Super Bowl XLIII

Super Bowl XLIII
Pittsburgh Steelers Arizona Cardinals (AFC) (NFC) 27 23 1 2 3 4 Total PIT 3 14 3 7 27 ARZ 0 7 0 16 23
Date	February 1, 2009 (2009-02)
Stadium	Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
MVP	Santonio Holmes, Wide receiver
Favorite	Steelers by 7
National anthem	Jennifer Hudson ASL translation by Kristen Santos
Coin toss	Gen. David Petraeus
Referee	Terry McAulay
Halftime show	Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Attendance	70,774[1]
TV in the United States
Network	NBC
Announcers	Al Michaels and John Madden
Nielsen ratings	42.0 (national)[2] 53.6 (Pittsburgh) 47.5 (Phoenix) US viewership: 98.7 million est. avg., 151.6 million est. total
Market share	65 (national) 79 (Pittsburgh) 80 (Arizona)[3]
Cost of 30-second commercial	US$2.4 million–$3 million [4][dead link]
< XLII Super Bowl XLIV >

Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,^[5] at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Steelers (15-4) defeated the Cardinals (12-8) by a score of 27-23, earning their sixth Super Bowl win, which gave Pittsburgh the record for most Super Bowl wins and moved them ahead of the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, whose shared record of five they had tied three years prior following their win in Super Bowl XL. Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes, who caught 9 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, including 4 for 73 yards on their final scoring drive, was named Super Bowl MVP. He was the third Steelers receiver ever to win the award, following Lynn Swann and Hines Ward.

The Cardinals entered the game seeking their first NFL title since 1947, the longest championship drought in the league. The club became an unexpected winner during the season and the playoffs with the aid of head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers' offensive coordinator in Super Bowl XL, and the re-emergence of quarterback Kurt Warner, who was the Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXIV with his former team, St. Louis Rams.

Despite the global financial crisis and limited amount of ancillary festivities that are normally held before the game, the NBC television network broadcast attracted an average U.S. audience of 98.7 million viewers, making it the most watched Super Bowl in history to that point (now third behind Super Bowl XLIV and Super Bowl XLV).^[6]

Background

Host selection process

Raymond James Stadium at night, with the Lombardi Trophy banner for Super Bowl XLIII replacing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers banner.

Raymond James Stadium with Super Bowl XLIII decorations and colored lights viewed from nearby parking lot roof.

Stadium with Lombardi Trophy decoration, and Steelers and Cardinals logos.

Tampa was selected for the game site on May 25, 2005, beating out three other finalists: Atlanta, Houston, and Miami. Super Bowl XLIII was the second Super Bowl at this venue and the fourth overall in that city.

In February 2008, the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee unveiled the Super Bowl XLIII logo, featuring an abstract representation of a football stadium, with blue and green colors representing the regional waterways and landscapes of Tampa Bay. Eight yards of playing field are shown, alluding to the game's status as the championship of the 2008 NFL season. In a tradition starting with the Super Bowl XL logo, two stars — one red, representing the AFC, and one blue, representing the NFC — are flanked on either side of the Super Bowl XLIII logo.^[7] The tagline for Super Bowl XLIII as well as the 2008 NFL season is "Believe In Now".^[8]

Teams

The seeds of Super Bowl XLIII can be traced back to the end of the 2006 season. After winning Super Bowl XL in 2005, the Pittsburgh Steelers fell to an 8–8 record the following year. At the end of 2006, Bill Cowher ended his 15-year tenure as their head coach, leaving with a 149–90–1 regular season record and a 12–9 record in the playoffs. Both offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and assistant head coach Russ Grimm were widely considered the front-runners to succeed Cowher in Pittsburgh.^[9]

Without waiting to see if Pittsburgh would hire him, however, Whisenhunt accepted the head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals, a team that held the second longest championship drought in U.S. sports (1947, with only the Chicago Cubs last winning their championship in 1908) and had never advanced to the Super Bowl in their franchise history. The Steelers then passed over Grimm and instead hired Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin. Once Tomlin was hired by the Steelers, Grimm joined Whisenhunt in Arizona in the same position as assistant head coach as he had in Pittsburgh, and the two of them began to remodel the perennial losing club into a winner like the Steelers.

Of historical note the game matched up two franchises previously merged into a single team, "Card-Pitt", for the 1944 season in response to the depleted rosters during World War II. Pittsburgh was going for its sixth Super Bowl win, which would place it in sole possession of the record for most Super Bowl wins, while the Cardinals were seeking their first league title since 1947 and only the second undisputed league championship in their history. (The then-Chicago Cardinals were named the NFL champions in 1925 for finishing with the best record, but also because the Pottsville Maroons had been fined and suspended for playing a game against the Notre Dame football team in another NFL franchise's territory.^[10]) It was the third Super Bowl in history to feature two pre-expansion era (pre-1960) teams, joining Super Bowl XIV (Steelers vs. Los Angeles Rams, the latter of which coincidentally also went 9-7 in the regular season) and Super Bowl XLI (Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears). This game also featured the oldest franchise in the NFC playing the oldest franchise in the AFC. The Cardinals were founded in 1898 as an independent amateur team in Chicago. The Steelers, founded in 1933 as the Pittsburgh Pirates, are one of only three AFC teams that pre-date the 1960 NFL season. The Cardinals and Steelers played each other twice per season from 1960 through 1969, first in the Eastern Division (1960–66), then in the Century Division of the Eastern Conference (1967–69).

It also was the first time that two quarterbacks who previously started for a Super Bowl winning team (Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger) opposed one another since Jim Plunkett's Los Angeles Raiders defeated Joe Theisman's Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII. Warner started for the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV and Super Bowl XXXVI, winning the first and losing the second one, while Roethlisberger was the winning quarterback in Super Bowl XL.

Pittsburgh Steelers

For more details on this topic, see 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season.

Under Tomlin's first season as head coach, the Steelers improved to a 10–6 record in 2007. Pittsburgh then finished the 2008 season with the second best record in the AFC at 12–4, making the playoffs for the sixth time in the last eight seasons, and went on to earn their seventh Super Bowl trip in franchise history, breaking a three-way tie with the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos for second most Super Bowl appearances and most Super Bowl appearances by an AFC team. By advancing to Super Bowl 45 the Steelers became tied with the Dallas Cowboys for most Super Bowl appearances ever (8).

The Steelers excelled on defense and led the NFL in fewest points (13.9) and yards (237.2) allowed per game, while also ranking second in sacks with 51. Up front, their line was anchored by defensive end Aaron Smith, who recorded 60 tackles and six sacks. Behind him two of the Steelers starting linebackers ranked among the top-ten sack leaders in the NFL, LaMarr Woodley (11.5 sacks) and Pro Bowler/NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison (16 sacks). Pro Bowl linebacker James Farrior was also a big contributor, recording 3.5 sacks and leading the team with 133 tackles. The Steelers secondary was led by pro bowl safety Troy Polamalu, who ranked second in the NFL with a career-high seven interceptions.^[11]

For the fifth year in a row the Steelers offense was led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger,^[12] who finished the season with 3,301 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, with 15 interceptions. His top target was the Steelers all-time receiving leader Hines Ward, who recorded his fifth 1,000-yard season with 81 receptions for 1,043 yards and seven touchdowns. Other reliable receiving options included Santonio Holmes (55 receptions for 821 yards), Nate Washington (40 receptions for 631 yards), and tight end Heath Miller (48 receptions for 514 yards). The Steelers ground game was led by two-time pro bowl running back Willie Parker, who had rushed for over 1,200 yards in each of his previous three seasons. Injuries in 2008 limited him to 791 yards in 11 games, but running back Mewelde Moore proved to be a solid replacement, rushing for 588 yards and catching 40 passes for 320 yards.

