Super Bowl XLIII: FanHouse Predicts
the Game

And it all boils down to this. Pittsburgh. Arizona. Super Bowl XLIII. We've been giving our '08 Playoff Picks all postseason long, and we couldn't possibly pass up one last chance to display our expertise. Behold.

Because the Super Bowl is a display of gluttony, we thought we'd indulge ourselves in this final installment of playoff predictions, giving you the prognosticated goods and dropping some philosophy on you in the process.

Each of us have added to our pick a few musings on the game, life itself and the art of Zen. Add your predictions and thoughts in the comments, and be responsible on Sunday -- there's a wing shortage, people, think of your fellow (wo)man when you build your plate. This goes doubly for you Steelers and Cardinals fans; selflessness breeds good karma.

NFL Playoff Picks - Super Bowl

Shane Bacon (5-5)

Bacon says: If this was played in Pittsburgh, who would be picking the Cardinals? Twenty? Five? Brenda Warner?

The Cardinals' run has been sweet, I will admit, but a simple rule of thumb here, and that is this: if you are playing the Steelers in the Super Bowl, and people are selling black Cardinals jerseys, it probably isn't a good sign. That would be like the Rays showing up at Yankee Stadium in the playoffs with pinstripes.

Tom Mantzouranis (4-6)

Mantzouranis says: I'm the stereotypical backlash machine. I love to see lovable losers finally see some success (think the 2005 Bengals, this year's Tampa Bay Rays, and the 2001 Patriots [don't front, you wanted them to win that Super Bowl too]).

That being said, too much success and I will turn on you with the wrath of a thousand suns. "Too much success" for the Cardinals will come at the Super Bowl, where they will beat the Steelers and actually become historically more successful than the Saints, instantly reminding me of my favorite team's shortcomings. For now, it's heartwarming. Soon, it will be haunting. Enjoy my good graces, Cardinals. Good vibrations can't exist in a vacuum.

Adam Gretz (6-4)

Gretz says: People seem to be forgetting that it's not a one-way street. For example, all week, all I've heard is how much of an advantage Ken Whisenhunt has because he sat in meetings with Dick LeBeau, giving him all the knowledge he needs to break down the Steelers' blitz schemes. Uh, guys? Dick LeBeau was in those same meetings, so if Whisenhunt gained an edge by sitting with LeBeau, wouldn't LeBeau have gained the same advantage by sitting with Whisenhunt? It seems just as relevant, at least to me (and for the record, I don't think of any of that as relevant). And while it's true the Steelers haven't faced a player like Larry Fitzgerald, it's also true that Fitzgerald hasn't faced a defense like the Steelers. Again, two-way street.

Will Brinson (5-5)

Brinson says: I'm a proponent of "Chalk + Over" for nearly every single NFL game. This one fits nicely for my philosophy. However, I can't, um, stop believing in the Cardinals, since I watched them demolish the Panthers in the NFC playoffs. And then demolish (for all but a quarter) the Eagles in the Championship Game.

No one believes they can win, and that makes zero sense. They have everything going for them that the Giants had last year, and are only slightly less set up to lose because the Steelers aren't as dominant as the Pats were.

Enrico Campitelli (5-5)

Enrico says: As a resident of the right side of Pennsylvania, I'd rather not have to hear the trash talk from the tiresome Steelers fans if they win. On the flipside, I only know one Cardinals fan and he's a nice enough guy, so I really wouldn't mind seeing him get one. I underestimated the Cardinals and they beat the snot out of my team in the NFC Championship game for three quarters. Not only is Larry Fitzgerald superhuman, Kurt Warner is super cool under pressure. You can blitz that guy all day and he doesn't flinch. I'll take him in a big game.

