Who's who of who's picking who
JAMIE FOXX, actor/singer: Pittsburgh. If you look at Pittsburgh's history, the way they play football, even when they were playing my team, the Dallas Cowboys, back in that time, they relied on defense, and defense wins championships.
BILL GATES, world's richest man: Seahawks.
JACK NICKLAUS, golfing legend: Pittsburgh, 27-24.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-Ariz.: Pittsburgh by 10.
SEN. JOHN KERRY, D-Mass.: Pittsburgh. It's going to be a high-scoring game. 31-28. Why? Five words: Pittsburgh's own Teresa Heinz Kerry.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, Secretary of State: I picked Pittsburgh to beat Cincinnati. I have picked against them every game since. I'm not picking against them again. So I think I believe the Steelers are going to win it.
ANDRE AGASSI, tennis star: Pittsburgh. It's hard not to get on the Pittsburgh train, isn't it? It seems like they have destiny on their side.
JENNIE FINCH, softball star: Pittsburgh, 27-21. Terry Bradshaw played for them. He and my husband are from Louisiana. The Bus is headed back home to Detroit and they have luck on their side (uh um, the Colts game).
SASHA COHEN, Olympic figure skater: Seattle.
MARTINA NAVRATILOVA, tennis star: Seahawks, 24-17. Because they have a better running game, because they will be so excited being there for the first time and because the Steelers will feel a lot of pressure wanting to win it for Bettis.
MARTINA MCBRIDE, country star: Pittsburgh, 31-10.
PLACIDO DOMINGO, opera star: Pittsburgh, 31-21.
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, NBA star: Pittsburgh, 31-17, because it's Jerome Bettis' time!
KOBE BRYANT, NBA star: I'm such an Eagles man. Unfortunately, my Eagles aren't in it. No, you know what? Pittsburgh is in Pennsylvania.
LEBRON JAMES, NBA star: Pittsburgh by 17, because they are the best road team in the NFL right now.
MARIO LEMIEUX, Former NHL star, Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh. It's the hometown team and I've become a fan.
BILL O'REILLY, TV host, Fox News Channel: Pittsburgh, 24-17.
KEITH OLBERMANN, TV host, MSNBC: Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger keeps getting better and better. Plus, it's essential I pretend Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck is still 7 years old, because otherwise the feature I did on his father _ the football player/artist _ for CNN actually aired 24 years ago, and I can't face that.
WOLF BLITZER, TV host, CNN: Pittsburgh, 21-17. I like Pittsburgh. It reminds me of my roots; I am originally from Buffalo, N.Y.
DENNIS FARINA, actor, "Law and Order," 2005 Scripps Howard Super Sage Award winner: Pittsburgh, 31-17. Their defense is a little better than everybody else's.
BOB WEIR, Grateful Dead guitarist, 2004 Scripps Howard Super Sage Award winner: I'm reluctantly picking Pittsburgh because brutal, blue collar football almost always trumps high-end, sophisticated football. The 49ers were the great exception. I do think it'll be a pretty defensive game. 24-21.
ARNOLD PALMER, golfing legend, 2003 Scripps Howard Super Sage Award winner: Pittsburgh, 35-20. The Steelers have more depth, a great quarterback and the Bus.
HALEY JOEL OSMENT, actor who has picked the last six Super Bowl winners: Pittsburgh, 31-21.
MICKEY ROONEY, actor: Pittsburgh, 34-7. Great coach, great running backs and fullbacks.
ED ASNER, actor: Seattle, 24-21. I think they're coming in to their own, I think they're hungry. They've been waiting for a long time _ longer than Pittsburgh. They're on the West Coast and so am I, and I play favorites.
PHYLLIS DILLER, comedienne: Pittsburgh is going to win by 8. I'm sure of myself. They're hot and I got a hunch.
KENDRA WILKINSON, Hugh Hefner's girlfriend, "The Girls Next Door": Pittsburgh, 27-14. They have more to play for. They're going to play extra strong just for Jerome.
MAMIE VAN DOREN, legendary sex symbol: My fearless forecast is Pittsburgh, 42-17, because they are blue-collar bad *$$es.
SHIRLEY JONES, actress: Pittsburgh, no question! It's my hometown. Steelers by 7.
FLORENCE HENDERSON, Carol Brady, "The Brady Bunch": Pittsburgh. We were in Pittsburgh recently (for Polident). We went by the stadium a number of times. We thought that Pittsburgh was terrific.
BARRY WILLIAMS, Greg Brady, "The Brady Bunch": Steelers, 42-38. They are used to the cold.
RUSSELL JOHNSON, The Professor, "Gilligan's Island": Seahawks, without a doubt, by 6 points.
DAWN WELLS, Mary Ann, "Gilligan's Island": Seattle, 24-21. I'm a University of Washington grad. I've got to go with them.