For their efforts, Tomlin won the 2008 Motorola Coach Of The Year Award^[13] and Harrison was named the 2008 GMC Sierra Defensive Player Of The Year.^[14] The Steelers rolled into the post-season as the AFC's second seed, behind only the Tennessee Titans, who would finish 13–3 but lose in their divisional playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Arizona Cardinals

For more details on this topic, see 2008 Arizona Cardinals season.

Under Whisenhunt's first season as head coach, the Cardinals finished with an 8–8 record in 2007. Arizona then finished the 2008 season with a 9–7 record and went on to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history, becoming only the second NFL team to do so with nine wins.

One reason for Arizona's success was the re-emergence of 37-year old quarterback Kurt Warner. After going undrafted and spending a few years in the Arena Football League, Warner became the St. Louis Rams starting quarterback in 1999 due to a pre-season injury of starter Trent Green. He went on to lead the Rams to two Super Bowls and one Super Bowl win (in which Warner was named MVP), while also winning two NFL MVP awards. But in 2002, Warner's production was drastically reduced by injuries and he soon lost his starting job to Marc Bulger. He eventually left the team to join the New York Giants, but once again he lost his starting job (replaced by an ineffective Eli Manning) and signed on with the Cardinals in 2005. For the third time, Warner lost his starting job due to mediocre performances and injuries. After the season, Arizona selected Heisman winning quarterback Matt Leinart with their first round draft pick. This, combined with another mediocre performance in the 2006 season, appeared to severely limit Warner's chances of ever being a permanent starter on the team. However, early in the 2007 season, Warner was thrust into the starting lineup to replace an injured Leinart, and by the end of the team's season, he had re-emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the league, throwing 27 touchdown passes with a passer rating of 89.8.^[15]

With his starting job on the team more secure, Warner posted one of his best seasons in 2008, throwing for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns, with only 14 interceptions, giving him an NFC best 96.9 rating. His top targets were receivers Larry Fitzgerald (96 receptions, 1,431 yards, 12 touchdowns), Anquan Boldin (89 receptions, 1,038 yards, 11 touchdowns), and Steve Breaston (77 receptions, 1,006 yards, three touchdowns, 904 special teams return yards), who made the Cardinals the fifth team ever to feature three players with over 1,000 receiving yards. The Cardinals ground game was led by veteran running back Edgerrin James and rookie Tim Hightower. James led the team with 514 yards, while Hightower rushed for 399 and scored 10 touchdowns. He was also a reliable target out of the backfield, catching 34 passes for another 237 yards. Overall, Arizona's offense ranked fourth in yards per game (365.8) and third in scoring (422 points) in 2008.

The Cardinals defense, however, had played inconsistently during the regular season, ranking just 28th in points allowed. Up front their line was anchored by defensive lineman Bertrand Berry, who recorded five sacks and forced two fumbles, along with tackle Darnell Dockett, known for his ability to blow up running plays. Linebacker Karlos Dansby was also a solid contributor, recording four sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles, while also leading the team with 119 tackles. The Cardinals secondary was led by rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (who led the team with four interceptions) and Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson (fourth on the team in tackles, 75).^[16]

Playoffs

Main article: NFL playoffs, 2008–09

Arizona advanced to the Super Bowl by beating the fifth-seeded Atlanta Falcons 30–24, the second-seeded Carolina Panthers, 33–13, and the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Eagles, 32–25. Warner played exceptionally well in those games, throwing for a total of 661 yards and eight touchdowns, with only two interceptions, giving him a rating of 112.1. The Cardinals also got a big performance out of Larry Fitzgerald, who caught 23 passes for a postseason record 419 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Arizona's 28th-ranked defense showed major improvement in the postseason, forcing twelve turnovers in their three games. This included five interceptions and one fumble from Carolina's pro bowl quarterback Jake Delhomme in the divisional round.

The Cardinals became the third NFL team to advance to the Super Bowl after winning three playoff games despite winning its division; the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII and the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI were the other two. In addition, they would become the first team to advance to the Super Bowl as both a division winner and a No. 4 seed. The Baltimore Ravens were the last No. 4 seed to advance to a Super Bowl before this game, as they were the No. 4 seed in the AFC when they went on to win Super Bowl XXXV, but were a wild-card team before the 2002 realignment gave each conference four divisions.

Pittsburgh began their Super Bowl run with a 35–24 win over the fourth-seeded San Diego Chargers, gaining 342 yards, avoiding any turnovers, holding the ball for 36:30 (including for 14:43 in the third quarter alone, an NFL record for a single quarter), and scoring a touchdown in every quarter. Also, Parker appeared to be fully recovered from his regular season injuries, as evidenced by his career postseason high 147-yard, two–touchdown performance against the Chargers.^[17] Pittsburgh then went on to beat, for the third time in the season, their AFC North division arch rivals, the sixth-seeded Baltimore Ravens, 23–14, holding them to 184 yards and forcing five turnovers.

Super Bowl pre-game notes

The AFC Champion Steelers stayed at the InterContinental Tampa and held their pre-game practices at the training facility of the University of South Florida Bulls. The NFC Champion Cardinals were based at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay and held their practices at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' training facility.^[18] Both teams arrived in the Tampa area on Monday, January 26.

Also on January 26, the NFL announced that the Super Bowl game would be one of the safest places in the United States during game time. Personnel from over 20 different federal agencies were on site to assist in protecting players and fans.^[19]

Pittsburgh entered the game as seven-point favorites over Arizona.^[20] Major factors for this included the view that the Steelers' defense was better compared to the that of the Cardinals and the feeling that the AFC was an overall better conference than the NFC.^[21]

The Cardinals were the designated "home team," as was the case for all NFC champions in odd numbered Super Bowls. Arizona wore their red jerseys, which it has done at home since moving into University of Phoenix Stadium in 2006 after predominantly wearing their white jerseys at home for their first 18 years in Arizona to combat the intense heat of September and October. As a result, the Steelers wore white jerseys for their second consecutive Super Bowl.^[22]

Pittsburgh improved to 3–0 lifetime wearing white jerseys in the Super Bowl after the victory in Super Bowl XLIII (Pittsburgh would eventually lose to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV while wearing white jerseys). The other two times the team wore white was as the "visiting team" against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IX (during a time when the designated "home" team was required to wear their team colored jerseys) and against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL despite being the "home team" that season but having road success in the playoffs. In addition, teams wearing white jerseys in the Super Bowl extended their winning streak to five games, dating back to Super Bowl XXXIX, currently the longest such streak between white and team colored jerseys in Super Bowl history. Pittsburgh also improved to 3-0 lifetime against NFC West Division teams in the Super Bowl, having previously beaten the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV and the Seahawks in XL.