Ryan Wilson (4-6)

Wilson says: I'm a Steelers fan, so I'm obviously pulling for Pittsburgh. And for all the talk about the Cards' high-powered offense, T.J. Houshmandzadeh made a good point recently: the '05 Bengals offense was more high-powered than the '08 Cards, and they lost to the Steelers twice in three games. (Okay, they had to play one of those games without Carson Palmer for all but a play, but Cincinnati blew a 10-point lead after Palmer was injured.) And this Pittsburgh defense is much better than the '05 unit. Plus, if the officials are anything like the crew from Super Bowl XL, the Steelers CAN'T LOSE.

Matt Snyder (6-4)

Snyder says: Being a die-hard Cubs fan for my entire life, I always have a soft spot for teams who have endured a prolonged amount of time without any sort of championship glory. Not so much the players on the team, but the fans who have spent many years yearning for the day they will eventually see a championship. In some admittedly illogical way, it gives me hope. Whether it was an incredibly long streak like the White Sox or Red Sox, or a shorter one like the Broncos or Buccaneers; each time it happens, I'm left thinking, "See, someday that will be my Cubbies."

Chris Burke (6-4)

Burke says: Matchups like this one -- where an established favorite plays a surprising underdog -- tend to go one of two ways: either the underdog pulls off a thrilling upset in a very close game, or the favorite kicks the living daylights out of the surprise team. As fun as it would be to see a nail-biter here, I tend to think that the second scenario is more likely. Philadelphia reminded us that you can move the ball and score on Arizona, and Pittsburgh's defense is too stout to let the Steelers lose in a shootout. I'm calling a comfortable Pittsburgh win.

Michael David Smith (6-4)

MDS says: I've thought the Steelers were the better team since the night of the conference championships, and I've seen nothing this week to make me change my mind. The Cardinals are a good team, and the Warner-to-Fitzgerald combination gives them a chance of putting a lot of points on the board, but I believe the Steelers are a more talented and more well-rounded team.

Bruce Ciskie (7-3)

Ciskie says: Last year, I wanted to pick the Giants. I liked their mojo. I liked how they played in Green Bay, even though I will forever hate the result. I liked their front four. I didn't like the brashness of the Patriots, and I didn't like how they kept playing up the "disrespect" angle, even though everyone in the "mainstream media" fawned over them like they were all Hall of Famers.

I didn't have the guts. Since that day, I've at least occasionally kicked myself for blowing that pick.

I'm not doing that again. The Cardinals have played great football to get here. They've been opportunistic, smart, well-coached, and they've leaned on their star players. And they've got reason to play up the disrespect angle, considering that many, many people discounted them from Day One.

Josh Alper (6-4)

Alper says: Every time I've watched the Steelers this season, I've found myself thinking one thing over and over -- Mike Tomlin is the next great coach in the NFL. You need a Super Bowl win to get that designation, though. Because of the way Tomlin's kept his team on track with a shaky offensive line, injuries to his quarterback and tailback, and a hellish schedule, I think he gets it.

Stephanie Stradley (8-2)

Stradley says: In 2007, I went to the Super Bowl and blogged some about the party scene in Miami. One person I met was future Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt. He was hanging out with his agent, various players, and friends over at the Rose Bar in the Delano Hotel.

Whisenhunt was a great guy to talk to, and was gracious enough to let me try on his Steelers Super Bowl ring. I did a little stupid dance with it on, trying to steal its mojo. Clearly, that didn't work for me, but maybe his ring has brought some mojo for the Cardinals. If you look at the numbers, the Cardinals have no business being in the Super Bowl. However, stats and rankings don't play the game. My head tells me that the Steelers should win, but the Cardinals clearly are playing the best ball down the stretch, and how many times have we seen hot teams win championships?

JJ Cooper (5-5)

JJ says: Hey, even as a completely biased Steelers fan, I can understand the sentiment for a Cardinals upset, but I just keep coming back to the fact that I think the Steelers will be a significantly tougher test than any of the Cardinals' three NFC playoff wins. The Steelers defense is one win away from going down as one of the all-time greats, and I don't think James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley and Troy Polamalu are going to let Dick LeBeau down.