Super Bowl Media Day Trivia Contest

On Sunday, February 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals will meet on the field to decide the winner of Super Bowl XLIII. This past Tuesday at the NFL's Media Day, players from the Steelers and Cardinals squared off to determine which team knew the most history about Super Bowls played in Tampa. Representing the Cardinals were center Patrick Ross and longsnapper Nathan Hodel, while the Steelers were represented by fullback Carey Davis and linebacker Larry Foote.

T.P. First question for Arizona. This is for you Patrick. Who sang the National Anthem prior to Super Bowl XXV in 1991?
P.R. Whitney Houston.
T.P. Correct. Whitney Houston's rendition provided a memorable backdrop to the game, which was played at the start of the Persian Gulf War. The next question will go to you, Nathan. In 2001, what former Tampa Bay Buccaneer started at quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV?
N.H. Oh, it was ball-control guy. He was just with the 49ers. Trent Dilfer?
T.P. You got it. Dilfer led the Ravens to the Super Bowl in his first year with the Ravens after six seasons with Tampa Bay. You guys are off to a good start. Back to you, Patrick. Who was the Bills kicker who missed the game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXV?
P.R. Scott Norwood.
T.P. Yes, Norwood missed a 47-yard field goal that would have given the Bills a 22-20 lead with just seconds to go in the game. Alright, Nathan this one is for you. Who was the losing head coach of Super Bowl XVIII?
N.H. Raiders and Redskins ... I don't know how long ago that would have been. John Madden, maybe?
T.P. Sorry, the losing head coach was Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins. That's okay, there are still a few questions left. Patrick, here's a true or false question. In Super Bowl XXV, the New York Giants controlled the ball on offense for over 40 minutes?
P.R. True. They had a good running game.
T.P. That is correct. The Giants dominated the line of scrimmage and held the ball for 40:33 of the game. Okay Nathan, here's your final question. What former University of Miami linebacker won Most Valuable Player honors in Super Bowl XXXV?
N.H. Uh, University of Miami linebacker? Derrick Brooks?
T.P. Sorry Nathan, he played for Florida State and plays for the Buccaneers. It was Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, who registered 11 tackles and 6 assists in the game. Good job guys, you correctly answered four out of the six questions.

Now let's see if Pittsburgh can do any better. The first question goes to you, Carey. True or false, the Raiders were based in Oakland at the time of their 1984 Super Bowl XVIII appearance?
C.D. Ummm, false. No true, true.
T.P. You had it right the first time, so I'll give it to you. The Raiders left Oakland for Los Angeles in 1982. Larry, here's a true or false question. In Super Bowl XXV, the Buffalo Bills committed zero turnovers.
L.F. False.
T.P. Sorry but that's true.
L.P. How's that true? Thurman Thomas fumbled!
T.P. No, this was the one Super Bowl when Buffalo played turnover-free football.
L.P. That was a trick question!
T.P. Ok, back to you Carey. What singer, known for his hit song "Copacabana," sang the National Anthem prior to Super Bowl XVIII?
C.D. Who is that? I have no idea.
T.P. Barry Mannilow. It was a bit of a different world back then.
C.D. Oh, man.
T.P. Here's another Super Bowl XXV question for you, Larry. Who were the head coaches for the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV?
L.F. Bill Parcells and Marv Levy.
T.P. Yep. For Parcells, it was his second Super Bowl and for Levy, it was the first of his four consecutive appearances. We're down to your last question, Carey. Who started at quarterback for the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV?
C.D. Kerry Collins?
T.P. That's right, good job. Unfortunately for Collins he threw four interceptions and passed for only 112 yards in the 34-7 loss. And finally, Larry, what running back scored on a 74-yard touchdown run en route to winning Most Valuable Player honors for Super Bowl XVIII?
L.F.: Marcus Allen.
T.P. You got it. Allen rushed for 191 yards and scored two touchdowns for the Raiders in their 38-9 victory over the Redskins. Thanks for playing guys.

So there you have it. The Steelers and Cardinals both correctly answered four questions, so if this quiz is any indicator, it should be a pretty good game on Sunday. Final prediction: Steelers 24, Cardinals 23.

Best of luck and thanks to Patrick Ross, Nathan Hodel, Carey Davis, and Larry Foote.