Another pre-game storyline involved backup Steelers tight end/fullback Sean McHugh. McHugh, who spent the past three seasons with the Detroit Lions, made that team's 53-man roster at the end of the preseason, only to be released 24 hours later alongside linebacker Anthony Cannon in order for the Lions to make room for linebacker Ryan Nece and running back Marcus Thomas.^[23] The Steelers promptly signed McHugh after the team traded center Sean Mahan back to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a draft pick before the start of the season. The subsequent media attention surrounding McHugh had to do with him being deemed not good enough for the Lions (a team that would finish 0-16, the NFL's first imperfect season since the expansion 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers), but good enough for a Super Bowl team such as the Steelers and being a valuable blocker for Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker.^[24][25] McHugh himself had mixed feelings about the situation, feeling bad for his former Lions teammates, but also feeling it's a little payback for the Lions for releasing him in the first place. McHugh would play in the Super Bowl as a blocker, much like his regular season role.

The Cardinals became the second team to have their city/state location painted in their end zone for a Super Bowl, as their end zone read Arizona Cardinals. In Super Bowl XL, the Seattle Seahawks became the first team to have this, as their end zone read Seattle Seahawks. For all other Super Bowl teams, end zones have just featured the team nickname.

Economic effects

With all the cutbacks resulting from the severe economic downturn in the United States, the game was dubbed "The Recession Bowl."^{[26][27][28][29]} Restaurants were slow in business and many parties, including parties hosted by Playboy and Sports Illustrated were canceled.^[29] There were also 200 fewer sports journalists covering the game than at Super Bowl XLII the previous year.^[29] According to the online broker StubHub, tickets with a face value of $500 changed hands the week of the Super Bowl for an average $2,500 – a 40% drop from Super Bowl XLII in 2008 and 16% lower than Super Bowl XL in 2006.^[29] Ford, Chrysler and General Motors, the Big Three automobile makers, decided not to purchase television advertisements following the three companies' business struggles in 2008 and early 2009.^[29]

Broadcasting

Television

United States

The game was televised live in the United States on NBC, the network's first Super Bowl broadcast since Super Bowl XXXII at the end of the 1997 season,^[30] and was available in 1080i high definition. Play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and color commentator John Madden were in the booth, with Andrea Kremer and Alex Flanagan serving as sideline reporters. The pre-game show – a record five hours long – was hosted by the Football Night in America team headed by Bob Costas, and preceded by a two-hour special edition of Today hosted by the regular weekday team live from Tampa and the NFL Films – produced Road to the Super Bowl. Matt Millen was part of the coverage as a studio analyst. The Today contribution included portions of a taped interview with President Obama and pictures of troops viewing the proceedings in Iraq.

John Madden was the first person to have announced a Super Bowl for each of the four major U.S. television networks, having called five Super Bowls for CBS, three for Fox, and two for ABC prior to joining NBC in 2006. Meanwhile, Al Michaels was the third man to do play-by-play for a Super Bowl on NBC television (following in the footsteps of Curt Gowdy and Dick Enberg). Also, Michaels became the second person (after Pat Summerall on CBS and Fox) to be the lead Super Bowl play-by-play announcer for two different major U.S. networks (ABC and NBC). This would prove to be the final game Madden would call, as he announced his retirement from broadcasting on April 16, 2009.

The Super Bowl was one of two major professional sports championship series NBC broadcast in 2009, as they would also broadcast the Stanley Cup Finals. Both championship series involved teams from Pittsburgh winning championships.^[31] Mike Emrick, Ed Olczyk, and Pierre McGuire mentioned this when they called the Stanley Cup Finals.^[31]

Super Bowl XLIII was the final Super Bowl to air in the analog television format in the United States before the nationwide digital television transition. The transition, originally scheduled for February 17 was pushed back to June 12, the same day the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

With an average U.S. audience of 98.7 million viewers (and an estimated total viewership of 151.6 million), this was the third most watched Super Bowl in history, and the fourth most watched U.S. television program of any kind, trailing only Super Bowl XLV in 2011, which drew an average audience of 111 million; Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, average audience 106.5 million; and the final episode of M*A*S*H in 1983, average audience 106 million.^[6] However, the national Nielsen rating of 42.0 was lower than the 43.3 rating for the previous year's game. The telecast drew a 53.6 rating in Pittsburgh and a 47.5 rating in Phoenix, first and ninth respectively among local markets.^[32]

In Tucson, Arizona and surrounding areas, the analog but not digital feed of the Comcast cable service was interrupted by an unknown party, when 30 seconds from Playboy Enterprises-owned adult cable television channel Shorteez was broadcast to homes just after Larry Fitzgerald scored his fourth quarter touchdown to give the Cardinals a 23-20 lead. Minutes before this occurred, 10 seconds of an end credit segment from ClubJenna, another Playboy-owned channel, was shown.^[33] Comcast offered a $10 credit for customers who claimed to have seen the incident,^[34] and the Federal Communications Commission announced that it would investigate the cause of the incident.^[35] On February 4, 2011, Tucson Police and the FBI arrested Frank Tanori Gonzalez on suspicion of fraud and computer tampering in connection with the porn incident.^[36]

The telecast was also carried to U.S. service personnel stationed around the globe via the American Forces Network.

Commercials

In addition to featuring the game's first 1-second TV ad (courtesy of Miller High Life), Super Bowl XLIII marked the first time that a 30-second commercial time slot cost up to US $3 million for the airtime alone, excluding production and talent costs.^[4] Many traditional advertisers, such as Anheuser-Busch and PepsiCo, bought multiple ads at discounted rates. None of the "Big Three" U.S. automakers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) ran advertisements during the game. A short trailer for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen premiered during the Super Bowl, a debut which director Michael Bay first revealed would occur in January.^[37] A preview of the upcoming Star Trek film also premiered during the game. However, with the weak economy, NBC was thought to have turned to companies already buying ad time for an additional purchase or two as set by the Los Angeles-based Forza Migliozzi agency, which would have eight advertisers simultaneously in one 30-second ad. SoBe and DreamWorks Animation aired a 3-D trailer for the upcoming film Monsters vs. Aliens, along with a 3-D ad for Sobe Life Water that featured Ray Lewis and Todd Light dancing Swan Lake (renamed Lizard Lake for this ad), as well as the promo for the upcoming episode of Chuck in 3D. About 150 million "ColorCode 3-D" glasses were given away at grocery stores across the country for the ad.^[38] Hyundai also advertised its new Genesis Coupe in two 30-second commercials.^[39] All advertising slots were sold out one day before the game, resulting in sales of $206 million.^[40]

The top five ads as chosen by the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter were:

1. Doritos' fan-made ad about "free Doritos" being seen in a "crystal ball", with different results for two co-workers. Joseph and Dave Herbert from Batesville, Indiana, creators of the ad, won US $1,000,000;
2. Budweiser's Clydesdale love affair with a dancing horse;
3. Another Budweiser ad seeing another Clydesdale playing fetch showing off after the beer wagon's Dalmatian fetches a small stick;
4. A Bridgestone ad with Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head driving in a toy car on a twisty road;
5. Another Doritos ad that shows the power of crunch with a woman being stripped down to her underwear, free money from an ATM and a policeman being turned into a monkey.

YouTube's top five in "Ad Blitz 2009" also saw the two Doritos ads finish first and fifth. The middle three featured E*Trade's Singing Baby ad, CareerBuilder.com's "The Official 2009 Super Bowl Commercial" and Pepsi Max's "I'm Good" finish second through fourth respectively.

