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Super Bowl 2011: Can Steelers Emerge as NFL's Dominant Franchise With Win?

Each league has that dominant franchise, the one who's history and just overall hoard of championships make it the golden standard for everyone else to aspire to. The NHL has the Canadiens, the NBA has the Lakers and Celtics, MLB has the Yankees.

But for the longest time, the NFL didn't have that. Instead it had the Packers, 49ers, Cowboys and Steelers. The ruling class, so to speak, that dominated the landscape and showed the rest of the league how to do things. But neither one of those teams have won since the mid-90s. 

Meanwhile the Steelers are one game away from their seventh Super Bowl title (pretty impressive for a franchise that merged with the Eagles in the 1940s and hadn't really done anything until the 1970s). And it's time to wonder if the Steelers are that franchise in the NFL now.

In a word, yes.

They have the lineage of Hall-of-Famers, the tradition, the championships. They are the model franchise when it comes to staying competitive in today's NFL where first to worst to first is as commonplace as a concussion. Eventually the Steelers will come back down to Earth, as all great franchises do.

But at least right now, there's no equal. The Steelers are the best franchise in football.

For more NFL news: Super Bowl 2011: The Top 15 Biggest Plays in the History of the Big Game

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Super Bowl 2011: The Best of the Super Bowl XLV Props

Well as we get closer and closer to Super Bowl week, it's time for one of those Super Bowl traditions: the prop bet. It's fun, it's a little odd, and thanks to it the American sporting public briefly heard of the name Rick Tocchet.

Yes, the props won't be out in full force for a little while longer, but Bodog.com already has some props up and ready to roll. Of course, the usual stuff is up along with the line of the game (Green Bay -2.5), but here are some of my favorites from the early choices:

Will Christina Aguilera wear a cowboy hat while singing the National Anthem? (she doesn't strike me as a hat person)

Will Fergie be dressed as a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader at any point during the Halftime show? (I'm guessing a lot of males will be watching the halftime show for this specific reason)

What color will the Gatorade be that's dumped on the winning coach at the end of the game? (I've always been a Fruit Punch man myself)

These are just some of the more interesting ones that have come up on Bodog's site. I mentioned the normal ones as well, including first touchdown of the game and the coin toss (also known as the Janet Gretzky special). But there are some more coming, and it's always interesting to see what some of these bets are as the game gets closer.

I happen to have an interesting one myself: Odds Joe Buck finally breaks his voice calling an Aaron Rodgers three-yard scramble.

For more NFL news: Super Bowl Prop Bets 2011: 15 Bets You Won't Find in Vegas

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Super Bowl 2011: Packers' To Let Players On Injured Reserve Appear In Team Photo

So Photo-gate lasted all of about three days.

If you hadn't heard by now, the Packers have moved the date of the team photo to next Friday, allowing the players on injured reserve to appear. It all started when Nick Barnett and Jermichael Finley, both on IR, said they felt left out when they found out they and the other players would arrive in Florida after the photo was supposed to be taken. Today, Packers' coach Mike McCarthy called the entire event a "overreaction", according to ESPN.com.

But perhaps more than what actually happened, was the fact that this was even a story at all. When it was all said and done, the Packers did the right thing by including Barnett, Finley and the other players. But what does it say when this becomes a story to begin with? It's a team photo. I can understand why Barnett was upset, but this is what's become the major story of the Super Bowl. A team photo.

Maybe the NFL should really consider going back to having just the one week between the Conference Championship Games and the Super Bowl, because this is what happens when there's too much time and not that much going on. I mean, you don't see this stuff about the Pro Bowl, do you?

For more NFL news: Super Bowl 2011: The Top 15 Biggest Plays in the History of the Big Game

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Super Bowl 2011: Does Aaron Rodgers or Ben Roethlisberger Have The Upper Hand?

Well, we expected to hear a lot about Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers this week, and so far we already have. Whether it's Rodgers bum shoulder or where Big Ben fits in the pantheon of great quarterbacks in the game today, we've already gotten our money's worth.

