"The Charbor Chronicles": Super Bowl XLIII Memories

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Super Bowl 43 DVD. Steelers vs Cardinals DVD. Steelers 27, Cardinals 23. Played on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida. MVP Santonio Holmes. Favorite Steelers by 7. National anthem Jennifer Hudson. Halftime show Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Attendance 70,774. Network NBC. Announcers Al Michaels and John Madden. Nielsen ratings 42.0. US viewership: 98.7 million. est. avg., 151.6 million est. Market share 65. Cost of 30-second commercial US $3 million. Ben Roethlisberger 21 30 256 1 1, Kurt Warner 31 43 377 3 1, Santonio Holmes 9 131 1, Larry Fitzgerald 7 127 2, Anquan Boldin 8 84, Ivan Taylor 5T, James Harrison 3T SAC INT TD, Adrian Wilson 7T, Chike Okeafor 6T, Roderick Hood 5T

Pittsburgh were the clear cut favorites to win, having finished the season at 12-4, then convincingly blazed their path through the AFC playoffs. Also, they had won the Super Bowl three seasons earlier, giving them a considerable advantage in terms of experience.

The Arizona Cardinals, however, were the hot team going in, having surprised a lot of people in the playoffs. They grounded the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card Game, then dominated the Panthers in Carolina in the Divisional Round, and finally got past the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, denying the possibility of an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl.

Once the game began, the Steelers established exactly why they were favorites, as they dominated the first half, dictating the tempo for most of the half. They were leading the game, 10-0, before the Cardinals finally started to get going offensively well into the second quarter, when Kurt Warner completed a 45-yard pass to Anquan Boldin. Not much later, he found tight end Ben Patrick in the end zone, and the Cardinals were on the scoreboard.

Late in the second, the Cardinals had an unbelievable opportunity to take the lead, and control of the game. It is hard not to wonder what might have been for Arizona had this been the caseThe most memorable single play of the first half was James Harrison's interception return all the way back from one end of the field to the other, scoring a very memorable touchdown. Still, they only held a 17-7 lead at halftime, leaving the possibility of a Cardinals comeback very much alive.

The Arizona Cardinals, however, were the hot team going in, having surprised a lot of people in the playoffs. They grounded the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card Game, then dominated the Panthers in Carolina in the Divisional Round, and finally got past the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, denying the possibility of an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl.

Once the game began, the Steelers established exactly why they were favorites, as they dominated the first half, dictating the tempo for most of the half. They were leading the game, 10-0, before the Cardinals finally started to get going offensively well into the second quarter, when Kurt Warner completed a 45-yard pass to Anquan Boldin. Not much later, he found tight end Ben Patrick in the end zone, and the Cardinals were on the scoreboard.

Late in the second quarter, the Cardinals had an unbelievable opportunity to take the lead, and control of the game. It is hard not to wonder what might have been for Arizona had this been the case. After a Roethisberger pass was intercepted by Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby, Arizona drove the ball down to the Steelers 1-yard line. They seemed to be on the verge of taking the lead, but that was when the most memorable single play of the first half happened, changing momentum right back in Pittsbrugh's favor. Warner's pass, which was intended for Boldin, was insead intercepted by James Harrison, who then returned it all the way back from one end of the field to the other, scoring a very memorable touchdown.

Still, they only held a 17-7 lead at halftime, leaving the possibility of a Cardinals comeback very much alive.

In the second half, the Cardinals showed a level of grit and determination that underscored exactly what had gotten them all the way to the Super Bowl in the first place.

The third quarter was mostly uneventful, with Pittsburgh only tacking on a field goal to build up their lead to 20-7. That was how that quarter ended, as well.

It was in the fourth quarter, especially, when Arizona came alive with a furious rally that almost saw them take this Super Bowl.

Midway through the final quarter, Warner found star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who made a leaping catch for a touchdown, to bring the Cardinals to within 20-14. Later in the quarter, Arizona pinned Pittsburgh at their own 1-yard line, and not much later, they were able to get a safety to close to within 20-16, plus they got the ball back.

On only the second play of the drive, Warner once again found Larry Fitzgerald, and the receiver sprinted for the touchdown that gave the Cardinals a 23-20 lead late in the fourth quarter, after Arizona had appeared to be getting dominated for most of the game. The Cardinals defense now had to hold off the Steelers offense from scoring, particularly the touchdown.

