Super Sunday Prediction: Speedy Edition

First and foremost, let me just say that the one good thing about February is that several of my friends were born during that month. So I apologize if I implied that your birthday (or you being born) was terrible just because of it happening during the worst month of the year. Next, I'll finish my rant on February this week, but for now let's talk about the Big Game. Rather than go into my usual overly-verbose style, I'm just going to list off ten facts, observations, and other musings I've had lately.

1. I think that the least talked about aspect of Green Bay vs Pittsburgh is a triumph of the NFL's brilliant revenue sharing approach. No other major sport could field championship caliber teams from markets as small as Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, much less have them be considered traditional powerhouses. 
2. When owners and players see such a successful model, they have to destroy it as quickly as possible. In my lifetime, no major sport has survived an extended strike/lockout without immediate dire repercussions to its popularity. In 1994, baseball canceled the World Series because of a grievance between millionaire players and billionaire owners. While the sport eventually recovered (although no longer the most popular sport), it took the Steroid Era to do so (which many baseball fans believe to be a deal with the Devil). The NHL's strike effectively removed it from the pantheon of major sports.
3. The Steelers can outplay any team in the NFL. Unfortunately, they can only do that for about one half a week.
4. How did the 6 seeded Packers become the favorites in the Super Bowl?
5. For a rare meeting of the #1 and #2 defenses in the Super Bowl, it's going to be decided by how the quarterbacks play. Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger are arguably the best two quarterbacks in the NFL when it comes to improvising on broken plays. Rodgers has incredible speed and there was more than one occasion where he was the leading rusher on the Packers this season. Roethlisberger, on the other hand, thrives on being pushed outside the pocket and is tough to push around. During the regular season, I saw Roethlisberger stiff arm a linebacker until he got out of the pocket to throw it out of bounds. Hardcore.
6. If Roethlisberger wins today, he'll have won three Super Bowl Rings since Tom Brady won his third. If it weren't for Roethlisberger's numerous, embarrassing off-the-field mistakes, he would be in the discussion of greatest quarterbacks in the league today.
7. At the very least, he's undeniably the most talented two time accused rapist in the league today.
8. I dread the halftime show this year. But I'm also not a good evaluator of what makes a good halftime show. After all, it's been primarily classic rock bands for the past 5 years and most of them have been real bad.
9. I can't believe that companies would show Super Bowl Commercials on the internet first. Half the fun of the Super Bowl Commercials is the surprise! Now I won't be able to enjoy seeing the little kid dressed up as Darth Vader nearly as much, because I know it's coming.
10. My prediction: Steelers over the Packers, 37-34.

P.S. I really like this format. Much, much easier to write in than my normal approach. I got this done in about half the time it'd normally take and discussed many more issues than I thought I would. I'm definitely going to do this more often. I'll change up the way the numbering is done, because the system they use leaves the list way too cramped.