JAKE HUMPHREY ON SUPER BOWL XLIII Back in early 2008, when the Giants beat the Patriots in the Arizona desert, I had one of the greatest nights of my broadcasting life and this Sunday I get to do it all over again! I've witnessed World Cup and European Championship finals, watched a couple of FA Cups and soaked up the gentle air of Wimbledon. But as far as I'm concerned, none of them generate the sweaty-palmed, heart-racing excitement of seeing the two sides take to the field ahead of the Super Bowl. It's hard to explain how much this game dominates the agenda in the States. Freeways are deserted, restaurants closed, and entire TV networks given over to the single news story of the weekend. I love the intensity of it all - a cornerback sneezes and America gets a replay in super-slo-mo from four different camera angles. They simply can't get enough! Well, this Sunday it all happens again as the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers meet in Tampa for the right to be crowned winners of Super Bowl XLIII. And there are plenty of stories surrounding the game this year. Barack Obama will be rooting for his boyhood club as the Steelers go in search of history and a record six Super Bowl wins under four different presidents. They have huge momentum having won nine of their last 10 games, they are led by the youngest coach to make the Super Bowl in 36-year-old Mike Tomlin, and you won't miss Troy Polamalu - a guy from Samoa who reckons he hasn't cut his hair for nine years! As for Arizona, several US newspapers have joked that there was always more chance of having a black president than there was of the Cards making the Super Bowl! After being dubbed 'the worst team in the play-offs', the Cards have defied the critics, found form, scored points, and are now just a win away from immortality. I can't wait to see how things unfold in Tampa. Jake Humphrey presents BBC TV's coverage of the Super Bowl on Sunday night from 2300 GMT. |