Yet, with only 2:37 left on the clock and two timeouts remaining, Pittsburgh drove the ball down the field, marching into clear scoring opportunity. They were certainly within easy field goal range, but were now looking for a better opportunity. And they got it with a perfect pass from Ben Roethlisburger to wide receiver Santana Holmes in the corner of the end zone, placed beautifully so that neither of the two Arizona defenders could get to it. Holmes was able to make the tough catch, yet still kept his feet in bounds, giving the Steelers the touchdown and a 27-23 lead (after the PAT) with a mere 35 seconds left.

The Cardinals were unable to come up with a miracle response themselves, and the Steelers had earned their sixth ever Super Bowl title, which meant that they were alone atop he NFL for most Super Bowl victories since the 49ers managed to tie their record back in the 1989-90 season when they crushed the Broncos to win what was then their fourth Super Bowl, tying Pittsburgh's mark of that time. For the first time in the better part of two decades, the Steelers were, once again, the elite team of the Super Bowl era, in terms of titles.

Personal Memories: Barack Obama had just taken the oath of office and become the 44th President of the United States.

I was no longer working at the school, and had moved to a new place of employment in Newark, taking the train every morning to work, and evening back home. It was a nice, refreshing change, and there was a lot of reading that I was able to do as a result. Still maintaining decent physical condition by walking a lot in the mornings before work, and then walking the distance between the train station and work in the mornings, and then back to the train station in the evenings.

Still had my part-time job at Prudential, which is where I watched this particular Super Bowl. It was in this back room kind of place, where for some reason, they had a television. I remember getting excited when the Cardinals rallied and almost won it in the fourth quarter, and feeling disappointed when the Steelers ultimately got the touchdown for the win with very little time left in the game. But it was a great game, truly invigorating! Well played by both sides.

