The headline for the sports pages of Feb. 2 has already been written: Cardinals Defeat Steelers; Arizona Breaks 61-Year Drought.
Well, the headline is written, at least for a slew of area folks who predict an Arizona victory. Why? The key reasons are “They deserve it” and “They’re closer.”
Super Bowl XLIII is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 1, in Tampa, Fla.
Of the dozen-plus people surveyed, mostly exercise buffs working out at the City Recreation Center, none is an original fan of either the Arizona Cardinals or the Pittsburgh Steelers. Several base their hopes and predictions on proximity, the fact that it would take just a day’s drive to get to Phoenix, whereas a trip to Pittsburgh …
The random sampling shows a mix of eight favorite teams, with three highly intelligent prognosticators being original Oakland Raider fans, whereas three dreamers root for a team called the Dallas Cowboys. And people also like the Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings.
David Vigil, a local firefighter and Raider fan, predicts a close, low-scoring game with the Cardinals on top. David’s reason for picking the Cards is simple: “They’re closer.”
Fellow Raider fan James “Screech” Saavedra, a junior at Highlands University, also picks Arizona and even provided a final score: 21-14. “Their offensive corps is real strong, especially after they gave Edgerrin James more P.T.,” Screech said, adding that P.T. stands for playing time.
Ron Maestas, a former professor, referee, coach and maven of all things related to sports, is one of the few to predict a victory for the Steelers. And he’s a wee bit haughty about it, exclaiming, “It’ll be Pittsburgh, baby, all the way.”
Ron is counting on “total dominance, defense, the Steel Curtain and championship experience, baby,” to give Pittsburgh a 27-6 win. And he went so far as to invoke the “sapo” factor in the event Arizona wins.
A sapo, you may recall, baby, is a lucky stroke which happens to the other team or person. I make a basket from mid-court: that’s skill, baby, it’s expected; if Ron does the same thing, it’s a sapo, baby. Ron is a Redskins fan.
Doug Moses, the Highlands University wrestling coach, picks Arizona in a close game, “one touchdown or less. They deserve it after 61 years with no championship.”
Moses’ favorite team: “The Green Bay Packers, from Day 1.”
Philisha Crespin, a Dallas fan, agrees with Moses in choosing the “deserving” Cardinals. The West Las Vegas High School senior predicts “a close game with a low score. They (Cardinals) deserve it after all these years,” Philisha said.
And Christopher Tafoya, a senior at West is also going for the Cards. “I expect a good game, one touchdown or 10 points. They deserve it, after 61 years.”
Christopher, a Vikings fan, has great faith in Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona’s stellar wide receiver who Steeler coach Mike Tomlin describes as “quite simply the best receiver in the world down the field in one-on-one situations.” For the past two years, Tomlin might have been able to watch Fitzgerald play, from the coach’s office. Fitzgerald attended the University of Pittsburgh.
Other Super Bowl fans gave mixed reasons for having a favorite to win on Feb. 1. Robert Sanchez, a fitness tech at the recreation center, picks the Cards over the Steelers by seven. “I’m a big fan of the underdog,” Robert said. “And the Cardinals are in the same division with my favorite team, the 49ers.”
Jacqueline Casados, from Mora, and a cosmetologist at Hair We R, explains, “I’m not crazy about football, but because my sister is from Arizona, I prefer the Cardinals.” Jacqueline expects a close game and says Arizona deserves a chance after “coming such a long way.” Her regular-season favorite team is the Broncos.
Eloy Gonzales, a retired x-ray technician, expects the Cardinals to win by six. His reason: “They have a better quarterback,” referring to Kurt Warner. “And a good offense will always beat a good defense.”
Eloy is a long-time Cowboy fan, “ever since Don Perkins played for them.” Perkins, a former Lobo standout whose name appears on the Dallas Ring of Honor, is the state’s third-best gridder of all time. He will be visiting Luna Community College this spring, as part of a speakers’ series.
George Cowden, a maintenance tech, originally from Colorado, is a Raider fan who expects the Steelers to win by a pair of touchdowns. “Pittsburgh always does well in the Super Bowl, and the Steelers are hungry for a win,” George said.
Dennis Aragon, a local dentist, said he feels as if he’s “torn between two lovers.” His brother is a Steelers fan, “but Phoenix is close by, so I’m going with the Cardinals. Besides, they’re on a roll.” Aragon is a Bronco fan.
Rooting for the Steelers will be Irene Taylor, whose justification is simple: “My dad likes them, and that’s why I’d like the Steelers to kick their butts.” Irene, originally from Seattle, moved to Las Vegas in 2001 and works at Semilla Natural Foods. Her favorite team is the Cowboys.
And finally, Charles Tapia, a Camp Luna neighbor, said he prefers the Cardinals, but only after I told him which teams will be playing. “Football’s boring. I’d rather be up in the mountains,” Charles said.
Good idea, and I may go to the mountains myself. But only after the Cardinals show the Steelers how the game is played.
It seems to me the “sapo” factor went the Steelers’ way when they scored from 100 yards away as the clock ran out and the ball reached the end zone by an inch — maybe. And that’s just a part of their luck. My view is that the Cardinals of 2009 will become more famous as the years go by, much like the Mighty Midgets of St. Michael’s basketball fame. Neither the Cardinals or their fans will look at this as a loss, their quarterback virtually assuring himself a spot in Canton based on his Super Bowl stats alone, and the fans getting their fourth straight playoff payday by beating the spread again. The money is flowing out of Pittsburgh, and into Arizona via legal and illegal books across the country.