ADBOWL results reflected the following ranking:

1. Bridgestone: Taters
2. Bridgestone: Hot Item
3. Doritos: Crystal Ball
4. Coca-Cola: Heist
5. Pepsi Max: I’m Good

International telecasts

•  Albania: SuperSport
•  Australia: NFL Network coverage was simulcasted on ESPN Australia on Foxtel and Austar. NBC commentary and graphics were simulcast free-to-air on Network Ten and Ten HD. The Ten broadcast was anchored by a four-man panel from Melbourne that included analysis from Philadelphia Eagles punter, Australian Sav Rocca. Also shown on SBS starting at 10am Australian Eastern Standard Time.
•  Austria: ORF1, ORF1 HD (00:00 CET).^[41]
•  Brazil: ESPN Brasil. Paulo Antunes (commentating), Everaldo Marques (play-by-play) and André Kfouri (on field).
•  Canada: English language network CTV aired the game live throughout Canada, simulcasting the NBC broadcast, with Canadian law requiring cable and satellite providers to replace NBC's broadcast with CTV's feed (which contains Canadian commercials). The French language cable channel RDS (also owned by CTV) carried the game using NBC's video feed and its own announcers.
•  China: CCTV Sports, China Central Television and SMG (07:00, 2 February Beijing Time). Mainland only.
•  Croatia: SportKlub (23:55 CET.)
•  Czech Republic and  Slovakia: Nova Sport
•  Denmark: TV3+
•  Europe: ESPN America
•  Finland: Viasat Sport 1, Viasat Sport HD
•  France: France 2.^[42]
•  Germany: ARD Das Erste (00:10 CET.)
•  Hungary: Sport 1 (Hungarian)
•  Iceland: Stöð 2 Sport
•  Ireland: TV3 (23:00 GMT.)
•  Italy: Rai Due and Rai Sport Più (00:00 CET), with Valerio Iafrate and Roberto Gotta, RAI's NFL hosts, as commentators. The digital transmission was in 16:9 and HD (where available).^[43]
•  Japan: NHK, Nippon Television and Gaora. (08:00, 2 February JST)
•  Mexico: The game was broadcast on both Televisa and TV Azteca, with both telecasts distributed in HDTV.
•  Montenegro: SportKlub (cable), Elmag (terrestrial) (23:55 CET.)
•  New Zealand: ESPN Australia (NFL Network commentators, graphics/NBC simulcast)
•  Norway: Viasat Sport, Viasat Sport HD (00:00 CET.)
•  Peru: ESPN, Fox Sports Latin America.
•  Philippines: Balls and Solar Sports (both live using the feed from the NFL Network); C/S 9 (delayed)
•  Poland: Nsport HD
•  Portugal: Sport TV. Also in high-definition (16:9.) (23:00 WET)
•  Russia: 7TV,^[44] NTV Plus Sport and NTV Plus HD Sport
•  Serbia: SportKlub (23:55 CET.)
•  Singapore with  Hong Kong,  Malaysia and  Indonesia: ASN (All Sports Network)
•  South Korea: SBS Sports (08:00, 2 February KST)
•  Spain: Digital+ in HD (00:00 CET)
•  Sweden: TV6, Viasat Sport, Viasat Sport HD (00:00 CET.)
•  Taiwan: Videoland Television Network aired the game live at 07:00AM, 2 February UTC +8.
•  Turkey: Spormax. Also in High-definition [16.9] {01.00 EET}

•  United Kingdom: The game was broadcast on Sky Sports and on BBC One with programming starting at 22:00 and at 23:00 GMT respectively.^[45][46] This was one of only two NFL games broadcast on the BBC, the other being the international series. Coverage was presented by Jake Humphrey live from the venue, with summarizers Rod Woodson and Mike Carlson. Sky Sports' NFL host, Kevin Cadle, was in the studio with guests throughout the event, with co-presenter Nick Halling in Tampa providing analysis live from the event.

An international feed featured Bob Papa and Sterling Sharpe announcing, and was seen in 230 countries (including Antarctica) over 61 networks and 34 languages. ESPN Latin America also broadcasted across Latin America.

Radio

On radio, Westwood One had the national English-language broadcast rights to the game in the United States and Canada. It was only made available to local affiliates as part of a 57-game package of regular season and post-season games. Stations were not allowed to stream the broadcast on their web sites.^[47] Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason called the game for the network. The teams' flagship stations also carried the game with their respective local announcers: WDVE-FM and WBGG-AM in Pittsburgh (with Bill Hillgrove and Tunch Ilkin announcing), and KTAR-AM/FM in Phoenix (with Dave Pasch and Ron Wolfley announcing). Univision Radio/United Stations carried a Spanish-language feed for Hispanophone American listeners (with Clemson Smith-Muñiz and David Crommett announcing).

Sirius XM Satellite Radio carried 13 game feeds in ten languages to Sirius subscribers, as well as to XM subscribers with the "Best of Sirius" package.^[48] In addition to the four US feeds mentioned above, Sirius carried the following international feeds:

•  United Kingdom: BBC Radio 5 Live (English; Arlo White announcing)
•  Russia: NTV Plus (Russian)
•  France: France 2 (French)
•  Japan: NHK (Japanese)
•  Germany: ARD (German)
•  Belgium: Telenet (Flemish)
•  China: SMG (Mandarin Chinese)
•  Italy: RAI (Italian; Iafrate-Gotta's TV audio)
•  Spain: Cadena Ser (Spanish)

FieldPass, the subscription Internet radio service provided by the league at NFL.com, carried most of these feeds, with select international feeds for free. Due to contractual restrictions, only Sirius XM and FieldPass were permitted to carry the local team broadcasts along with WDVE, WBGG, and KTAR, with the teams' other network radio affiliates instead carrying the Westwood One feed.

Entertainment and other ceremonies

Pregame

Fans wave as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the stadium during the pregame ceremony.

Lynn Swann, Roger Craig, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, John Elway, and Gen. David Petraeus

Journey performed during the pre-game show, and Jennifer Hudson sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" (arranged by Chris Walden) in her first public appearance since the murder of her nephew, brother and mother.^[49] Hudson became the second consecutive alumna from the American Idol television series to perform the national anthem at a Super Bowl (Jordin Sparks sang the anthem at Super Bowl XLII). The national anthem was translated into American Sign Language by Kristen Santos.^[50] Following the anthem, the U. S. Air Force Thunderbirds performed a fly-over. John Legend performed a short concert several hours before the game, while Faith Hill performed "America the Beautiful" prior to Hudson's performance of the national anthem. Also, the crew of US Airways Flight 1549 were recognized on field for their actions.

The NFL saluted four decades of champions during the coin toss ceremony and the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation. The coin toss featured Roger Craig (Super Bowl XXIII, 1989), John Elway (Super Bowl XXXIII, 1999) and Lynn Swann (Super Bowl XIII, 1979). Roger Craig followed last year's participants and fellow San Francisco 49ers Craig Walsh (son of Bill Walsh), Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice and Steve Young. General David Petraeus performed the actual coin toss. The Steelers called tails, but it landed on heads, so the Cardinals won the toss. Arizona deferred their choice to the second half, and the Steelers chose to receive, making it the first time in Super Bowl history that the coin toss winner kicked off to start the game. (The NFL had just changed the rule before the start of the season allowing the team that wins the coin toss to defer the choice to the second half, similar to that in college football and Canadian football.) By winning the toss, the Arizona Cardinals were the twelfth consecutive coin toss winner from the NFC, dating back to Super Bowl XXXII. Joe Namath (Super Bowl III, 1969) participated in the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation and he previously participated in the coin toss in Super Bowl XXVIII. Coincidentally, Namath—a native of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh—ultimately handed the trophy to his hometown team.

