By Tony Moss, Sports Network NFL Editor

PHILADELPHIA -- There were those who believed it would be a cold day in hell before Bill Cowher won a Super Bowl.

Well, Detroit isn't quite hell, but Super Bowl Sunday in the Motor City was undoubtedly cold. And though climate-controlled Ford Field was a perfect 68 degrees, the deep freeze still seemed to work in favor of Cowher and his Steelers in a grind-it-out 21-10 win over the Seahawks.

After 14 seasons and with countless postseason heartbreaks on his resume', Cowher's 153rd career win wasn't his prettiest, but it was his sweetest.

"I've been waiting a long time to do this," said Cowher. "This is a special group of players. I was just a small part of this, trust me.

"It is a rewarding feeling to give that trophy to [Steelers owner Dan] Rooney. That's what he brought me here to do. It really does complete a void that's been there. I couldn't be happier for him and the city of Pittsburgh. I am excited for everybody."

As mentioned, the victory did not elicit a wellspring of superlatives in terms of style or watchability from those who witnessed it either live or on the tube, and yet somehow, the manner of the win was fitting.

The 31 combined points were the fewest in a Super Bowl since (you guessed it) the Steelers beat the Vikings by a 16-6 count way back in Super Bowl IX. The date of that game - January 12th, 1975 - also marked (you guessed it again) the franchise's first Super Bowl title. Did the black and gold come full circle, exhibiting the same type of workmanlike toughness for which those 1970s teams were known? Yes and no.

Apart from Willie Parker's 75-yard-blast for a touchdown on the second play of the second half, the Steelers didn't run the football particularly well. Take away that rush, and Pittsburgh's running backs combined for 63 rushing yards on 24 carries. Jerome Bettis' Detroit homecoming and final game produced a pedestrian 43 yards on 14 carries, and Bettis was stopped short of a touchdown on two goal line bursts in the second quarter.

In fact, it is razzle-dazzle that will be Super Bowl XLs legacy, namely the 43-yard reverse-and-pass from Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward that gave the Steelers their insurmountable 11-point edge late in the contest. Ward, who finished with five catches for 123 yards and also broke off an 18-yard run, was named game MVP based largely upon the memorable play.

And the Steelers' attacking, suffocating defense? It was okay, but received more gifts than a group of NFL owners being courted by a potential Super Bowl host city. Ike Taylor's fourth-quarter interception of Matt Hasselbeck came on perhaps the Seattle quarterback's worst pass of the day, a poorer throw than even the one that Taylor should have nabbed back in the first quarter. Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens dropped no fewer than three passes to aide Pittsburgh's cause, and penalties wiped out a couple more potential deep balls for the Hawks.

The Steelers' biggest defensive playmakers, safety Troy Polamulu and outside linebacker Joey Porter were both quiet, with lesser-known talents like Taylor (7 tackles and the pick), linebacker Clark Haggans (5 tackles, 1 sack), nose tackle Casey Hampton (4 tackles, 1 sack) making more of the headlines.

The boy wonder, Ben Roethlisberger, became the youngest starting quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl, but frankly, didn't look very polished in earning his ring. Roethlisberger was just 9-of-21 passing for 123 yards and a pair of interceptions (including a brutal one into the waiting arms of cornerback Kelly Herndon that nearly allowed Seattle to seize control of the game in the third quarter), though he did manage to rush for a touchdown on a controversial one-yard run in the second quarter. Roethlisberger's 22.6 passer rating was the worst-ever by a winning Super Bowl quarterback.

But whether the prominent storylines held up under scrutiny or whether they didn't (hint: they didn't), and whether or not it was that trademarked hard- nosed Steeler style that guided the way, it was still Cowher and his team holding the Lombardi Trophy aloft at the end of the night.

And if you're Cowher, Rooney, a member of the 53-man Steelers roster, or if you just own a dingy, yellow, terrible towel, that win is all you'll ever care about.

"It is special," reiterated Cowher. "Because it's a chance for this group to take a rich tradition that we've had in Pittsburgh, [and] to say that I now have a little piece of that as well...I can say that."

A grab bag of news and notes from Super Bowl XL:

ALL TALK
The battle between Porter and Stevens, whose verbal sparring during the week was blown out of all reasonable proportion, didn't live up to the hype on the field.

Porter was marginalized to the tune of three tackles in the contest, and Stevens played poorly, helping resurrect images of the butterfingered Seahawks receiving corps of 2004 with his three drops. Stevens did, however, catch the first and to date only touchdown in Seahawks Super Bowl history, scoring on a 16-yard pass play in the third quarter.

On Porter, Stevens offered the following after the game, "I don't need to think anything. He is on the winning team and that is all that matters."

