Live-blogging the Biggest Game of My Life By Zach

Editor's Note: Well, I've decided that today deserves the first-ever live-blog in Sportszilla's illustrious history. I'll be here for some of the pre-game and certainly for the entirety of the game. If the Seahawks lose, be prepared for the first curse words in Sportszilla history.


Fourth Quarter, 10:02 pm

Not that I had much hope...but boy, what hideous clock management for the Seahawks. What a tough end for the Seahawks. It's gonna be a long wait until September.

Fourth Quarter, 9:50 pm

Pittsburgh, appreciate this.

Fourth Quarter, 9:47 pm

A nice play to Randle El, and it's just about over. Of course, the refs missed a blatant holding call, but since when would I start expecting them to be fair.

Fourth Quarter, 9:40 pm

Well, it took until late in the fourth quarter, but the Steelers finally got to Hasselbeck with a blitz. Of course, if Matt Hasselbeck is more aware, maybe he's able to throw the ball away. Now, sadly...it's Jerome Bettis time.

Fourth Quarter, 9:34 pm

Well, here's the ball game. If this play is overturned (the Hasselbeck "fumble"), then the Seahawks still have a chance. And indeed, they do...whew.

Fourth Quarter, 9:28 pm

Credit the Steelers. They continue to make that trick play work, even though everyone has seen it. Well, gut check time. Also, why wasn't Randle El their QB when Roethlisberger and Batch got hurt.

Fourth Quarter, 9:23 pm

Wait, can someone please explain how Matt Hasselbeck can be penalized for trying to tackle a guy. Because we really, really, really can't figure it out.

Fourth Quarter, 9:21 pm

Wow, the officials must really, really want Jerome Bettis to be happy. Now a sack, and things were looking really great. Now, they look pretty goddamn grim. Please let us avoid another long Brown field goal attempt.

Fourth Quarter, 9:15 pm

Well, here we go. 4 points to make up, 15 minutes to do it. Time to see which team has, as Lance my roommate would say, has the heart of the championship.

Third Quarter, 9:10 pm

Peter Warrick, you're the punt returner. You should, um, try to return the punt. Not let them down it at the 2.

Third Quarter, 9:04 pm

Well there's Jerramy for you. And a three-and-out kills some of the momentum.

Third Quarter, 9:01 pm

Absolutely huge stuff for the Seahawks. My dad called to tell me that "they're gonna take the ball, and they're gonna score."

Third Quarter, 8:54 pm

See Jerramy, catching the ball feels good. Try doing it more. Also: we have a ball game.

Third Quarter, 8:52 pm

Kelly Herndon, if the Hawks win this game, may you never buy a drink in Seattle again.

Third Quarter, 8:41 pm

All season long, the Seahawks have been great at finishing drives with touchdowns. This game, they had one taken away by the referees. But Josh Brown has gotta make at least one of those 50-yard field goals. Also, Jerramy Stevens has reverted to "first-round bust" mode, just in the knick of time. A score for the Steelers here, and we might be talking about game over. Sadly.

Third Quarter, 8:33 pm

Well that wasn't the answer I was hoping for. The Steelers catch the Seahawks sleeping, and Parker rips off 75 yards and a TD. A scoring drive has never been more crucial, because no team plays better from ahead than Pittsburgh.

Halftime, 8:20 pm

Instead of watching the Rolling Stones, we flipped over to ESPNews. I have to say, I really like Qadry Ishmail as an analyst. Meanwhile, time to see which team adjusted during the break. 30 minutes til destiny.

Second Quarter, 7:54 pm

What a bad sequence for the Hawks. They completely dominate the Steelers for the entire first half, and trail. Their gameplanning at the end of the first half was pretty bad, and Josh Brown misses a long field goal. The real pain comes from seeing the team miss opportunities all half long. It's still a totally winable game, and it will be interesting to see if the teams can handle the extra-long halftime.