Now the normal Super Bowl week of preparation and guarded cliche statements is starting, as Roethlisberger told the media Wednesday Rodgers is an elite quarterback, according to ESPN.com.

We've been very lucky in the last few years or so to have some great quarterback matchups in Super Bowls (excluding Jim McMahon vs. the Tony Eason/Steve Grogan two-headed incompletion machine). Just last year, we had Drew Brees vs. Peyton Manning, Roethlisberger vs. Kurt Warner and Tom Brady vs. Donovan McNabb.

All classics, you know, like Godzilla vs. Mothra was a classic.

So as we wait for the comparisons between the two quarterbacks, it's time to think about who has the upper hand heading into the Super Bowl. And while Rodgers might have the better stats, Roethlisberger has been here twice before and won both times. Each time, Roethlisberger has been the underdog, so to speak, of the two quarterbacks. But, he found a way to win each time.

Both Rodgers and Roethlisberger are two of the better quarterbacks in the league. But at least heading into the game, I've learned better than to bet against Roethlisberger.

For more NFL news: Super Bowl 2011: The Top 15 Biggest Plays in the History of the Big Game

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Super Bowl 2011: Labor Stoppage Looms Over Super Bowl XLV

So we've heard so much about the labor stoppage and "lockout" and who's right and who's wrong and what will we do after the Super Bowl. I guess in the back of all of our minds, we all kind of pushed it aside as kind of a "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it" as fans or people who love the game.

Well, after next Sunday, we can't push it aside much longer. Super Bowl XLV could very well be the last NFL game we see for a while, possibly a very long while. I always thought the NFL would never let it get this far, especially since they've had to seen what the other leagues have done with their labor disputes. 

Now it's that time and the questions will start. Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had a very interesting blog post on the subject where he predicts we won't see the league until October. I won't go that far because negotiations are always so tough to predict. But I've seen it go either way.

I've seen Major League Baseball get a deal done minutes before the deadline and I've seen a World Series canceled. I've seen the NHL cancel an entire season and now could very well do it again, so I've seen it both ways. I'd like to think the NFL wouldn't let it get that far. But the way it's going, it could be very messy.

And until then, we can only do what we can do. Just enjoy.

For more NFL news: The 25 Greatest Single Game Performances In Super Bowl History

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Super Bowl 2011: Super Bowl in Arlington Expected To Set Attendance Record 

Well, when Jerry Jones built his football palace a couple of years ago, this is what he probably wanted.

According to the Dallas Morning News and ProFootballTalk, Super Bowl XLV is expected to set the attendance record for a Super Bowl with 105,000 fans at the Stadium. Mike Florio of PFT broke the number down, which includes the 90,000-plus in the stands and another few thousand watching the game on a screen outside the stadium, for $200 bucks a piece.

I don't know about you, but if I was going to pay $200 bucks to stand outside the stadium and watch the game on a screen, I'd rather save the money and just watch it at home. There's probably a thrill in being at the stadium, especially when it's the Super Bowl and it's your team playing in that game. But if you don't have a horse in the race, so to speak, do you really want to drop that amount of money to just watch it on a screen? 

But I guess when it's your team, you'd want to be there and this is just as good. I wouldn't be surprised if you see more stadiums and Super Bowl sites doing this to incorporate more fans who wouldn't or couldn't get into the stadium to be able to watch. I just don't see it being worth it for $200 bucks a pop and you're not even in the stadium.

But I guess it's true, everything is bigger in Texas.

For more NFL news: Super Bowl 2011: The Top 15 Biggest Plays in the History of the Big Game

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Super Bowl 2011: Aaron Rodgers Publicly Defends Jay Cutler's Injury

Was he or wasn't he?

It's the story that won't go away, even though the Super Bowl is just a little more than a week away. Jay Cutler's injury (or in the eyes of some, lack thereof) is still the hot topic of conversation for players and media members alike.

