Nothing much at stake in this Super Bowl, just the Hall of Fame for one of the quarterbacks and perpetual free drinks for everyone else, of course.
But it is for Kurt Warner and for Ben Roethlisberger the clearest of rewards, because one of them will have won two Super Bowls, not that Roethlisberger had much to do with the first one. And Warner did lose his second chance.
Of the quarterbacks who have won at least two, starting with Bart Starr through John Elway, the Hall is theirs. It is assumed that Tom Brady will have no trouble joining the honored bunch, even if he never plays again.
Whether two is enough for coaches, we shall see, but if it is, Tom Flores ought to get his bust before Mike Shanahan does.
The thought that Warner, a refugee from grocery shelf stocking and arena football, is worthy still gnaws around the edges, and Roethlisberger has another 10 years or so of career ahead of him, plenty of time to diminish such a celebrated start.
A second Super Bowl victory would be indelible; more than that, really. It would be underlined and boldfaced and maybe even electrified.
Impossible to ignore.
If Dan Marino and Dan Fouts, who won no Super Bowls, just to name two, are in the Hall because of gaudy individual numbers in a team game, a small nod to leadership ought to be allowed. That is why Bob Griese is in Canton and Troy Aikman, too.
"I don't give this any thought," said Warner, a man of such apparent sincerity you tend to believe him. "But I wouldn't change anything in my career. If it means I don't play enough or that it affects me in the long run, so be it."
What to change? Except the late start and the empty middle. Warner wandered through both indoor Iowa and outdoor Europe before getting his shot with the St. Louis Rams, coming off the bench because of injury (as did Roethlisberger as a rookie in Pittsburgh), shining as brightly as any player in the NFL for a very short time, then dismissed and humored for the next four years.
Even Warner's emergence again in Arizona came with regret because it meant that hotshot Matt Leinart was postponed, and still, the future of the Cardinals will be in Leinart's hands, not Warner's.
This hardly sounds like a Hall of Fame story, other than the inspiration involved, the lesson of hanging in there, the reassurance of self-belief, the tale of minimum-wage stock boy to MVP, sort of Cinderella in a Hy-Vee apron, all those non-statistical things that won't fit on a bust as easily as do Super Bowl Roman numerals.
It is almost certain that if Warner does not beat Pittsburgh, his moving story will be lost to the numbers, to . . . well, let's see who will be eligible about the same time he will. Brady, probably. Brett Favre, if he hangs on some more. Peyton Manning.
Drew Brees. Donovan McNabb.
Manning is likely to be thought of as the quarterback of his generation, and of Warner's, so getting one more Lombardi Trophy is almost essential for at least one of them.
As for Roethlisberger, who is matador to Warner's mule, not to insult either one, but he is much more the preferred type, strong and daring, one who rides to the rescue more often than not.
If Roethlisberger is not exactly a cerebral quarterback, instinct is always more highly prized than design, and forgiveness comes to those who dare.
The greatest flaw of Roethlisberger is that he tends to hang on to the ball too long, taking every second to get the big strike, while Warner accepts the limits of the play and takes what he can get.
Marino was in a Super Bowl his second year and never got back. Roethlisberger had the same timeline but won and has since then become the quarterback he wishes he had been when he finished that win over Seattle with a passer rating of 22.6, still the worst ever.
"I was a little overwhelmed the first time," he said.
Had Roethlisberger not returned this year, or ever again, he would be at the mercy of that day, and of whatever happens to him next. His career should last well beyond those against whom Warner will be measured.
The parallel between Roethlisberger and John Elway is appropriate, other than Elway lost Super Bowls when young. Should Roethlisberger lose this one, it may take an Elway-like finish to his career to re-establish his credentials.
Not to overstate the comparison, but the Pittsburgh quarterback directed five come-from-behind wins this season and has 17 for his five-year career.
Elway-esque is the word, or even if it isn't, it is a lot easier to say -- and to spell -- than Roethlisberger-esque.
Ah, that's Canton's problem if he wins.
(Contact Bernie Lincicome of the Rocky Mountain News at lincicomeb(at)RockyMountainNews.com.)
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