Steelers play Ravens to celebrate 75th season

? The Pittsburgh Steelers are staging a 75th anniversary party tonight, and everybody is invited.

Franco and Rocky will be there, plus Swann and Stallworth, a still Mean Joe Greene and maybe a snarling Jack Lambert, too.

The living members of the Steelers’ 33-man all-franchise team are the guests of honor, and no doubt they will receive an ovation that can be heard halfway to Cleveland.

They might even show off their five Super Bowl trophies, shiny reminders of the Steelers’ extended run as one of the NFL’s showcase franchises.

The Baltimore Ravens will also be there, and they’re beginning to wonder if anybody will notice until kickoff. Baltimore outscored Pittsburgh 58-7 in a pair of routs last season, winning 31-7 in Heinz Field, yet the Steelers (5-2) are big favorites to win and open up a two-game lead over the Ravens (4-3) in the AFC North.

“These are the games that you’re not supposed to win. These are the opponents you’re not supposed to (beat),” linebacker Bart Scott said with more than a hint of sarcasm. “What are we, 35-point underdogs? Hopefully, we can get off the bus without tripping.”

Ravens coach Brian Billick recalled his daughter’s days at Northwestern and how the Big Ten powers often designated the Wildcats as the opponent for their special occasions.

“We look at it as we have been scheduled for their homecoming,” Billick said of the Steelers.

Some Steelers are wary of all the hoopla, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger saying he hopes the extracurricular activities don’t prove a distraction. Coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t appear as worried.

“I would imagine it will provide a unique atmosphere at game time, one we should be able to feed off,” Tomlin said. “I would also like to think we don’t need things to feed off to play this game.”