Second Quarter, 7:43 pm

An awfully close call, but I'm not sure there's enough evidence to overturn the call. Looks like the ball might have gotten across the line early...and indeed, Bill Leavy agrees. Tough break, but you can not allow a conversion on third-and-28. Suckage.

Second Quarter, 7:34 pm

Oh...god. Please say that Roethlisberger was over the line.

Second Quarter, 7:32 pm

Wow, what a dodged bullet. Ward should have caught that one.

Second Quarter, 7:27 pm

Ouch. Randle El took a nasty fall. Of course, not as nasty a fall as that chick took in the Michelob Ultra commerical, but still...

Second Quarter, 7:20 pm

Kudos to the Sportszilla crew. Both Ben and I said that the Steelers would test the Seahawks deep with Manuel out of the game. But what a great play by Michael Boulware, snatching back the momentunm from the driving Steelers. Now it's time for a prototypical 2005 Seahawks drive, 80+ yards and resulting in a TD.

Second Quarter, 7:18 pm

Tough play for the Hawks. They get fooled on the end-around, and Marquand Manuel appears to suffer some sort of injury. The last place they could afford injuries was in the secondary.

Second Quarter, 7:12 pm

Most of the crowd here thinks Jerramy Stevens fumbled. It was close. What really should have happened was that he should have caught the ball.

First Quarter, 7:06 pm

So Jerome Bettis is sure gonna be the MVP, huh? Meanwhile, how about that Seahawk defense. No first downs for the Steelers in Quarter #1.

First Quarter, 6:59 pm

Josh Brown is one of the most under-rated kickers in the NFL. 3-0 good guys.

First Quarter, 6:56 pm

What a terrible call on Darrell Jackson. I mean, brutal. Typical Seahawk "luck" from the refs.

First Quarter, 6:51 pm

Seahawks perhaps dodge a bit of a bullet as Roethlisberger misses an open Hines Ward on third-and-four. Good return by Warrick, and now it's time for a score.

First Quarter, 6:45 pm

Brutal holding call on Chris Gray costs the Seahawks points...and then Tom Rouen punts into the end zone...again. Well, let's see how the D does.

First Quarter, 6:38 pm

Nerves for the Steelers, and a very good defensive effort...now move the ball.

First Quarter, 6:31 pm

Great blitz pickup on second-and-nine, but a bad throw by Hasselbeck...then a sack, and what was looking like a decent drive falls apart.

Kickoff, 6:25 pm

We'll take the ball...and we're gonna score.

Pre-Game, 6:05 pm

The cast of characters has just about assembled itself: Sportszilla writers Ben (Jets fan) and T-Bone (Giants fan), Keith (also a Giants fan), Rachel (Eagles fan), and Nic (Broncos fan). Just saw a bunch of former Super Bowl MVPs be introduced...everyone but Rachel and me got to cheer our teams...let's hope that changes after this game.

Pre-Game, 5:45 pm Just ate for the first time today: homemade cheeseburger, which was delicious. I've avoided the pregame shows since I left to go play football, and I plan to keep it that way. I know everything I need to about what will matter, and nothing Chris Berman says will change that.

Pre-Game, 4:30 pm

Watching ESPN2 with Ben, we see the NFL Films videos for Super Bowls III (Jets 16, Colts 7) and Super Bowl XXXII (Broncos 31, Packers 24). The chills have really begun in earnest now.

Pre-Game, 3:50 pm

Back from playing some football. Time to shower up, toss on the Matt Hass jersey, and dig in.

Pre-Game, 12:40 pm

So in order to properly get ready for the Super Bowl, it's time to go play some football. Be back with you in a couple of hours.

Pre-Game, 12:20 pm

After finishing the final Mayne Event of the year, ESPN cuts to a close-up of a German Shephard. Stu Scott says that as he arrived, he had have his car and person searched by "drug-sniffing dogs." Two thoughts: first, something tells me they paid a bit more attention to him then to Mike Ditka. Second, they then cut to b-roll of Michael Irvin...uh, that was awkward timing.