MISSION FAILED
In losing to the Steelers, Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren failed to become the first head coach to win Super Bowls with two different teams. Holmgren had won Super Bowl XXXI while at the helm of the Packers.

The coach joins Bill Parcells, who won the Super Bowl with the Giants and went back to the game while with the Patriots, as the only coaches to win a Super Bowl and go on to take another club to the game's ultimate stage.

"Anytime you get this far and lose this game, it's a tremendous disappointment," said Holmgren. "We have been sharper. Give credit to the Steelers. They are a difficult team to play against."

BACK AT THE TOP, BUT LOOK OUT BELOW
With the victory, the Steelers become the third NFL franchise to win five Super Bowls, joining the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. Pittsburgh's 26-year gap between Super Bowl victories is the second-widest in league annals, behind only the Green Bay Packers 29-year cavern between titles.

The advice from Cowboys and 49ers fans to their Steelers' counterparts will probably be to cherish the championship, as both the Dallas and San Francisco franchises experienced a slow descent after winning their fifth ring. The Cowboys have just one postseason win since taking Super Bowl XXX following the 1995 season, and the once-proud Niners have a grand total of 13 victories in their past three seasons combined.

THIS IS THE END
Bettis left little doubt about his future during his post-game comments:

"It is an ending," said Bettis. "It's been an incredible ride. I decided to come back to win a championship and my mission was accomplished, so with that, I have to bid farewell."

Bettis retires with 13,662 yards, 91 rushing touchdowns, and one very shiny and sparkly Super Bowl ring.

ALEXANDER THE MEDIOCRE
Bettis wasn't the only high-profile running back to have a forgettable outing, as reigning NFL MVP rushing champion and MVP Shaun Alexander went for a quiet 95 yards on 20 carries in the loss. Alexander rushed for eight yards on his first carry and had a 21-yard run in the fourth quarter after the Steelers had assumed control, and otherwise rushed 18 times for 66 yards.

"I'm a terrible loser. I don't ever want to get comfortable losing," said Alexander. "I'm definitely proud of [the team], but at the same time you still have that gut-wrenching feeling that one more catch, one more run, one more tackle, and we'd be known as World Champions."

Although Alexander is set to become a free agent, it is basically unthinkable that Seattle would allow the perennial Pro Bowler to simply walk away after the finest season of his career. Look for the Seahawks to sign Alexander to a lucrative long-term contract sooner rather than later, and for the Alabama product to remain with the team for the rest of a career that could lead him to Canton.

HEY, MR. D.J.
In the first quarter, did it look to anyone else like Seahawks receiver Darrell Jackson was going to have a career day? Jackson caught five passes for 50 yards on Seattle's first two drives of the game, but after a would-be touchdown was negated by an offensive interference call on the wideout, Jackson's production took a notable nosedive. The team's top deep threat did not log another catch in the game, with two possible receptions at the end of the second quarter ruled incomplete as Jackson failed to keep both feet in bounds.

"They started getting help with a safety over the top," said Jackson of the Steelers' secondary, "We had opportunities, we just missed them."

BIG ONES
Two Super Bowl records were established within seven minutes of each other in the third quarter, as Parker's 75-yard touchdown run was followed moments later by the 76-yard interception return for Herndon. Parker's scoring run broke the previous Super Bowl mark of 74 yard by the Raiders' Marcus Allen against the Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII, while Herndon's pick surpassed the 75-yard return by Oakland's Willie Brown against the Vikings in Super Bowl XI.

The Steelers' win established another milestone, as Pittsburgh became the first team to win three consecutive road games before winning a Super Bowl. The 1985 Patriots, who lost Super Bowl XX to the Bears, were the only other team to reach the final stage after winning three straight postseason contests away from friendly confines. The 1969 Kansas City Chiefs, who won at the Jets and Raiders before downing the Vikings in Super Bowl IV, are the only other team to win the title without playing a postseason game at home.

STEEL THE ONES
There will be a world championship parade in Pittsburgh for the first time since the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins won the second of two straight Stanley Cup titles. The city's last parade came after Mario Lemieux and the Penguins completed a sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks on June 1st, 1992, roughly four- and-a-half months after the Steelers hired one Bill Cowher as their head coach.

MOVABLE OBJECT, RESISTABLE FORCE
With the Seattle offense, which was No. 1 in the NFL during the regular season, facing the Pittsburgh defense, also No. 1 in the league, something had to give. And while the Seahawks' 10 points might indicate that the Steelers had their way, Pittsburgh prevailed despite allowing Seattle to amass a healthy 396 total yards in the game. Hasselbeck completed 26-of-49 passes for 273 yards with a touchdown and an interception versus the Steelers, also rushing for 35 yards in his first career Super Bowl start. Where the Hawks failed to play up to their usual standard was within the pass rush, as a team that led the NFL with 50 sacks during the regular season managed to drop Roethlisberger only once on the night.