The Steelers entered Raymond James Stadium first, to "Right Here, Right Now" by Fatboy Slim.

The Cardinals entered last, as they were the "home" team, to "Ignition" by tobyMac.

Halftime

The Super Bowl XLIII halftime show, which was sponsored by Bridgestone for the second consecutive year, featured Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, with The Miami Horns and a gospel choir.^[51][52] Their halftime performance consisted of these songs in the following order:^[53]

• "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"
• "Born to Run"
• "Working on a Dream"
• "Glory Days"

Each of the numbers had at least one verse removed, in order to fit the overall performance in the intended 12-minute time limit.^[53] Springsteen had turned down numerous invitations to play at the Super Bowl before this one, unsure of its legitimacy, but finally accepted after realizing the prestige value.^[54]

Bruce Springsteen stated in an interview with Bob Costas, he would like Coldplay to perform the halftime show next year. Bob Costas also said that he assumed Bruce was too old to do certain moves that he used to do, such as jumping on pianos, etc. Springsteen assured him that was not the case and, to prove him wrong, he jumped on the piano during the opening number while pumping up the crowd.

Home video

The Steelers 2008 season/Super Bowl XLIII championship home video went on sale on DVD on February 24, 2009. One week later on March 3, it was released on Blu-ray Disc, making it the first NFL Films home video release to be on Blu-ray Disc.^[55] The Blu-ray copy was "officially" sold exclusively through Amazon.com, though it was also available through the Sports Illustrated Super Bowl offer, and has since been made available at other retailers. Among its exclusive content included having most of the features in high-definition video as well as the NFL on Fox fourth-quarter coverage of the Steelers matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at Heinz Field in its entirety. The matchup, which took place during Week 14 and renewed the rivalry the two teams had in the 1970s & 1990's, saw the Steelers come back from a 4th quarter ten point deficit to win 20-13.

The New York Giants 2007 season/Super Bowl video was only released on DVD the previous year despite the fact that Toshiba dropped support of HD DVD (the primary rival of Blu-ray) just two weeks after Super Bowl XLII.

Game summary

Pittsburgh took the opening kickoff and moved down the field on a 71-yard scoring drive, with Ben Roethlisberger completing a 38-yard pass to Hines Ward and a 21-yard strike to Heath Miller, putting the ball at the Arizona 1-yard line. On third down, Roethlisberger appeared to score on a quarterback scramble, but it was overruled by a replay challenge, which determined that he was down before the ball crossed the goal line. Rather than make another attempt at a touchdown, Pittsburgh settled for a Jeff Reed 18-yard field goal to take the 3–0 lead. The Steelers quickly forced an Arizona punt and then drove back down the field for what would turn into more points. On the first play of their drive, Roethlisberger completed a 25-yard pass to Santonio Holmes. Following three more completions to Miller for 26 yards and another one to Holmes for 7, reserve running back Gary Russell went into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 10–0 on the second play of the second quarter. They became the first team to score on its first two drives since the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. On defense, Pittsburgh held Arizona to just one drive and one first down in the first quarter, while gaining 135 yards.

The Cardinals got going for the first time midway through the second quarter as a 45-yard completion from Kurt Warner to Anquan Boldin moved the ball to the Steelers' 1-yard line. On the next play, Warner nearly fell over after taking the snap, but he regained his balance and threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ben Patrick. After an exchange of punts, Roethlisberger threw a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by linebacker Karlos Dansby at the Steelers 34-yard line with 2:46 left in the half. Seven plays later, the Cardinals drove to a first down on the Pittsburgh 1-yard line. But with 18 seconds left, Warner's pass was intercepted in the end zone by linebacker James Harrison, who then took off down the sideline for the longest play in Super Bowl history, a 100-yard return for a touchdown, increasing the Steelers' lead to 17–7 at halftime. A booth review was called to verify that Harrison had broken the plane, as he was tackled at the goal line, and the ruling stood. The official NFL Films footage for the game showed that Larry Fitzgerald was about to tackle Harrison at Arizona's 30-yard line, but teammate Steve Breaston was illegally standing inside the sideline area and blocked Fitzgerald's path, allowing Harrison to get enough distance that he could cross the goal line when Fitzgerald caught up to him at the return's end.

After forcing a punt, the Steelers started off the third quarter with another long scoring drive. Aided by three personal foul penalties against Arizona, they moved the ball 79 yards in 14 plays and took 8:39 off the clock. However, they were unable to get into the end zone, despite two first downs inside the Cardinals 10 (a penalty against Arizona on a Steelers field goal attempt gave them another chance), and they had to settle for another Reed field goal to give them a 13-point lead, 20–7. After a few more punts, Warner led the Cardinals down the field on an eight-play, 87-yard scoring drive that took 3:57 off the clock, utilizing a no huddle offense. With 7:33 left in the game, Warner threw a high floating pass to Fitzgerald, who made a leaping catch through tight coverage by Ike Taylor for a touchdown, making the score 20–14.

Later on, Ben Graham's 34-yard punt pinned the Steelers back at their own 1-yard line. Two plays later on third down and 10, Roethlisberger threw a 20-yard pass to Holmes, but center Justin Hartwig was called for holding in the end zone, which not only nullified the catch, but gave the Cardinals a safety, raising the score to 20–16. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin later stated that losing the two points didn't faze him, as it didn't change how the Steelers called plays for the rest of the game on either defense or offense. Taking over on their own 36 after the free kick, Arizona took two plays to score, as Warner threw a pass to Fitzgerald on a post route. Fitzgerald caught the ball without breaking stride and took off down the middle of the field past the Steelers secondary for a 64-yard touchdown reception, giving Arizona their first lead of the game, 23–20.

The final play of the game

Pittsburgh got the ball back on their own 22-yard line with 2:37 left in the game and two timeouts remaining. On their first play, a holding penalty pushed them back 10 yards. Roethlisberger then completed two passes to Holmes for 27 yards. After an 11-yard reception by Nate Washington and a 4-yard run by Roethlisberger, he completed a 40-yard pass to Holmes at the Cardinals 6-yard line. Two plays later, Holmes caught a pass in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown, managing to land with his toes inbounds before falling out of bounds. After a booth review, the touchdown pass stood. Reed's ensuing extra point made the score 27–23 with 35 seconds remaining. Following the ensuing kickoff, Warner completed a 20-yard pass to Fitzgerald and a 13-yarder to J. J. Arrington, moving the ball to the Steelers 44. With 18 seconds left, Warner prepared to attempt a Hail Mary pass, but linebacker LaMarr Woodley forced a fumble while sacking Warner. Defensive end Brett Keisel recovered the fumble, giving the ball back to Pittsburgh with five seconds left. Many viewers incorrectly assumed that the play had not been reviewed for a possible incomplete pass, but NFL Head of Officiating Mike Pereira later explained that it actually was reviewed, unnoticed by the public.^[56] It was the first and only time that Warner was not involved in a Super Bowl that was decided on the final play of the game. Roethlisberger took a knee, sealing the Steelers' NFL record sixth Super Bowl title.

