Ben Roethlisberger Counts Down Final Seconds of Eventful Super Bowl Media Day

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Feb 1, 2011

Ben Roethlisberger Counts Down Final Seconds of Eventful Super Bowl Media Day

2:20 p.m.: Media day is done and gone, and some pretty interesting things came out of Tuesday's session. Check the rest of the blog to catch up on that, and click here for one of the biggest stories that evolved during the two hours of interviews. The Steelers and Packers will begin their week of practices Wednesday, when their focus will really transition toward football, which is what this week is all about.

2:04 p.m.: And with that, Ben Roethlisberger counted down the last seven seconds of the media availability and walked off the stage. The Steelers are all done, and media day is complete. There didn't appear to be any wedding dresses or clown costumes, but some guy was dressed up as Robin, and Brooklyn Decker was also there, so that counts for something, I think. We'll keep the blog open for a little longer just in case some other interesting stuff comes out.

2:01 p.m.: The NFL Network crew caught up with Terry Bradshaw, who said it was important for him and Ben Roethlisberger to have a good relationship.

1:58 p.m.: Ben Roethlisberger, who has handled himself well over the last two days, said he had a recent sit-down with four-time Steelers Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw, who was very critical of Roethlisberger's off-the-field actions. Roethlisberger thinks the two are all good now but added, "I think Terry spoke too soon" without knowing all of the facts.

1:51 p.m.: Steelers linebacker James Farrior said he's happy James Harrison didn't retire in the middle of the season. For the record, I thought Brett Favre had a better chance of retiring last offseason than Harrison at midseason. Such an empty threat.

1:47 p.m.: Steelers safety Ryan Clark said, "I feel like we're the underdog because people feel like they're a better football team than us. Period, point-blank." I was about to link to Clark's extremely honest Twitter account, but it appears like it might have been taken down. That's too bad. He was a good follow.

1:43 p.m.: Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel has a giant beard. People are asking him questions. He seems like a funny guy. OK, next …

1:36 p.m.: James Harrison was asked if he was bitter about the fines this season. "They took $100,000 out of my pocket. You expect me not to be bitter?" Harrison also apparently joked that the league should put pillows down on the field.

1:22 p.m.: Mike Tomlin was asked about his last trip to the Super Bowl and if he would change anything he did this time around, and Tomlin said he would enjoy it more, not micromanage so much and "let [his] hair down." One thing I'll never forget is how differently the Patriots treated this week prior to their Super Bowl XLII loss, when they were so much looser and more jovial. Why change what has worked in the past?

1:16 p.m.: Mike Tomlin was asked about his thoughts of playing in the Cowboys' stadium, and he said something that must send shivers down the spine of everyone in Dallas. "It's our stadium this week," Tomlin said. "We thank Mr. Jones for lending it to us."

1:15 p.m.: Some guy was wearing a Robin costume at Mike Tomlin's podium. Tomlin told him that Pittsburgh is "cape-friendly."

1:11 p.m.: Maurkice Pouncey said he is "most definitely" going to play. He got rid of the hard cast Monday and is now wearing a walking boot. When asked about the percentages, he then said "75-25" that he would play.

1:08 p.m.: The Steelers are wearing their white jerseys, as expected. It's going to be green against white, just like the Michigan State spring game.

1:06 p.m.: Ben Roethlisberger said he wears No. 7 because of John Elway. Both quarterbacks have two Super Bowl rings, and both will be in the Hall of Fame together at some point.

1:02 p.m.: Hines Ward was asked why he wears No. 86, and he said that was the number the Steelers gave him. Ward was originally given No. 15 in camp, but NFL uniform rules wouldn't allow wide receivers to wear numbers in the teens at the time.

1:01 p.m.: Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward appears to be their first player at a podium.

12:43 p.m.: Some Steelers are beginning to hang around the field, and their hour-long media session is 17 minutes away from beginning.

