When the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers do battle in this Sunday's Super Bowl, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have the chance to prove his meddle against Ben Roethlisberger's tried-and-true playoff form. The classic story of an upstart unknown facing the veteran star. The same can't be said of their respective coaches. Pitt playcaller Mike Tomlin might have a Super Bowl ring to his credit, but, at just 38 years of age, he's no member of the old guard. Meanwhile, Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy, a Pittsburgh fan by birth, is almost 10 years older than Tomlin, but has little in the way of bling to show for it. Any ill-informed football speculation on our part would be useless, but let it be known that we sense some weakness in the Pittsburgh duo. Why? Because they've been living the high life in ritzy pads since their last Super Bowl win, while the likes of Rodgers and McCarthy have been keeping it down home in some typically all-American digs.
? Roethlisberger is well ensconced in this 10,000-square-foot suburban mansion. Purchased for $1.9M in 2006, it features a gated access, cathedral ceilings, two Super Bowl trophies, a basketball court, and a swimming pool with Big Ben's Number 7 painted on the bottom. In 2009, the Pittsburgh QB invited Shaquille O'Neal to his home as part of the Shaq's Vs. TV series, kicked him out of his favorite chair (a La-Z Boy lounger, no less), and promptly won a game of Horse against the NBA star. He'll be hoping that sort of cross-training pays off on Sunday, but all this reads like a bit too much ego.
? Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh proper, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin dropped $1.8M on a manse in the tony neighborhood of Shadyside. Though credit is due to Tomlin for being the first Steelers coach in 50 years to take up residence within the city limits, we can't help but think this proper Brit-style Tudor mansion wasn't much of a sacrifice for city living.
? Now, on to Green Bay, where Cheesehead favorite Aaron Rodgers has taken up residence in a comparatively modest McMansion in the suburb of Suamico, Wis. There's no basketball court, no swimming pool, and uninspiring views. Sounds perfect for a guy with his mind on the game—gotta keep those distractions to a minimum.
? Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy grew up in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Greenfield, where citizens remember him as a "hard-working kid" who "never forgot where he came from." Well, he might not have forgotten—and contributes generously to his hometown causes—but that doesn't mean he's living in the land of black and yellow. Nope, McCarthy has taken his $3.4M annual paycheck and settled into a modest home on Garden Gate Court, in Green Bay, where homes regularly trade in for less than $500K. Just the sort of American Dream story we might actually root for.
· Ben Roethlisberger's House [Virtual Globetrotting]
· Shaq hangs out with Ben Roethlisberger [YouTube]
· Mike Tomlin's House [Virtual Globetrotting]
· New Steelers coach buys home in Shadyside [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
· Aaron Rodgers's House [Virtual Globetrotting]
· Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy has deep roots in Greenfield [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
· Mike McCarthy's House [Virtual Globetrotting]
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