As we found out earlier this week, Cutler was in fact injured. And despite the issue now being a week old, Aaron Rodgers took it upon himself to defend Cutler. 

"I was real disappointed, to be honest with you," Rodgers told the Associated Press. "I've known Jay for a few years now and know what kind of competitor he is. I thought it was disrespectful, some of the stuff said about him."

It's ironic Rodgers would comment about this now, as his sore shoulder could be the news that reverberates around the Metroplex during Super Bowl week.

For more NFL news: The 25 Greatest Single Game Performances In Super Bowl History

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Super Bowl 2011: Steeler Says Starting Center Maurkice Pouncey Won't Play 

The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to survive without him, but the AFC Championship Game changed somewhat when center Maurkice Pouncey left with an injury. The Steelers' somewhat struggled after that, and the news breaking today isn't good for Pittsburgh at all.

Guard Chris Kemoeatu told the Tribune-Review Pouncey won't play in the Super Bowl, according to Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Obviously, as Smizik states, with Pouncey lining up against B.J. Raji it could be a big development if he doesn't play. The team hasn't officially announced anything yet, but it's something to keep your eyes on as we enter into Super Bowl week about Pouncey's status.

For more NFL news: The 25 Greatest Single Game Performances In Super Bowl History

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Super Bowl 2011: Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne To Star In Super Bowl Ad

Yes, you read that right.

Justin Bieber, one of the biggest music stars around right now, will be breaking into the world of football. And he'll be doing it in a Super Bowl ad with rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.

It'll be an ad for Best Buy, the first time the store has run a Super Bowl commercials, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The report states Ozzy's wife, Sharon Osbourne, will also appear in the ad. 

Bieber Fever and the Prince of Darkness. This should end well.

It's not the first time Ozzy's appeared in a commercial. Recently he's done them for Samsung and World of Warcraft and a few years back he appeared in another unlikely combination ad for the Big Game with the Osmonds and Florence Henderson.

But still, there's going to be people out there perplexed by this. Osbourne fans might be shaking their heads, while the Bieber Nation might wonder who the old guy is.

For more Super Bowl news: The 50 Worst Commercials In Super Bowl History

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Super Bowl 2011: Could The Super Bowl Be The Last NFL Game for Hines Ward?

A few years ago, a pretty well-known Steeler used the Super Bowl in his hometown as a chance to go out on his own terms and retire as a champion.

Now I know Hines Ward is not from Dallas (or Arlington to be exact, because apparently the town's pretty touchy about that), but like Bettis the rumors are popping up about a possible swan song for the receiver. USA Today wrote that back in the spring, Ward said he'd retire if the Steelers went to the Super Bowl. But now as Super Bowl week approaches, he's not so sure.

Ward is probably one of the best receivers ever to wear the Black and Gold, and going out with his third ring would definitely be something. But Ward still has a lot left, and something tells me that this won't be his last game in the NFL. Of course, the labor issues could play a role in that. But if it's Ward's choice, then I think he stays.

For more NFL news: Super Bowl 2011: The Top 15 Biggest Plays in the History of the Big Game

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Super Bowl 2011: Steelers' Defensive End Aaron Smith Likely Out For Super Bowl

Aaron Smith hasn't played a down for the Steelers in three months since he's been recovering from a torn tricep. The only reason he wasn't put on injured reserve is that the Steelers held out hope Smith could play down the road, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But the same Post-Gazette report states the efforts will go for naught, as Smith likely won't play in the Super Bowl.

"You can't help but get frustrated sometimes," Smith told the paper Thursday.

Obviously the loss of Smith, who's a very good 3-4 lineman, is tough for the Steelers. But at the same time, they haven't had him for the last three months and fared pretty well without him as well. He's one of the players the Steelers would love to have, but they can win without him too.

For more NFL news: The 25 Greatest Single Game Performances In Super Bowl History