Cardinals fans finally have something to cheer about as their team advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. AP Photo.

Cardinals fans finally have something to cheer about as their team advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. AP Photo.

The Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl. That still doesn’t sound right, not even to many Cardinals fans. From Phoenix, Mark Moran from KJZZ reports on the Cinderella story of the team no one believed in.

Tom Santucci has gone to the extreme to show his fandom. He has decorated his home in all black and gold. It’s known as the Steelers house, which has become a landmark and example of ultimate Pittsburgh Steelers loyalty. Bill talks with Tom about his residence and his team’s chances in the big game next Sunday.

This could be the last year that the media has two full weeks to cover anything and everything about the two Super Bowl teams. Rather than endless media coverage of just the big game fans could soon be enjoying the Pro Bowl on the week before the Super Bowl. Only A Game’s Doug Tribou says farewell to what could be the NFL’s last week off before the big game.

The NHL is enjoying their All-Star break this weekend. Helene Elliott of the L.A. Times joins Bill to talk about the weekend events, the first half of the NHL season, and what to expect as the playoffs approach.

Mixed Martial Arts has become a popular, bloodthirsty form of entertainment in America. Author L. Jon Wertheim explains the recent surge in popularity in his book, Blood in the Cage. Bill is joined by Wertheim as they talk about the book, the sport, and how it’s evolved into what it is today.

Bill and Only A Game analyst Charlie Pierce discuss Donovan McNabb’s trouble off the field in Arizona, Mark McGwire’s brother’s “tell-all” book, and a game changing parrot.

Trinity College has put together a dynasty on college squash. The Bantams have won the last ten intercollegiate championships and haven’t lost a match since 1997. It’s not even a question if the team will win; it’s a question of if they’ll even drop a point. Bill Littlefield reports on the most successful college sports program in recent history. View photos.

I’m told that some will travel from the west down to the east

To see if Arizona will subdue the mighty beast
That is the Carolina Panthers, sleek and quick and sly…

I’m told that in New York there are some people who will die

If they are anywhere but Jersey when the Giants try
To ground the Eagles Sunday and to bake some Eagle pie…

In Tennessee, the Titans, rested after last week’s break,

Will try to show the Ravens that it is a bad mistake
To come to earth in Nashville, and no country music words
Are likely to be sadder than the ending that those birds
Will suffer there in Music City. That’s the straightest dope…

Or so the fans of Tennessee and Kerry Collins hope.

But these are not the games that I’ve been thinking of this week;

There is another game about which I would like to speak,

As this half-addled riming bumps along its muddled way…

About this weekend’s football games I’d only like to say

Whatever might transpire, and whatever might be said
I hope nobody hits Ben Roethlisberger in the head.

For Ben, who’s known as “Big Ben,” went down just two weeks ago.

For fifteen minutes, more or less, those watching didn’t know

If he would play again this season, let alone that day:

His arms were numb, his head was scrambled. On the field he lay

Until they brought a stretcher out, and took him from the stage,

And when the Steelers people afterward were asked to gage

How badly Ben was hurt, they said it’s not so bad at all…

T’was minor, that concussion, that was their official call.

Now, “minor” in this context means Ben didn’t quite forget

That he was Ben or where he was, and that was fine, and yet,

Does anyone remember that within the past three years,
This guy has three times bounced around that lump between his ears?

The first time saw three Falcons beat Ben’s head into the ground.

In number two he crashed a motorcycle, and the sound
Of head sans helmet bouncing echoed hollow ‘cross the land…

So let us hope that bad things come in threes and understand

That Ben, like football players everywhere, is bound to play…

And let us also hope the Pittsburgh Steelers find a way

To keep their fragile quarterback quite safe within the fray,

Lest “Big Ben” be “Big Goofy Ben” on some sad future day.

For a team that is in first place in the National League West, the Arizona Diamondbacks certainly don’t play much like a first place team. In the National League West however, barely making it above .500 is enough to put you in the top spot. Bill talks with some of the players.

Art Rooney started a franchise back in 1933 that today is said to be valued at almost 1 billion dollars. Now some of his children want to sell the Pittsburg Steelers. Bob Smizik of the Pittsburg Post-Gazette talks to Bill about the potential sale of the Steelers.

The team leader who led Lance Armstrong’s teams to victory in the Tour de France eight times has a story to tell. And that’s just what Johan Bruynell does in his new book We Might As Well Win. The book chronicles everything from the team’s preparations before the race to the doping scandals that have been plaguing the sport for the past few years. Johan joins Bill to talk about the book and this year’s Tour de France.

Bill and Only A Game analyst Chalie Pierce discuss: Another team snubs Barry Bonds, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s historic matchup at Wimbledon, and Jim Purol’s new world record.

The game of Petanque is as French as escargot and has a loyal following here in the United States. The game, which is similar to Bocce, features players throwing metal balls as close as they can to a small wooden ball. Only A Game’s Charlie Schroeder recently became more familiar with the game when he attended the San Pedro Open in California.