OFFICIAL RECOGNITION
Though the NFL's officials took some shots from the media during the postseason, give referee Bill Leavy's crew credit for their just-about- flawless work in Super Bowl XL. Both major calls that were reviewed, the Roethlisberger touchdown in the second quarter and the overturned Hasselbeck fumble in the fourth, both ultimately resulted in the correct decision. Otherwise, Super Bowl viewers scarcely noticed the officials, which means they called a good game.

GOOD SIGN FOR SEATTLE
Though the Seahawks will leave Detroit as losers, a look at their defensive statistics are an indication that the team's future is bright. Rookie linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill were 1-2 on the team in tackles in the Super Bowl, combining for 17 stops in the contest. Tatupu, will play in next Sunday's Pro Bowl in Honolulu, led all players with nine tackles.

DETROIT ROCK CITY
The city of Detroit put its best foot forward during Super Bowl week, and I'll give Motown a solid B-plus for its handling of the event. The city's volunteer staff was well-trained, generally friendly, and helpful toward visiting media and fans, and helped paint a positive overall image of an area that couldn't formerly boast much in the way of a positive reputation.

The major complaint from my point of view was the cold, which I realize is no one's fault aside from the NFL brass that selected the cold-weather site. The temperature and weekend snow did not make exploring the city or jumping from shuttle bus to shuttle bus very pleasurable. Another mark against Detroit was the choice of the GM Renaissance Center as the Super Bowl hub for fans and media. The odd design of the building, which has few of the large, open areas that are generally a feature of such a site, made getting around the building something of a chore. Otherwise, nice job, Detroit. But I won't be missing you next year in South Beach.

CANTON CALLING
The NFL announced its six-man Hall of Fame class for 2006 on Saturday, revealing that quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Warren Moon, defensive end Reggie White, linebacker Harry Carson, offensive lineman Rayfield Wright, and coach John Madden would be inducted into the Hall this summer.

The respective selections of Aikman and White were not a surprise, but the others were undoubtedly close calls for the 39-person panel of writers that is generally known for being quite discriminating on such matters. Moon never played in a Super Bowl and served many of his best years in the CFL; Carson had sharply criticized the committee for failing to induct him for multiple years; Wright had been eligible since 1985 and never garnered sufficient support until this year; and Madden coached for just 10 years and won a single world title.

The decisions may have suggested to some that the voters are softening, but the fact that the likes of Art Monk and Michael Irvin were again passed over seems to fly in the face of that logic. From this man's perspective, Monk and Irvin definitely deserve to be enshrined sooner rather than later. Monk was the NFL's all-time receptions leader when he retired in 1995, and also won three Super Bowl rings with the Redskins. Irvin won three rings as well and posted seven 1,000-yard seasons despite playing on a balanced team that featured Emmitt Smith as its offensive focal point. Am I missing something here?

DIFFICULT LABOR
Is the NFL Player's Association heading toward a strike/lockout situation? It sure looks that way. The league's collective bargaining agreement runs out after the 2007 season, and the two parties are currently far apart on their negotiations. NFLPA head Gene Upshaw characterized his discussions with the league as being a case of "one step forward, five steps back" when he met with the media last week. If a deal is not reached by the end of 2006, the 2007 campaign would be an "uncapped" year, meaning teams would not be bound by a salary cap and the league's parity would be placed in severe peril. It is not believed that the union would agree to re-adopting a salary cap if it is eliminated. The major issue between the parties at present is the amount of total football revenue that is allocated to the players. Currently, 57 percent of that revenue goes to the players, and the union is seeking a number of at least 60 percent, according to Upshaw.

In other off-the-field news, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue suggested at his pre-Super Bowl press conference that the league would not be partaking of an international game during the 2006 regular season, though he said there are talks about a future contest on foreign soil. The 49ers and Cardinals played the league's first-ever regular season game outside of the United States when they met in Mexico City this past October.

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT
Finally, want my take on the Super Bowl pregame and halftime entertainment? Too bad, you're getting it anyway. No argument with either Stevie Wonder or Aretha Franklin, who both sounded great from my position near the top of Ford Field. They just don't write 'em like "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" anymore, and I liked Aretha and Dr. John's creative twist on the anthem. I'm also a huge Rolling Stones fan, but come on, even cloistered nuns have heard "Start Me Up" and "Satisfaction" enough times to be completely sick of those songs. The sound was great, the band was tight, the track selection was poor. Note to NFL: for next year's game in Miami, you should go for Gainesville, Florida's own Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.