Steelers' Sixth Super Bowl Puts Them In A Class Of Their Own

Rooney (r) Celebrates Sixth Super Bowl Title With Players Following Game

The Steelers last night defeated the Cardinals to win their sixth Super Bowl, an NFL record, and now Steelers owners the Rooney family have a "legacy better than anyone else's," according to Les Carpenter of the WASHINGTON POST, who writes under the header, "Another Prize For Rooney Dynasty." While the NFL is "filled with great family dynasties, some good, some not," the Rooneys "stand as the most successful." The Steelers have the most Super Bowl titles, but maintain "far less glamour" than some other teams because Steelers Chair Dan Rooney, President Art Rooney II and coach Mike Tomlin "don't seem to have flashy personas" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/2). Art Rooney II said winning the Super Bowl "never gets old, that's for sure. We'll take as many as we can get." Tomlin said, "We are under the leadership of Dan and Art Rooney. Their vision of what Steeler football is all about is very clear." Steelers S Ryan Clark said of the Rooneys, "It's a credit to how they live their lives, how they run their organization, how they treat their team. They've done things the right way." Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger: "It's special to win one for the Rooneys." Meanwhile, Dan Rooney in accepting the Super Bowl trophy "thanked President Barack Obama, who made his first congratulatory phone call as commander-in-chief" to Rooney, who openly supported Obama during the Presidential election (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/2). N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica said the team's recent ownership struggles was “one of the saddest pieces of news I’ve gotten in recent sports history." Lupica: "You want the Rooneys to be in this business forever” ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 2/1).

ABOVE & BEYOND: USA TODAY's Mike Lopresti writes the Steelers "stand alone now, as true royalty must." They are the Yankees "without the tabloid headlines." The Steelers are the "gold standard -- or should that be black and gold? -- for yesterday and today" (USA TODAY, 2/2). SPORTINGNEWS.com's Mike Florio wrote with the Steelers winning their sixth championship, and the NFL nearing its 100th anniversary in '20, it is "time to declare a 'Team of the Century,'" and that belongs to the Steelers" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 2/1). YAHOO SPORTS' Charles Robinson writes the Steelers are the NFL's "absolute dream." Steelers DE Brett Keisel: "Dallas can be America's team. You can just call us the team with six" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/2).

Steelers Fans Turn Out  In Tampa For Super Bowl XLIII

TEAM AND CITY GO HAND IN HAND: YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel writes the Steelers "aren't just a team for the people of Pittsburgh, they're an identity." It was "all over Raymond James Stadium in a flurry of waving towels and team jerseys" yesterday. Steelers S Troy Polamalu admitted that "this connection with the city was anything but new." But Wetzel notes it "goes the other way" also, as Pittsburgh has "embraced the personality of its Steelers, too" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/2). NBC's Tiki Barber reported from the Raymond James Stadium field nearly an hour before kickoff, "Looking around this stadium, not only visually with the black-and-gold versus the red, but the noise of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the advantage" ("Super Bowl XLIII Pregame," NBC, 2/1).