The Pittsburgh Steelers picked a great time to be in Tampa, Fla., considering the winter weather that has Pittsburgh and the rest of Western Pennsylvania locked in its grips.

But die-hard Steelers fans won't have any qualms about lining the Steel City's streets next week amid snow and frigid temperatures if their team brings home the city's sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy. Real Steelers fans have no doubt that they will.

The Steelers navigated a very tough regular-season schedule, and endured despite a number of injuries to key players, including Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and Willie Parker, to earn the right to play in Super Bowl XLIII. In the Arizona Cardinals, they are facing a determined team that has never before been to the Super Bowl and whose last National Football League championship was in 1947, long before such a championship extravaganza ever was envisioned.

Adding to the interest of this year's Big Game is that the Cardinals' coaching staff is headed by Ken Whisenhunt, the offensive coordinator when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL, and Russ Grimm, another member of former Coach Bill Cowher's staff, who now is Whisenhunt's top assistant.

Steelers' fans are confident that one unwelcome facet of Super Bowl XL won't be repeated on Sunday.

Reflecting on his first Super Bowl, when the Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks, Roethlisberger, during Media Day this week, reflected on his self-described bad game.

"I let the guys down and I didn't help the team win the game," Roethlisberger said, acknowledging the pivotal touchdown pass thrown by wide receiver Antwaan Randle El and his dismal 22.6 passer rating for the game, when he was 9-of-21 with two interceptions.

However, few Steelers fans doubt that if it were not for the stability that Roethlisberger's presence provides, the Black and Gold might have ended up on the short end of the game's final score.

But all of that is the farthest thing from fans' minds as they eagerly anticipate Sunday's opening kickoff. Until then, the Steelers frenzy will continue to build as communities across Western Pennsylvania gear up for the game by way of rallies and other shows of support, including Steeler displays in store windows.

The Steelers' Butler fans will have a great opportunity to show their loyalty and confidence in the team by attending a Black and Gold rally from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the City Building.

Whether Sunday's game will be punctuated by big plays such as David Tyree's sensational "helmet catch" reception last year in the New York Giants' defeat of the previously unbeaten New England Patriots is a matter for speculation in these days leading up to the game. Regardless, it can be said that the Steelers have plenty of top-caliber weapons capable of producing such heroics, not limited to Ward and Santonio Holmes, who has become a big-play receiver and punt returner in his third pro season.

For Steelers fans at home, Super Sunday will take on a holiday atmosphere as families gather with party trays of food, pizza, beverages and other delights as they shout their satisfaction for what they are witnessing on their television screens.

Without knowing the final score, give the coming game high marks for the respect that the Steelers and Cardinals have expressed toward each other. That kind of respect should be a mark of every Super Bowl but sometimes is not.

Despite shivering in the cold weather and traveling on snowy and icy roadways, Steelers fans have given no hint that the weather is distracting them from the excitement surrounding the game. "Here We Go" is one of the most popular songs in Pittsburgh and its environs, and Super Bowl pools are nearly as popular as the Pennsylvania Lottery.

But there also is a big longing — a longing by so many fans who wish they too had tickets to the big event.

Not to worry. Fans are justified in feeling confident that they will be able to see the champion Steelers close up next week by way of a victory parade winding through downtown Pittsburgh.

It's easy to endure cold temperatures while basking in the glow of victory. With Lombardi Trophy in hand, the Steelers gladly will leave behind Florida's warmth.