12:00 p.m.: The Packers' hour-long media session has ended, and nothing overly crazy stuck out. Donald Driver's late comments about Brett Favre were interesting, and I'll file a longer post about that in a few moments. Once the dumber questions come out from a different video, I'll pass those along.

11:49 a.m.: Donald Driver was asked about the Packers' decision to move on from the Brett Favre era: "I think they made the right decision. … Look where we're at now."

11:44 a.m.: Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith were both in the running to be the top pick in the 2005 draft, and the Niners went with Smith, who hasn't panned out all that much. (Side note: Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was the San Francisco offensive coordinator that year.) Anyway, Rodgers, the 24th pick in that draft, said at media day that former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue told him the best things come to those who wait.

11:39 a.m.: Cornerback Brandon Underwood was wearing a Troy Polamalu wig that I assume was given to him by someone in the crowd.

11:33 a.m.: NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders asked Charles Woodson why he wears No. 21, and Woodson said it was because he was a big Sanders fan growing up. Woodson wore No. 24 when he was drafted by the Raiders because Eric Allen had No. 21. Allen deserved that seniority, yeah.

11:24 a.m.: Not sure why, but wide receiver Greg Jennings was asked for his NBA Finals prediction, and he said he's a LeBron James fan so he was going with the Heat. So much for all the love that Patriots fans might have had for the Packers this week.

11:22 a.m.: Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said he walks by the doorway that was in Vince Lombardi's office every day at Green Bay's facility. No pressure.

11:15 a.m.: To add to the last post, maybe Jerry Jones is bitter over the Packers and Steelers — two of the Cowboys' greatest rivals — and wants to make them suffer with these cold conditions. Conspiracy?

11:11 a.m.: Wide receiver Donald Driver's podium is stationed in the end zone, so that might be a sign of things to come. Driver is also visibly shivering because it's so cold in Cowboys Stadium. Jerry Jones spent $1.2 billion on the stadium, but the guy's got to pay his heating bill.

11:05 a.m.: Aaron Rodgers was asked if he called Brett Favre, or if Favre called him to discuss the Super Bowl. Rodgers' one-word answer: "No."

11:02 a.m.: Aaron Rodgers was asked about the lowest point of his season, and he said it was Wednesday and Thursday of Patriots week because he had to leave the team facility to go home due to his poor health. He said he basically knew then that he wouldn't play in New England, and that led to Matt Flynn's only career start. Rodgers and the Packers have won five impressive games in a row since their loss in New England.

11:00 a.m.: Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji was the first player to get to a podium and answer questions.

10:41 a.m.: The Dallas area got hit with a snow and ice storm Monday night and Tuesday morning, and NFL Network said it's 1 degree with the wind chill. One shot showed Packers cornerback Charles Woodson on the field shivering. They're in a dome that's the size of Australia, so that doesn't make a lot of sense.

10:30 a.m.: The NFL announced Monday there have been about 5,000 credentials issued for the Super Bowl. I once covered a high school hockey game that had one credential issued, so there's that. Anyway, with 5,000ish people in possession of a credential, there are plenty of opportunities for an interview to get a bit out of line.

10:17 a.m.: One thing to note already: The Packers are the home team in the Super Bowl, and they elected to wear their home green jerseys and yellow pants for the game. I would presume this means the Steelers will wear their white jerseys and yellow pants. For a really masculine game, there are going to be a lot of guys in yellow pants.

8 a.m.: Super Bowl media day has become as much about the sideshow as the actual event. The players are front and center for the world to see, but many eyes are focused on the credentialed media, which always seems to be littered with people who would prefer to steal the spotlight.

Some of it is ridiculous. Some is wildly entertaining. In either instance, it makes media day a must-see event because of all of the one-upping that goes down.

The Packers will kick things off with their hour-long media session that starts at 11 a.m., and the Steelers will have their session at 1 p.m. Stick with NESN.com's live blog, and we'll keep you up to date with everything that happens, from the players' quotes and the costume-clad showstoppers.

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