Steelers Win Over the Seahawks in January Super Bowl

This Super Bowl was not so super.

The Super Bowl is the National Football League's championship game. Forty have been played. This year, the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Seattle Seahawks.

Pittsburgh won, 21-10, in Detroit, Michigan. The Steelers have now won five Super Bowls in franchise history. But this was their first since 1980.

“It's a very humbling experience right now,” Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. “It's surreal. I'm going to tell you, this is a special group of coaches, a special group of players. I was one small part of this.”

For many people, however, the final score did not matter. The Super Bowl has turned into more than a football game. It is an event. Even non-football fans watch the game.

Many watch just to see the new television commercials.   Some watch for the halftime show. The Rolling Stones sang this year.            

The game itself was not pretty. Neither team played well.

Bettis makes headlines

Jerome Bettis was the game's biggest story. The Pittsburgh running back is one of the best in NFL history. He is from Detroit.

Bettis said the game was a homecoming. After the game, he retired.            

Bettis had never won a Super Bowl before in his career. He said that was one thing missing from his long career in football.

“This is why I started 13 years ago on this quest,” Bettis said.            

The game's biggest play was a trick. Pittsburgh wide receiver Antwaan Randle-El threw a touchdown pass to teammate Hines Ward in the fourth quarter.

The play was a reverse. It started as a handoff to running back Willie Parker. Parker handed the ball to Randle-El. Randle-El then ran right and threw the 43-yard pass to Ward. It was the first Super Bowl touchdown pass by a receiver.

Parker also had a 75-yard touchdown run.

Seattle had chances to win. Coach Mike Holmgren said his team has played better.

NFL Most Valuable Player Shaun Alexander did not make a major impact. He led the league in rushing during the regular season. He had 95 yards in the Super Bowl.

Penalties hurt the Seahawks

Penalties hurt the Seahawks. Holmgren later questioned the game's officials.

“We played against a good team and you can't overcome those things,” he said.