Jocks Need Love, Too: Super Bowl Romances

Super Bowl XLIII is just days away and even though it's the ultimate game, they're still going to play it again next year. The explosive Arizona Cardinals are taking on the stalwart Pittsburgh Steelers in sunny Tampa. You may know the storyline; the Cardinals are a perennial also-ran (and only made the playoffs because they play in a weak division) and the Steelers have one of the most storied histories in the NFL. In the eyes of many experts, the Steelers are a heavy favorite (though Vegas has them as only a 7 point favorite as of press time). But what really matter on the gridiron isn't the bookies or team tradition, it's the personnel. Since YourTango focuses on relationships and all that stuff, I'm interested in the love lives of the players.

Unfortunately, this game doesn't have a marquee model-player relationship. Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen (the Brady Bunch) were eliminated week one, Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson missed the playoffs, Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian haven't even seen a field in months and even Hank Baskett (fiancée of Girls Next Door's Kendra Wilkinson) was recently sent home. So, who are the Cardinals and Steelers dating?

We'll start where we always do, with the quarterbacks:

Arguably the biggest star in the biggest game is Ben Roethlisberger (roth liss bur ger). Since his last name is such a mouthful, he's most commonly called Big Ben and sometimes, frustratingly, just Ben. Word on the street is that gentle Ben is dating Missy Peregrym. You may know her as the love interest on CW's Reaper and an illusion-wielding villainess on NBC's Heroes. She's prett-y pretty.

Though old Ben may be a bigger star, Kurt Warner is the more accomplished quarterback and has the more substantial relationship. The former two-time MVP has a wife and seven kids (two of the kids are from a previous gig). You may have noticed his wife Brenda cheering passionately for Warner on the sidelines (or on local talk radio). She's a former marine (she used to sport a sweet spiky hairdo) and they've been through some dark days when he was a grocery stocker (and assistant college coach) while he was sorting out his career. He also appears to love his lord and savior, Jesus Christ. He's smitten with the big guy and brings him up at every turn (What? Even he admits he talks a lot of Jesus talk).

More on Warner and Roethlisberger at the Huffington Post.