Most years, I stop caring who wins, or even gets to, the Super Bowl after my beloved Bears and the much-despised Packers have been eliminated. I just root for good games. Today is different. I need the Steelers to win. I have no emotional attachment to the Steelers or the city of Pittsburgh. I have no animosity towards the Ravens or the city of Baltimore. But consider:

Back during World War II, many professional sports rosters were depleted due to players going overseas to fight. I think the Rams (in Cleveland back then) had to shut down for a year or two. Anyhow, in 1943, the Steelers and Eagles were so low on players under contract that they merged and became the fearsome “Steagles,” who split their home games between Philly and Pittsburgh en route to a 5-4-1 season.

The next year the Eagles resumed normal operations all by their lonesomes, and the Steelers merged with the then-Chicago Cardinals. They became “Card.-Pitt.” and earned the nickname “Carpets” by dint of their 0-10 record. Both teams resumed separate and normal operations in 1945.

I know, Ravens-Eagles or Ravens-Cardinals would have a nice little bird-y motif, but football trivia geeks like me neeeeeeed the Steelers to get to the Super Bowl against one of their former partners.

UPDATE 10:29 ET: Excellent.

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