Box score

1 2 3 4 Total Steelers 3 14 3 7 27 Cardinals 0 7 0 16 23 at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida Date: February 1, 2009 Game time: 6:31 p.m. EST [1] Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), mostly cloudy[1] Recap Game information 1st Quarter PIT – Jeff Reed 18 yard field goal, 9:45. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 5:15. 2nd Quarter PIT – Gary Russell 1 yard run (Jeff Reed kick), 14:01. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 7:12. ARI – Ben Patrick 1 yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick), 8:31. Steelers 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 5:27. PIT – James Harrison 100 yard interception return (Jeff Reed kick), 0:00. Steelers 17–7. 3rd Quarter PIT – Jeff Reed 21 yard field goal, 2:11. Steelers 20–7. Drive: 16 plays, 79 yards, 8:39. 4th Quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 1 yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick), 7:33. Steelers 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 87 yards, 3:57. ARI – Holding penalty on Justin Hartwig in end zone for safety, 2:58. Steelers 20–16. ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 64 yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick), 2:37. Cardinals 23–20. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 21 seconds. PIT – Santonio Holmes 6 yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Jeff Reed kick), 0:35. Steelers 27–23. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 2:02.

Statistics

In Super Bowl XLIII, Arizona and Pittsburgh combined for the fewest rushing attempts (38) and the fewest rushing yards (91) in Super Bowl history.^[57][58] The Cardinals outgained the Steelers in both passing yards (374 to 234) and total yards (407 to 292), but were flagged for 11 penalties for 106 yards. Arizona's safety in the fourth quarter was only the sixth one scored in Super Bowl history, the first since Super Bowl XXV.^[59]

Warner completed 31 of 43 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. His 377 yards was the second most in Super Bowl history behind his own record of 414 yards in Super Bowl XXXIV (Warner also holds the third place record with 365 yards in Super Bowl XXXVI).^[60] With the three highest totals in Super Bowl history, he passed Joe Montana for most career yards in Super Bowl history with 1,156 (Montana threw for 1,142 yards in four games). He became the fifth quarterback in Super Bowl history to throw three touchdown passes in defeat (the others being Roger Staubach, Brett Favre, Jake Delhomme, and Donovan McNabb). He also became the first quarterback in Super Bowl history to have a pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown in two different Super Bowls and is also the second quarterback to throw a fourth-quarter touchdown in three different Super Bowls (Terry Bradshaw threw a fourth-quarter touchdown in all four of his Super Bowls).

Warner's top target was Fitzgerald, who caught seven passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Fitzgerald set a single postseason record with seven touchdown receptions, passing Jerry Rice, who had six in the 1988 postseason. Fitzgerald as well as Holmes each had 100 yards receiving, marking the fourth time in Super Bowl history, one player from each team had over 100 yards in a Super Bowl. Michael Irvin and Andre Reed were the first in Super Bowl XXVII, followed by Deion Branch and Muhsin Muhammad in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Branch again a year later along with Terrell Owens in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. Woodley had two sacks and a forced fumble, thus he continued setting NFL play-off records for consecutive multiple sack games by a player with 4. Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett had all of Arizona's three sacks, tying the Super Bowl record set by Reggie White in Super Bowl XXXI. Harrison's 100-yard interception return was the longest play of any kind in a Super Bowl.^[61]

With this victory, the Steelers became the first team to win three Super Bowls in the same state. Their victories in Super Bowls X and XIII were both at the Miami Orange Bowl.

Statistical comparison

Source: NFL.com	Pittsburgh Steelers	Arizona Cardinals
First downs	20	23
Third down efficiency	4/10	3/8
Fourth down efficiency	0–0	0–0
Total yards	292	407
Passing yards	234	374
Passing – completions/attempts	21/30	31/43
Rushing yards	58	33
Rushing attempts	26	12
Yards per rush	2.2	2.8
Penalties–yards	7–56	11–106
Sacks against–yards	2–22	2–3
Fumbles–lost	0–0	2–1
Interceptions thrown	1	1
Time of possession	33:01	26:59

Individual leaders

Steelers Passing
	C/ATT*	Yds	TD	INT
Ben Roethlisberger	21/30	256	1	1
Steelers Rushing
	Cara	Yds	TD	LGb
Willie Parker	19	53	0	15
Mewelde Moore	1	6	0	6
Ben Roethlisberger	3	2	0	4
Gary Russell	2	-3	1	1
Steelers Receiving
	Recc	Yds	TD	LGb
Santonio Holmes	9	131	1	40
Heath Miller	5	57	0	21
Hines Ward	2	43	0	38
Nate Washington	1	11	0	11
Carey Davis	1	6	0	6
Matt Spaeth	1	6	0	6
Mewelde Moore	1	4	0	4
Willie Parker	1	-2	0	-2
Steelers Defense
	Tak/Ast/Tott	Int	Ffg	Sck
James Farrior	6/2/8	0	0	0.0
Ike Taylor	5/2/7	0	0	0.0
Brett Kiesel	4/1/5	0	0	0.0
Ryan Clark	2/3/5	0	0	0.0
Lawrence Timmons	4/0/4	0	0	0.0
James Harrison	3/1/4	1	0	0.0
LaMarr Woodley	3/1/4	0	1	2.0
Bryant McFadden	3/0/3	0	0	0.0
Deshea Townsend	2/1/3	0	0	0.0
Casey Hampton	1/1/2	0	0	0.0
Troy Polamalu	0/2/2	0	0	0.0
Travis Kirschke	1/0/1	0	0	0.0
Aaron Smith	0/1/1	0	0	0.0

Cardinals Passing
	C/ATT*	Yds	TD	INT
Kurt Warner	31/43	377	3	1
Cardinals Rushing
	Cara	Yds	TD	LGb
Edgerrin James	9	33	0	9
Tim Hightower	1	0	0	0
J.J. Arrington	1	0	0	0
Kurt Warner	1	0	0	0
Cardinals Receiving
	Recc	Yds	TD	LGb
Larry Fitzgerald	7	127	2	64
Anquan Boldin	8	84	0	45
Steve Breaston	6	71	0	23
J.J. Arrington	2	35	0	22
Edgerrin James	4	28	0	11
Jerheme Urban	1	18	0	18
Tim Hightower	2	13	0	13
Ben Patrick	1	1	1	1
Cardinals Defense
	Tak/Ast/Tott	Int	Ffg	Sck
Karlos Dansby	5/3/8	1	0	0.0
Adrian Wilson	7/0/7	0	0	0.0
Gerald Hayes	4/3/7	0	0	0.0
Chike Okeafor	6/0/6	0	0	0.0
Darnell Dockett	5/1/6	0	0	3.0
Roderick Hood	5/1/6	0	0	0.0
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie	5/0/5	0	0	0.0
Monty Beisel	2/2/4	0	0	0.0
Antrel Rolle	1/2/3	0	0	0.0
Antonio Smith	1/1/2	0	0	0.0
Ralph Brown	1/0/1	0	0	0.0
Calais Campbell	1/0/1	0	0	0.0
Aaron Francisco	1/0/1	0	0	0.0
Travis LaBoy	1/0/1	0	0	0.0
Gabe Watson	1/0/1	0	0	0.0

^*Completions/Attempts ^aCarries ^bLong play ^cReceptions ^tTackles ^gForced Fumble