MISS AMERICA JENNIFER BERRY: Seattle, 24-17.
MISS USA CHELSEA COOLEY: Pittsburgh, 23-20. I can't root for the team that knocked my guys (Carolina) out of the Super Bowl!
CHUCK YEAGER, first pilot to break the sound barrier: Much as I hate to see them do it, I think Pittsburgh will win, 17-10.
GENE CERNAN, last man to walk on the moon: Seattle, 31-24.
REGIS PHILBIN, talk show host: Seattle surprised me against Carolina. Their defense is better than I thought and so is Hasselbeck, but I think Pittsburgh is destined to win the Super Bowl. They are really in sync as they come out of the playoff games and should reach their peak Sunday. Besides, I love Jerome Bettis and Bill Cowher and the team, and the city of Pittsburgh. I hope they have something to cheer about on Sunday night. They deserve it!
BOB COUSY, Hall of Fame basketball star: Pittsburgh has raised it to the next level. Seattle isn't tournament-tested as they say. 17-10.
BOBBY THOMSON, former N.Y. Giants baseball player who in 1951 hit "Shot Heard 'Round the World": Pittsburgh, 24-17.
RALPH BRANCA, former Dodger who threw the famous pitch to Thomson: Seattle, 24-20.
EDDIE MURRAY, Hall of Fame baseball star: Pittsburgh, 24-21. They've been playing in so many tight games for the past two months, they know what it takes to win. Also, Ben Roethlisberger looks comfortable out there.
MIKE ERUZIONE, captain of 1980 U.S. Olympic gold-medal winning hockey team: Pittsburgh, 24-21. They're so physical.
PICABO STREET, Olympic gold medalist in skiing: Pittsburgh, 20-13. My mom would kill me if I didn't pick the Steelers.
AL OERTER, four-time Olympic gold medalist in discus: Seattle, 17-10. They're due.
MIKE POWELL, world record holder, long jump: Pittsburgh, 17-7. Offensively they know that the defense is their strength. So it takes the pressure off of the offense. So as long as they score 17+ points, then they know the defense will cover their back.
GARY STEVENS, Hall of Fame jockey: Seattle, 31-17. I think they are the better team of the two. I have been a fan since I rode in Seattle in the 1980's.
KRISTINE LILLY, world-record holder for most international soccer games: Pittsburgh, 24-17. I am pulling for the AFC team and to be honest, I don't really know any of the players on the Seahawks.
JERMAIN TAYLOR, boxer, World Middleweight Champ: Pittsburgh, 24-17. I fought twice in Pittsburgh while coming up through the ranks and "the Bus's" last stop is going to be a good one. Big Ben's impressive passing will continue.
SIDNEY CROSBY, NHL star, Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh.
MARK CUBAN, owner, Dallas Mavericks/HDNet: Pittsburgh, 28-17. When you have running, passing and the best defensive back in the history of the NFL, you are going to be tough to beat.
DICK VITALE, college basketball announcer: Pittsburgh, 27-21. I'm a big fan of Notre Dame and I've always loved Jerome Bettis. Jerome gets to go home to Detroit. Bettis to lead the Steelers in the Super Bowl.
RYAN NEWMAN, NASCAR driver: Seattle, 28-14. Seattle simply has the better team. There's a reason why Pittsburgh was the sixth seed.
MATT KENSETH, NASCAR driver: Pittsburgh always gets a lot of hype for running the football, but if you've watched these two teams play lately, Seattle runs the ball a lot more effectively. Seattle, 20-17.
ALAN WEBB, America's fastest miler: Pittsburgh, 28-24.
NATALIE COUGHLIN, Olympic gold medalist swimmer: Steelers, 24-21. No team has ever made it to the Super Bowl from last seed with every playoff game on the road. Very impressive! I'm cheering for the Steelers because I want Jerome Bettis, who apparently is a great teammate and hard worker, to end his career on a high note.
NATE HOLLAND, 2006 Olympian, snowboardcross: Seattle, all the way baby! I was born and raised in the Northwest. I hope they crush Pittsburgh's Super Bowl dreams. 24-20.
SCOTT ADAMS, Dilbert cartoonist: Seattle, 35-24. The Seahawks, because their home field is closest to my home. If I've learned anything from sports fans it's that the team that's the nearest is the best one.
TY PENNINGTON, host, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition": Pittsburgh, 30-24. Because, like my show when the "Bus" (Jerome Bettis) moves, big things happen. Move that bus.
RANDY JACKSON, judge, "American Idol": Steelers by 3. It is their destiny.
STEVE CARELL, actor, "The Office," "40-Year-Old Virgin": I guess that I'm taking Pittsburgh because I'm on a show that is based in Scranton, and to accommodate and to appease our viewers and lovers from the greater Scranton area, I think that it behooves me to pick Pittsburgh.
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