irvin – 9:00 AM on NFLN during the “NFL Game Day Morning” show.


– His interview with FOX Sports’ Terry Bradshaw – 5:30 PM on FOX, during the “Super Bowl XLV Pre-Game Show”.


And of course, there’s the Big Game –

Super Bowl XLV – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers: 6:29 PM on FOX.


For more coverage on Super Bowl Sunday from FOX, click here.



Also:


What to read this weekend…

Ben’s sister Carlee is planning ahead for the Super Bowl…after she and her Oklahoma Sooners teammates host Iowa State in a need-to-win game on Saturday!

You can read the article/interview here.



The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Ed Bouchette caught up with Willie Colon, Casey Hampton and Hines Ward today.

You can check out what they had to say about their quarterback here.



The Steelers rookie wide receivers: Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown talk about Ben’s “tough love” approach with them this season.

You can read the story here.



Steelers fans of all ages got into the spirit of Super Bowl Sunday…on Friday:

Debbie Sigmund of Springdale usually can be found in the firm’s Pittsburgh Mills office. Yesterday, she celebrated Pittsburgh’s Number 7 by wearing a Big Ben jersey, bandage on her nose and one shoe larger than the other to demonstrate the […]

“I think, I should say I know, we have the best fans. I think the fans are the ones that make you ‘America’s Team’ or not. You can have your self-proclaimed titles or titles that people give you, but really it’s how you feel and how your fans feel.” — Ben, during his press conference on Wednesday.

From the fans…

Ben, you and the guys have had one heck of a year. You guys have paid fines, fought, clawed, played busted and bruised all for the chance to play this weekend. Thank you!

Best of luck to you and the team this Sunday. However, no matter the outcome on Sunday—I’m proud of you for the way you have handled everything. Keep your head up, keep smiling, stay grounded and the road will get easier.

“So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.”

Jennifer, Colorado Springs


I KNEW you guys could get there again just like I KNOW you can win it again ! So wish I could be there, but I will be here cheering you on…I am so excited and wish everyone of you the best game ever ! GO STEELERS !!!!!! Love and Hugs — Tina St. Albans, WV


Go Steelers! #7 on the way! — Jordan Gray, New Wilmington, PA

Ben win the super bowl, go steelers — Mike, Ohio

Stay focused….. Be the football player that we know you are Benji ! — Susan Oglietti, Knoxville, TN


Just want to say keep up the good work. We support you and have you back! From the “Steeler Nation” in the DC area. — Aaron Lowe, Washington, DC


Ben, I want to wish you and the team a good luck on Sunday!!!! I know you guys can do it!! Go Steelers!!!— Brittany, PA

Ben, My son’s name is Coby Ray Holder. I buried my son 5 days before his 21st birthday back in Nov. 2010. Coby was a die hard Steeler fan and loved watching his favorite team play. His father and I buried him in his Steeler attire and draped his coffin with the terrible towel. I wanted to tell you guys good luck at this years Superbowl and I know my Coby will be watching and cheering from Heaven. This […]

“For me, yes, because it would be for Flozell. I want to do it for him. I think it’d be awesome. I know that Steelers fans and people are a little extra excited because of the old traditions and rivalries and the teams, but for me it’s about trying to win for Flo at Cowboys Stadium.” — Ben, on why winning the Super Bowl would be special for him.

The Steelers practiced at TCU this morning and then Ben and other members of the team did another round with the media.

To see photos (and quotes from the presser) from both, click here.


The “worth a read” list today:

ESPN’s “Is Ben Roethlisberger Hall of Fame Worthy?” here.


NFL.com’s “Which QB would you rather have with game on the line?” here.


Solomon Wilcot’s blog, “Big Ben has edge over Rodgers in SB matchup” here.



