Super Bowl XLIII Guide: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals

By Stefania Sainato
Staff Writer

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Sunday, February 1st, 2009

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals

Stadium Information:

Super Bowl XLIII will be held in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

According to NFL.com, the stadium can seat 65,000 people but can be expanded to fit more than 75,000. It is the six-time winner for the award for best field in the NFL.

The stadium is known for Buccaneer Cove, which is located in the north end of the stadium and runs the length of the end zone concourse. In the center, there is a pirate ship that is over 100 feet long, making it one of the most identifiable stadium features in the world.

Showdown: Super Bowl Stats

The Steelers have played in six Super Bowls total; they won five of them, including four games in the last six years. Check out the Pittsburgh Steelers' official site for a complete recap of these games.

This year marks the Arizona Cardinals' first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

No matter which team wins, Super Bowl XLIII is one for the record books. If the Steelers win, they cement their status as the team with the most Super Bowl wins ever. If the Cardinals win, it'll be the first major victory for a team commonly referred to as the most dysfunctional team in franchise history.

Fans of Pittsburgh read on for five reasons why the Steelers can win, courtesy of the NFL.

If you're rooting for Arizona, find out five reasons why the Cardinals can take the title.

Check out the Current Point Spread at TheSpread.com.

Pre-Game Coverage:

4 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time) on NBC, Fox and ESPN. Play Super Bowl drinking games like chugging beer whenever announcers say certain phrases to kick off the party.

Faith Hill will sing "America the Beautiful" as part of the pre-game festivities. Only three other artists have performed that song at the Super Bowl in the past--Vicki Carr, Ray Charles and Alicia Keys.

Showtime:

The Super Bowl airs at 6 p.m. EST on NBC. Serve mouth-watering appetizers like spicy chicken wings and cheesy nachos, which guests are sure to scarf down before kick-off.

• Central Standard Time (CST): airs at 5 p.m.
• Mountain Standard Time (MST): airs at 4 p.m.
• Pacific Standard Time (PST) airs at 3 p.m.
• Alaskan Standard Time (AKST) airs at 2 p.m.
• Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) airs at 1 p.m.

Kick-Off:

Be in your seat by 6:18 (EST) or prepared to be tackled by overzealous guests for blocking the view of the TV.

National Anthem:

Jennifer Hudson will take the stage, marking her return to the spotlight. This will be her first public appearance since her mother, brother, and nephew were murdered in Chicago this past October.

She will also perform at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards a week later on February 8th, where she has been nominated for four awards.

Halftime Show Entertainment:

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are scheduled to perform. Salute The Boss and play a quick game of touch football with your entourage.

Treasured Trophy:

The Vince Lombardi Trophy is presented to the owner of the winning team at the Super Bowl. The official website of Vince Lombardi states that the trophy was named after the former Green Bay Packers Coach/General Manager in 1971.

The trophy is a football in kicking position that costs a whopping $12,500 and takes 72 hours of work to create. It is made out of sterling silver by Tiffany & Co., which makes it a rare occasion for men to covet that infamous pretty blue box wrapped with a white bow.

Super Bowl Commercials:

According to SportsBusinessDaily.com, this year NBC set a record-high rate of $3M for a 30-second spot.

Despite this whopping fee, 14 companies--including fan faves Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, and GoDaddy--have already locked in their spots for the big game, proving that not even a recession can get in the way of football!

Keep a lookout for these hysterical and heartfelt commercials, which were created by regular fans:

Visit Samsung.com between November 20 and January 4 to create video clips for the Super Bowl.

Find out if you're a finalist on NFL.com or vote for your favorite. The winning video will air during the pre-game show.

Dorito's came up with a contest where fans shoot and submit their own commercial. The top five finalists win $25,000 and get an extra million dollar bonus if the ad gets the top spot on the USA TODAY Ad Meter.