Superbowl XLIII commentary

I'll probably enjoy a lazy Sunday, holed up on a couch at home, watching the Big Game by myself - no snacks, no treats, no frills, no HD, no big screen. I might even watch the game in 'snippets,' meaning my attention will be focused mostly when I assume big plays are going to happen or at least when it is commercial time. Forget Bruce, I'll be checking out blogs during the halftime show to see who else has busted 2009 Topps already. Maybe there will be leftovers, maybe there won't. However, all the cheering and booing will be done by me.

If the Arizona Cardinals score early and often against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think they will win - how can you not score with Kurt Warner at quarterback, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin as your primary receivers [think both will have to be involved for the Cardinals to win], the running back duo of the resurgent Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower.

I think it goes without saying, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense is key and if they implode - it will be much more harder for the Steelers do anything if they are down 14-20 points by the first half.

I see Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger as sort of a 'hack' of a quarterback because at times, he looks ugly getting the job done - it makes him a more exciting player however to see him improvise and mimic a Brett Favre. Frankly, I wouldn't bet against Big Ben him in the big game because he is simply a playmaker.

The Cardinals need to constantly pressure Roethlisberger and clamp down on him once he is out of the pocket - it limits Roethlisberger's ability to improvise and come up with some miracle throw or use his legs to gain some positive yards.

If the Cardinals let the Steelers hang around early- then it allows Big Ben and his offense can put together some game-changing plays. If you give Big Ben one more chance, then he'll stab you in the heart.

Final score prediction - 38-24 Cardinals

Featured card: 2004 Score Larry Fitzgerald #373

I haven't dabbled in collecting much football cards and have no such thing as a Kurt Warner rookie card to show off, but I do have this 2004 Score rookie card of Warner's No. 1 go-to-guy, Larry Fitzgerald - with the former grocer [Warner] slinging passes to the former ball boy of the Minnesota Vikings [Fitzgerald], the Arizona Cardinals have gotten to Super Bowl XLIII.

All I can say with a straight face the card featured is now legitimately worth a couple of bucks, even though the back is off-center - I said a few bucks, not a million dollars...

It probably would not be out of place to symbolically put Fitzgerald's card alongside another football rookie card - I have in my personal collection.

Who knows if Fitzgerald will be as accomplished as Jerry Rice was when Fitzgerald finishes his career - but he is probably playing the best football in his NFL career and he is only 25 years old.