Quotes of the Day:
“There would be a lot of things. Those are two of the best quarterbacks in the league. They’re both excellent players; I had a chance to play against Ben this year and we played the Packers but Aaron unfortunately couldn’t play that day. From watching him on film quite a bit this season, he really had a remarkable season of his own. They’re two players who are really accurate passers, especially on the run. That’s something that is extremely hard to do, to make good decisions out of the pocket. I find that’s always challenging for me, when things don’t go like you practice them, what kind of decision-making can you use out there? I think both those guys, some of their strongest attributes are what they’re able to do when they’re moving around and buying time and allowing their guys more time to get open. Both guys really feed off that. They’re great players, and like I said, they’ve led their teams to this game and I’m happy for them both.” — Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, during a Q&A with ESPN.


“I texted him this week and said, ‘You already you already have two (Super Bowl rings), let me get my first this week.” — Aaron Rodgers on his message to Ben, during his press conference today.

is over!

Not surprisingly, Ben drew the largest crowd at Super Bowl XLV Media Day this afternoon.

Throughout the hour of non-stop questions, he smiled, laughed and looked very relaxed. He shot video and took photos with his cellphone as he approached the podium.

When asked about the relationship he has with his teammates, Ben said, “I’m very close with a lot of the guys. One of my best friends is sitting over there next to me (as he pointed to his left at Brett Keisel). I knew that I always had…that there was a big group of guys I always had their support. There were just a couple that I wasn’t as close to as I wanted to be and needed to be and I have really worked hard to be closer with and be a better teammate with.”

He was also asked how he would describe his style of play, which is much different from the prototypical NFL quarterback, “I don’t know where a lot of the things I do came from. I think it’s just playing the game, I guess. Obviously, you do drills where you practice things like that, but a lot of those things, it’s just having…we call it ‘the clock’. That clock that goes off in your head and says it’s time to get out of here, you know, get out of the pocket, run, scramble, do what you’ve got to do.”

On his personal gameplan heading into a third Super Bowl appearance: “Just being calmer. Just waking up and counting your blessings. Just thanking God for letting you wake up and enjoy the day. I was going to bring a Twix bar up here if I needed a minute if I ever got a tough question (laughs). To still just enjoy this, because how many people ever get this opportunity? Like I said, this could be my last time to ever sit on this podium in front of you guys and if it is, it is. That’s what the plan is supposed to be.”

Ben spent the last seven seconds of the media availability counting down out loud before thanking everyone and walking off the stage.

It was a relatively uneventful Media Day. […]

The Steelers arrived safely at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport this afternoon.

Ben held his camera high as he exited the plane, taking photos and video of his surroundings to “take it all in.”

He told reporters surrounding him later at the team hotel, “You step off the plane and you’ve got helicopters, you’ve got police, media and then this…if you’re not used to it, it could be overwhelming.”

But it won’t be for Ben.

His plan for the rest of the week includes “just taking it in stride, enjoying this opportunity regardless of what comes or how it comes.

“It’s always exciting for the opportunity to close up the season by playing in the Super Bowl. I don’t think you ever get tired of this, so take as much video and pictures as you can.”


You can check out video of the team’s arrival here.

Video of Ben’s media interview is here.

Photos from their arrival and from Ben’s media appearance are here.

Monday:

The Steelers are expected to arrive at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport tomorrow morning around 11:30 a.m.

Some members of the team (Coach Tomlin and Ben among them) will meet with the media around 1:30 p.m.


Tuesday:

Media Day! Plenty of interviews, photos and craziness!


Wednesday & Thursday:

The team will practice at TCU in Fort Worth. They will also be available to the media once again.


Friday:

More practice, but no media availability.


Saturday & Sunday:

No media availability.

Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday!



Quote of the Weekend:

Ben’s teammates have to be wary of…lizards?

“He’s a jokester. He plays with you too much, always joking, always trying to play a trick on someone. You got to watch him. He’s doing all types of stuff when we were at camp; he puts lizards and stuff in people’s helmets, especially rookies. He put snowballs (iceballs) in there. I don’t know if it was a lizard, it might have been a grasshopper, but it was something on the field, something from the country, because you don’t do that in the city. Touch insects on the ground? No way. But that’s my dog, man.” — Mike Wallace providing a bit of insider info on his quarterback.