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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sports letters: Pittsburgh Steelers being forgotten in ‘greatest Super Bowl team’ discussion

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes celebrates the Steelers’ 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals in  Super Bowl XLIII  on Feb. 1, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. (Amy Sancetta / AP)

Before we bestow “Great Super Bowl Team” crown upon the New England Patriots, we should compare them with the other six-time winner, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls in a six-year span, with no losses, while New England in two six-season runs generated 3-0 and 3-1 records. In the Steelers’ record run, they twice won consecutive games. No other franchise won back-to-backs more than once. Pittsburgh’s all-time won-loss record is 6-2; New England’s is 6-5, which ties them with the Denver Broncos for most losses. Only one of Pittsburgh’s six wins had a nail-biter ending, with a TD scored at the 59:25 mark of XLIII. The Pats won two on final-minute field goals, another one in overtime, and one practically handed to them by the Seattle Seahawks near the end of XLIX. Three of the Steelers’ six victories were by double-digit margins. New England’s only double-digit win was finally achieved with 1:12 to go in LIII. No one, this writer included, will dispute the Patriots are nonpareil in the 21st century, but I will say anyone who states them to the greatest of all time needs to wake up and smell the Gatorade.

Dale Roloff

Spokane

GU fans happy to have Clarke

I feel so blessed to live in the same city as Bulldog Brandon Clarke. He is amazing. My wife shattered my mood by saying, “Clarke won’t be here long.” I blinked back my tears and told her, “Every day is a gift.”

Darin Z. Krogh

Spokane