http://www.infoplease.com/year/2007.html

Here are some of the major events that took place in 2009, the year this Super Bowl was played. The world's population was 6.8 billion people. Jan. 3: After more than a week of intense air strikes, Israeli troops crossed the border into Gaza, launching a ground war against the militant Palestinian group, Hamas. More than 430 Palestinians and 4 Israelis have been killed since the fighting began Dec. 27, 2008. Jan. 17: Israel announces unilateral cease-fire in Gaza. Hamas says it will continue to fight as long as Israeli troops remain in the area. Jan. 18: Hamas announces cease-fire in response to Israel's promise of peace. Jan. 31: Iraq holds local elections to create provincial councils. More than 14,000 people run for just 440 seats on councils around the country. The elections are notable for their lack of violence and the noticeably diminished role the U.S. played in their implementation. Feb. 1: Johanna Sigurdardottir takes office as Iceland's first female prime minister. Feb. 7: The worst wildfires in Australia's history kill at least 181 people in the state of Victoria, injure more than a hundred, and destroy more than 900 homes. March 3: A group of 12 gunmen in Pakistan attack the national cricket team of Sri Lanka and their police escorts. Six policemen are killed in the attack, as well as two bystanders. March 4: The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for the president of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmad al Bashir, charging him with war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region. March 17: Madagascar's president Marc Ravalomanana resigns after a bitter, three-month-long power struggle with opposition leader Andry Rajoelina. Ravalomanana hands power over to the military, which in turn transfers control to Andry Rajoelina. April 1: Sweden becomes the fifth European country to legalize same-sex marriage. The other countries with the same rights are The Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Spain. April 26: H1N1 (swine flu) has killed as many as 103 people in Mexico, most likely the epicenter of the worldwide outbreak. April 29: At least 150 in Mexico are dead from H1N1. May 1: For the first time in 341 years, a woman is appointed as poet laureate of the United Kingdom. Carol Ann Duffy, 53, will take over the post from current poet laureate Andrew Motion. June 1: In the worst aviation disaster since 2001, Air France Flight 447 disappears somewhere off the northeast coast of Brazil with 228 people on board, en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. June 8: A court in North Korea convicts American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling of "illegal entry" and sentences them to 12 years in a labor prison. The women were employed by Current TV and were arrested in March while working on a story about North Korean refugees. June 13: Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wins his reelection campaign by a landslide victory with almost 63% of the vote, while main challenger Mir Hussein Moussavi receives just under 34%. Accusations of ballot tampering and fraud leads to wide-scale and deadly protests in Tehran. June 21: The death toll in the Iranian protests reaches at least 17, according to state media. June 22: The Guardian Council, Iran's oversight group, admits to irregularities in the recent presidential election, revealing that votes counted in about 50 cities exceed the number of eligible voters by 3 million. They claim the mistake does not affect the final election result, however. June 30: The Guardian Council of Iran announces that the election of President Ahmadinejad is valid. June 28: Honduran president Manuel Zelaya is ousted by a military coup. Zelaya had faced wide criticism recently for attempting to extend presidential term limits. June 30: Roberto Micheletti, named the interim president by the Honduran Congress, threatens Zelaya with arrest if he returns to the country. June 30: As a signal of the United States' diminishing role in Iraq, and in compliance with the status of forces agreement between the U.S. and Iraq, U.S. troops complete their withdrawal from Iraqi cities, including Baghdad, and transfer the responsibility of securing the cities to Iraqi troops. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki names June 30 "National Sovereignty Day" and declares a public holiday. July 6: Rioting in Urumqi, China between two ethnic groups—Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese—kills at least 156 people. Aug. 4: The government of North Korea pardons two imprisoned American journalists after former President Bill Clinton visits the country and its president, Kim Jong-il. Laura Ling and Euna Lee were arrested in March and sentenced in June to 12 years in prison for "illegal entry" into the country. Aug. 5: Controversial president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins his second term amid a crisis in Iran sparked by the June election that was widely condemned as rigged in Ahmadinejad's favor. The vote set off protests that resulted in mass arrests of opposition figures, journalists, and lawyers. Aug. 5: Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, is killed by a C.I.A. drone strike in South Waziristan. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan, the terrorist attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan in Sept. 2008, and dozens of other suicide bombings have been attributed to Mehsud. Aug. 20: Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the Libyan terrorist convicted of bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 and killed 270 people, is freed from prison on compassionate grounds by Scotland's Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill. He is suffering from terminal prostate cancer and is expected to die within three months. Aug. 30: Japan's opposition party, the Democrats, win in a landslide over the ruling Liberal Democrats, who have been in power nearly uninterrupted for a half-century. Aug. 20: Afghanistan holds provincial and presidential elections. Violence spiked in the days leading up to the elections. More than 30 candidates challenged incumbent President Hamid Karzai, with Abdullah Abdullah as the most formidable contender. Early results put Karzai well ahead of Abdullah, but allegations of widespread and blatant fraud surfaced immediately. Sept. 8: The United Nations-backed commission that is reviewing the presidential election in Afghanistan orders a recount of the votes, citing evidence of fraud. Oct. 31: Abdullah Abdullah withdraws from the second round of Afghanistan's presidential race in Afghanistan in protest of the Karzai administration's refusal to dismiss election officials accused of taking part in the widespread fraud that marred the first round of the election. Results released earlier in October showed that Karzai came up short in garnering 50% of the vote, necessitating a second round of voting. Nov. 20: Karzai is sworn in as the president of Afghanistan, marking the beginning of his second five-year term. Oct. 2:Rio de Janeiro, Brazil wins the bid for the 2016 Olympics and will be the first South American city to host the Games. Rio beat Tokyo, Madrid, and Chicago, Ill. Oct. 25: Two suicide bombings in Baghdad, Iraq kill at least 155 people and wound 500 others. These are the deadliest attacks in the country since 2007, and raise the question of the safety of Iraq. Oct. 30: The U.S. brokers an agreement between ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya and self-appointed leader of the country, Roberto Micheletti, that left Zelaya's reinstatement up to a congressional vote, called for the establishment of a government of national unity and a truth commission, and required Zelaya to abandon a referendum on constitutional reform. Nov. 19: Micheletti agrees to temporarily cede power to his cabinet ministers while awaiting presidential election day, scheduled for November 29. (Nov. 29): Conservative candidate Porfirio Lobo wins the presidential election, beating his main opponent, Elvín Santos, by a wide margin. Nov. 5: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announces he will not seek reelection in Jan. 2010's general and presidential elections, citing the protracted impasse between Israelis and Palestinians and the United States' failure to aggressively take steps toward negotiating a settlement. At least 21 men and women are killed and 22 are missing in a rash of election-related violence in the Philippines. The victims were en route to file candidacy papers for Esmael Mangudadatu, who intends to run for governor of Maguindanao, a province on the island of Mindanao. Family members of Mangudadatu are among the dead. Nov. 25: The number of victims in the Philippines election killings rises to 57. Authorities voice their suspicion of a powerful clan tied to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; Andal Ampatuan Jr., the son of the current governor of Maguindanao and the prime suspect in the murders, turns himself in. Dec. 5: An Italian jury convicts Amanda Knox, an American student, of murdering her former roommate, English student Meredith Kercher, in 2007. Knox and Kercher were exchange students in Italy at the time. Knox's then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, was also convicted. They received prison sentences of 26 and 25 years, respectively. Dec. 18: President Barack Obama announces that the U.S., China, India, Brazil, and South Africa have reached an agreement to combat global warming. The accord that will set up a system for monitoring pollution reduction, require richer nations to give billions of dollars to poorer nations more greatly affected by climate change, and set a goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels by 2050.

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