THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Today’s Super Bowl edition of Round Two asks our writers a three-pronged question.

1. Who will win the Super Bowl and why?
2. Final score?
3. Who wins MVP?

Here’s what they say:

JIM THOMAS
PITTSBURGH: Too much defense and more offense than given credit for.
FINAL SCORE: Pittsburgh 31, Arizona 20
MVP: Ben Roethlisberger

BERNIE MIKLASZ
ARIZONA: It will be a game of pressure. All week, the Steelers have stressed that their No. 1 priority is to get after Cards QB Kurt Warner and disrupt the timing of the AZ offense. The Steelers linebackers will apply pressure by banging those AZ receivers as they come off the line to get into their patterns. The Cardinals will apply pressure by spreading those WRs out, finding the middle seams in the 3-4, and exploiting the open spaces created by the blitz. It’s all about Warner making quick reads and getting the ball out of there, and I think he’s on top of his game right now. FINAL SCORE: Arizona 24, Pittsburgh 20
MVP: Kurt Warner — I have to go with Warner. Predictable, I know. But the man does hold the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl (414) and he’s going to have all kinds of opportunities to make plays in this one.

BILL COATS
PITTSBURGH: The Cardinals haven’t seen the likes of the Pittsburgh defense. And I’ll take a great defense over a great offense in any championship game.
FINAL SCORE: Pittsburgh 24, Arizona 17
MVP: Steelers safety Troy Polamalu becomes a two-pronged weapon, helping to snuff the Arizona run game and helping keep the passing attack in control.

JOE STRAUSS
PITTSBURGH: Warner outplays Big Ben but turnovers lead to two Steeler scores. They’re the difference in a compelling Circus Maximus.
FINAL SCORE: Pittsburgh 26, Arizona 21
MVP: Troy Polamalu

RICK HUMMEL
PITTSBURGH: The Steelers win because noted defensive coach Dick LeBeau will have had two weeks to prepare for the Cardinals.
FINAL SCORE: Pittsburgh 19, Arizona 13
MVP: James Harrison

JEFF GORDON
ARIZONA: Real experts expect the mighty Steelers defense to stuff Arizona’s ground game, pound Kurt Warner, force a million turnovers and win going away. But I prefer to keep my seat on the Warner Bandwagon.
FINAL SCORE: Arizona 24, Pittsburgh 20
MVP: Kurt Warner

GERRY FRALEY
PITTSBURGH: Go back to late September, when Arizona played at the New York Jets. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner came apart in the face of the Jets’ relentless pass rush. Warner took five sacks and threw three interceptions and had four fumbles in the 56-35 loss. That could happen again on Sunday. In James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh has the best pair of outside linebackers in the Super Bowl since the New York Giants turned Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks loose on Denver in 1987. Harrison and Woodley combined for 27 ½ sacks in the regular season. They have five in the post-season, four by the super-charged Woodley.

Pittsburgh’s Dick LeBeau, a master defensive coordinator, will do everything possible to enable Harrison and Woodley to harass Warner. The more often they get to Warner, the more likely he is to cough up the ball. In his last 33 games, Warner has 24 fumbles when sacked, losing 13. He also has seven multi-interception games in that span.

Arizona backers are thinking with their heart. Pittsburgh backers are thinking with their wallet. The wallet wins.

FINAL SCORE: Pittsburgh 30, Arizona 13
MVP: LaMarr Woodley

REID LAYMANCE
PITTSBURGH: The Steelers have just as many playmakers as the Cardinals, except Pittsburgh’s are on defense.
FINAL SCORE: Pittsburgh 21, Arizona 17
MVP: Troy Polamalu

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

THE TEN WORST: It warmed my heart to run across this piece in the New York Daily News where they explore the ten worst Super Bowl teams of all-time. First, because a Patriots team was included. Second, because it was the 1986 version of the Pats that my beloved Chicago Bears slapped, battered and bruised to the tune of a 46-10 beatdown. I can still hear the Super Bowl Shuffle … “You’re lookin’ at the Fridge and I’m a rookie, I may be large but I’m no dumb cookie …” They just don’t write lyrics like that anymore. But I digress, take a look at Daily News ten worst and cast your vote.

EX-TEAMMATES TURNING ON BONDS? ESPN is reporting that Bobby Estalella, a former teammate of Barry Bonds in San Francisco, is expected to provide testimony during a trial next month that supports the government’s contention that Bonds knowingly took steroids. Don’t be surprised to see a few more subpoenas issued to guys from the Giants clubhouse … or, perhaps even guys coming forward on their own. Remember, Bonds wasn’t the most popular guy on the team. His private TV and reclining lounger in the clubhouse, not to mention his reported arrogance even with his own teammates, irked many. This could end up being a case of what goes around comes around.

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THINGS TO PONDER

IT’S COOL, MON: According to the Associated Press, Japanese sumo wrestler Shinichi Suzukawa was arrested and accused of marijuana possession today, the fourth wrestler in the country’s ancient sport to be implicated in a widening drug scandal.

What, you thought those guys got that big naturally? It takes a whole lot of Twinkies and Doritos to put on those kind of pounds.

COBWEBS ON THE BRAIN: I think I remember seeing the Blues give up two late goals and losing a game last night. Perhaps I’m just having recurring memories from a season-long pattern of games lost late. Or perhaps my memory is fuzzy because I hoisted two extra cold ones to mourn those two late goals at an Edwardsville establishment known as Mr. Norton’s Basement. I’m not really sure what happened, but I do know when I put my head on my pillow last night I had visions of John Tavares donning the Blue Note dancing through my head. The glass remains half-full in my little fantasy world.

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SUPER BOWL STAT

1 — Number of athletes to appear in a Super Bowl AND a World Series. Neon Deion Sanders. He played with the Cowboys in the Super Bowl on this date in 1994. “Primetime” also appeared in the 1992 World Series with the Atlanta Braves.