Starting lineups

Pittsburgh	Position	Position	Arizona
OFFENSE
Hines Ward	WR		Larry Fitzgerald
Max Starks	LT		Mike Gandy
Chris Kemoeatu	LG		Reggie Wells
Justin Hartwig	C		Lyle Sendlein
Darnell Stapleton	RG		Deuce Lutui
Willie Colon	RT		Levi Brown
Heath Miller	TE		Leonard Pope
Santonio Holmes	WR		Anquan Boldin
Ben Roethlisberger	QB		Kurt Warner
Willie Parker	RB		Edgerrin James
Carey Davis	FB		Terrelle Smith
DEFENSE
Aaron Smith	LE		Antonio Smith
Casey Hampton	NT	LDT	Bryan Robinson
Brett Keisel	RE	RDT	Darnell Dockett
LaMarr Woodley	LOLB	RE	Gabe Watson
James Farrior	LILB	LOLB	Chike Okeafor
Larry Foote	RILB	ILB	Gerald Hayes
James Harrison	ROLB		Karlos Dansby
Ike Taylor	LCB		Roderick Hood
Bryant McFadden	RCB		Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Troy Polamalu	SS		Adrian Wilson
Ryan Clark	FS		Antrel Rolle

Officials

The officials for the game were:^[62]

• Referee: Terry McAulay, #77; second Super Bowl, refereed Super Bowl XXXIX.
• Umpire: Roy Ellison #81
• Head Linesman: Derick Bowers #74
• Line Judge: Mark Perlman #9
• Field Judge: Greg Gautreaux #80
• Side Judge: Michael Banks #72
• Back Judge: Keith Ferguson #61

• Alternate Officials
  • Referee: Ron Winter, #14
  • Umpire: Darrell Jenkins #76
  • Line Judge: Darryll Lewis #130
  • Field Judge: Doug Rosenbaum #67
  • Back Judge: Billy Smith #2

Post-game riots

In Pittsburgh, mostly in the Oakland neighborhood, riots broke out on the streets after the Steelers' victory.^{[63][64][65][66][67]} Rioters—mostly college students—caused about $150,000 in estimated damages.^[68] More than 60 people were arrested during and after the rioting, and at least two students were suspended.^[69] Two of the Steelers' former homes, Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium, were in the Oakland neighborhood.

Ring

External images
	Photos of the Super Bowl Ring

The ring for the Pittsburgh Steelers was designed and made by Jostens working with Dan Rooney and Art Rooney II. The designs were also shown to James Farrior, Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison before a final decision was made.^[70]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "STLtoday.com - Sports - Stats, Inc". Stltoday.stats.com. http://stltoday.stats.com/fb/boxscore.asp?gamecode=20090201022&home=22&vis=23. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
2. ^ "Super Bowl Gives NBC 42.0 Rating, Record 98.7 Million Viewers". Sports Business Daily. 2009-02-03. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/127428. 
3. ^ "Super Bowl XLIII on NBC Draws 42.1 overnight rating". TVbythenumbers.com. 2009-02-02. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/02/02/super-bowl-xlii-on-nbc-draws-421-overnight-rating/11974. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "CNBC Commercials". CNBC.com. 2009-01-28. http://www.cnbc.com/id/28898650/site/14081545/for/cnbc/. Retrieved 2009-02-04. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "NFL.com: Future Super Bowl sites". National Football League. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071017041447/http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/futuresites. Retrieved 2007-12-25. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Replay: Nielsen now saying Super Bowl XLIII was most-watched ever". CNN. 2009-02-03. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/super-bowl/02/03/ratings.ap/index.html. Retrieved 2009-02-03. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ "NFL UNVEILS OFFICIAL Super Bowl XLIII GAME LOGO". Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee. http://www.tampabaysuperbowl.com/news_tampa_logo.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-05. 
8. ^ "NFL’s platform for this season: ‘Believe In Now’". Sportsbusinessjournal.com. http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/58307. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
9. ^ "Cowher: Tomlin hiring by Steelers not a total surprise". ESPN.com. 2007-02-15. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=2767322&campaign=rsssrch&source=grimm. Retrieved 2009-01-25. 
10. ^ Chicago Cardinals named 1925 NFL Champions by NFL.com/History
11. ^ "Steelers-Cardinals Matchups". News.steelers.com. http://news.steelers.com/article/102648/. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
12. ^ To Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XLIII is just another game
13. ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Tomlin named 2008 Motorola Coach of the year". News.steelers.com. 2009-01-29. http://news.steelers.com/article/102703/. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
14. ^ "Harrison named 2008 GMC Sierra defensive player of the year". News.steelers.com. 2009-01-29. http://news.steelers.com/article/102742/. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
15. ^ "Veteran Warner finally gets back to the Super Bowl". Nfl.com. 2009-01-19. http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story?id=09000d5d80e334ba&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
16. ^ "Arizona Cardinals Stats". Nfl.com. http://www.nfl.com/teams/arizonacardinals/statistics?team=ARI. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
17. ^ http://www.nfl.com/teams/pittsburghsteelers/statistics?season=2008&team=PIT&seasonType=REG
18. ^ "Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee – Media FAQs". 2009-01-25. http://www.tampabaysuperbowl.com/media_faqs.htm. 
19. ^ "NFL: Super Bowl stadium will be one of safest places in U.S". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 2009-01-26. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/super-bowl/01/26/nfl.ap/index.html. Retrieved 2009-02-04. ^{[dead link]}
20. ^ "Current Super Bowl XLIII Odds". Point-spreads.com. 2009-01-26. http://www.point-spreads.com/football/012609-current-super-bowl-odds.html. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
21. ^ "Vegas gives Steelers early nod over Cards for Super Bowl XLIII". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/01/18/superbowl.odds.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories. Retrieved 2009-02-04. ^{[dead link]}
22. ^ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 01\21\2009 Steelers Notebook: Ward will battle big odds, try to play
23. ^ "Practice squad extravaganza: Packers and Lions". Myespn.go.com. http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcnorth/0-3-180/Practice-squad-extravaganza--Packers-and-Lions.html. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
24. ^ http://news.steelers.com/article/102330/
25. ^ Wetzel, Dan. "Steelers’ McHugh catches break'". Sports.yahoo.com. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AnuUEfJ6CtCaK6ZEcJWR25j.uLYF?slug=dw-mchughcatchesbreak012709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
26. ^ Glauber, Bob (2009-01-31). "NFL lockout real possibility in 2011". Newsday.com. http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/ny-spglaub316018744jan31,0,1578688.column. Retrieved 2009-01-31. ^{[dead link]}
27. ^ "Super Bowl XLIII Commercials Have No Best Bets: Advertisers’ Buzz Not a Sure Win in the 2009 Recession Bowl". About.com. 2009-01-29. http://retailindustry.about.com/b/2009/01/29/super-bowl-xviii-commercials-have-no-best-bets-advertisers-buzz-not-a-sure-win-in-the-2009-recession-bowl.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-31. 
28. ^ Kriegel, Mark (2009-01-31). "Finding meaning in Super Bowl darkness". Fox Sports. http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9158128/Finding-meaning-in-Super-Bowl-darkness. Retrieved 2009-01-31. 
29. ^ ^{a b c d e} Luscombe, Richard (2009-01-30). "NFL: Super Bowl feels boot of global recession". London: guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jan/30/super-bowl-nfl-recession. Retrieved 2009-01-31. 
30. ^ "NBC says Super Bowl ad sales nearly done - News". CNBC.com. 2009-01-28. http://www.cnbc.com/id/28898650/site/14081545/for/cnbc/. Retrieved 2009-02-04. ^{[dead link]}
31. ^ ^{a b} NHL on NBC: Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals (television). NBC Sports. 2009-06-12.  Emrick, Olczyk, and McGuire mentioned about Pittsburgh having two championships in the same year, as the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.
32. ^ Sports Media Watch: Pittsburgh top SB market; Phoenix 9th.
33. ^ Spangler, Todd (2009-02-05). "Comcast Offers $10 Credit After Super Bowl Porn Blunder". Multichannel News. http://www.multichannel.com/article/173525-Comcast_Offers_10_Credit_After_Super_Bowl_Porn_Blunder.php. Retrieved 2009-02-05. 
34. ^ Pedersen, Brian J. (2009-02-02). "UPDATED: Comcast offers $10 credit to Tucson customers who saw Super Bowl porn". Arizona Daily Star. http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/278448.php. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
35. ^ Grossberg, Josh (2009-02-05). "Feds Planning Super Bowl Porn Probe". E! Online. http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b82386_feds_planning_super_bowl_porn_probe.html. Retrieved 2009-02-05. 
36. ^ http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/02/04/20110204tucson-super-bowl-porn-arrest-abrk.html
37. ^ Wallace, Lewis (2009-01-09). "Super Bowl to Get Healthy Dose of Sci-Fi Flicks". Wired. http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2009/01/super-bowl-to-g.html. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
38. ^ By MICHAEL CIDONI, Associated Press Writer (2009-01-04). "'Monsters vs. Aliens' gets 3D Super Bowl promo". Sfgate.com. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/01/04/entertainment/e142556S95.DTL. Retrieved 2009-02-04. ^{[dead link]}
39. ^ "Hyundai to introduce Genesis coupe during Super Bowl XLIII". Left Lane News. 2008-12-30. http://www.leftlanenews.com/hyundai-to-introduce-genesis-coupe-during-super-bowl-xliii.html. Retrieved 2009-01-04. 
40. ^ Maske, Mark (2009-01-31). "NBC Sells Out Super Bowl Ads". The Washington Post Company. http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/nflnewsfeed/2009/01/nbc-sells-out-super-bowl-ads.html?hpid=topnews. Retrieved 2009-02-01. 
41. ^ http://tv.orf.at/ (German)
42. ^ "Steelers-Cardinals, SuperBowl inattendu - Sports US - FRANCE 2 : résultats et actualité NBA, NHL et NFL. - France 2". Sport.france2.fr. http://sport.france2.fr/sports-us/51060773-fr.php. Retrieved 2009-02-04. ^{[dead link]}
43. ^ "Grande attesa negli usa per il xliii super bowl" (in Italian). RAI. 2009-01-30. http://www.raiway.rai.it/index.php?lang=IT&cat=73&showNE=107. Retrieved 2009-01-31. 
44. ^ "среда, 4 февраля". 7tv.ru. http://7tv.ru/schedule.xl. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
45. ^ "Sky Sports – NFL – On Sky TV". Sky Sports. 2009-01-20. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12949,00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-22. 
46. ^ "BBC Sport – Other Sport... – American Football – American Football on the BBC". BBC. 2008-02-05. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/american_football/7018632.stm. Retrieved 2009-01-22. 
47. ^ http://affiliates.westwoodone.com/content/technical-clocks/sports/Super%20Bowl%20Format.pdf
48. ^ "SIRIUS XM Radio Announces Comprehensive Broadcast Coverage for Super Bowl XLIII". News.prnewswire.com. http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/01-21-2009/0004957985&EDATE=. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
49. ^ "Jennifer Hudson to sing at the Super Bowl". MSNBC. 2009-01-14. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28654712/. Retrieved 2009-01-14. 
50. ^ "Singing Her Song with Her Fingers". Sacramento Union. 2009-01-28. http://www.sacunion.com/pages/sacramento/articles/11464/. Retrieved 2009-01-31. ^{[dead link]}
51. ^ "Report: "The Boss" to play Super Bowl halftime show". Seattle Post Intelligencer. 2008-08-11. http://www.seattlepi.com/scorecard/nflnews.asp?articleID=237980. Retrieved 2009-01-14. 
52. ^ "Bruce Springsteen to play Super Bowl half-time show". NME. 2008-09-29. http://www.nme.com/news/bruce-springsteen/40061. Retrieved 2009-01-14. 
53. ^ ^{a b} Caramanica, Jon (2009-02-01). "The Boss Takes Over Halftime, With a Few Edits but Little Imagination". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/sports/football/02bruce.html?ref=sports. Retrieved 2009-02-02. 
54. ^ Jenna, Fryer (2009-01-30). "Bruce Springsteen's Super Bowl Promise: "12-Minute Party" At Halftime". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/29/bruce-springsteens-super_n_162385.html. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
55. ^ Super Bowl XLIII Pittsburgh Steelers Blu-ray Disc
56. ^ 'We confirmed it was a fumble. The replay assistant in the replay booth saw it was clearly a fumble. The ball got knocked loose and was rolling in his hand before it started forward. He has to have total control.' http://www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28971640/
57. ^ By Naila-Jean Meyers (2009-02-02). "Steelers and Cardinals Pass, Not Run, Into Record Books - The Fifth Down Blog - NYTimes.com". Fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com. http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/steelers-and-cardinal-pass-not-run-into-record-books/. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
58. ^ "Super Bowl Team Records: Rushing". Nfl.com. http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/records/playoffs/team/rushing. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
59. ^ "Super Bowl Team Records: Safeties". Nfl.com. http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/records/superbowls/player/safeties. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
60. ^ "Super Bowl Records: Passing". Nfl.com. http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/records/superbowls/player/passing. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
61. ^ Schwarz, Alan (2009-02-02). "Big Play by Steelers’ Harrison Took His (and Others’) Breath Away". NYTimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/sports/football/02harrison.html?em. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
62. ^ "Super Bowl XLIII referee crew announced by NFL". NME. 2009-01-28. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/super-bowl/01/28/refs.ap/. Retrieved 2009-01-28. ^{[dead link]}
63. ^ Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Steelers fans take Super Bowl party to the streets, Boston Globe, February 2, 2009
64. ^ Oakland Riots, IReport, February 5, 2009
65. ^ Pitt Riots for Steelers Sixth Super Bowl Victory, Estelle Tran at 2/2/2009
66. ^ PITT CRASHES THE PARTY: Nordenberg reprimands rioters, Pitt News, February 4, 2009
67. ^ Letters to the Editor: Response to the Riots, Pitt News, February 5, 2009
68. ^ Michael Macagnone, Riot damages reach $150 k, Pitt News, February 11, 2009
69. ^ Anthony Brino, Rioting not just a Pitt thing, Pitt News, February 11, 2009
70. ^ Steelers thrilled with Super Bowl ring

External links

• Super Bowl 43 official website at NFL.com
• Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee – Official web site
• Super Bowl XLIII at the Internet Movie Database

2008 NFL seasonv · d · e
AFC	East	North	South	West	East	North	South	West	NFC
	Buffalo	Baltimore	Houston	Denver	Dallas	Chicago	Atlanta	Arizona
	Miami	Cincinnati	Indianapolis	Kansas City	NY Giants	Detroit	Carolina	St. Louis
	New England	Cleveland	Jacksonville	Oakland	Philadelphia	Green Bay	New Orleans	San Francisco
	NY Jets	Pittsburgh	Tennessee	San Diego	Washington	Minnesota	Tampa Bay	Seattle
2008 NFL Draft • NFL playoffs • Pro Bowl • Super Bowl XLIII