Raise the Jolly Roger

1992 was the last time the Pittsburgh Pirates made the playoffs. Tim Wakefield was on that team as a rookie. Barry Bonds was still playing for the Pirates. Bill Clinton was elected President. What I'm saying is that was a long time ago. Well last night the Pittsburgh Pirates clinched their first playoff spot since 1992. And they clinched in one of the most dramatic ways possible. Take a look:



Raise the Jolly Roger Pittsburgh, the Pirates are heading back to the playoffs. Now the question is what do they go the playoffs as? They could still possibly go as the division champs. Or they can go as one of the wild card teams. They definitely have to keep the pressure on Cincinnati and at least have the wild card home field advantage even though that didn't matter in last year's wild card games. Either way congrats Buccos.

The Pirates are Rolling

The Pittsburgh Pirates right now are rolling. They've beaten the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight games and can go for the rare five-game sweep tonight. The Pirates also have the best record in baseball (even better than the Rays and A's) and are now 2.5 games up on the Cardinals who just placed Yadier Molina on the disabled list. If this isn't the Pirates year to finally make the playoffs then I don't know who's year it is?

And yet there is doubt. The Pirates didn't make any deadline deals and their starting rotation has a rookie, Jeff Locke, and AJ Burnett in their rotation. Their lineup doesn't really look that good, does it? Besides Andrew McCutchen there isn't a whole lot there to put fear in anyone. So what are the pros and cons for this team going forward?

Cons
- According Fangraphs team pitching WAR, the Pirates are in the middle of the pack in terms of pitching*.

*I gotta admit I'm starting to lose faith in WAR. I believe there's too much that goes into computing that stat.

- The Rotation consists of: Francisco Liriano, AJ Burnett, Charlie Morton, Gerrit Cole, Jeanmar Gomez, Brandon Cumpton, and an injured Wandy Rodriguez.

- The pitchers give up too many walks per 9 innings.

- The Pirates hitters aren't exactly on-base machines.

- The Pirates have to platoon at first because Gabby Sanchez can't hit right-handers anymore.

- The Pirates are starting a combination of Jordy Mercer and Clint Barmas at shortstop.

- Pedro Alvarez strikes out too much and doesn't get on base.

The Pirates Death Montage

Anyone who has read The Colonel and I's 'Talkin' Baseball' posts over the year know I rode the Pirates bandwagon. Actually I rode both the Pirates and Orioles and would jump ship or jump back on ship at a moment's notice because that's what a bandwagon jumper does. Well I jumped off the Pirates bandwagon for good back in August when the Reds started leaving them in the dust and eventually the Cardinals and Brewers would pass them as the Pirates clinched their 20th consecutive losing season this past weekend. Here's a bloody and horrible death montage of the Pirates from the past 20 years.



Yep that right, there have been 6 presidential election cycles (including this year's) since the Pirates had a winning record. There have been four expansion teams join baseball since the Pirates last winning record and all four teams have made it to the World Series with two of the teams winning a championship. Pretty sad isn't, it?

In that video it shows the Pirates beating the Giants and securing first place before the All-Star. I distinctly remember that series and road trip because the Giants played like crap in both Washington and then Pittsburgh (Giants only 1 game on that trip). If you would have told me then the Pirates wouldn't even have a winning record by the end of the year I would have called you crazy. So yeah it's been a depressing year for the Pirates.

(Via Sports Grid)

Here's Something You Don't See Everyday

It's pretty rare to see back-to-back home runs. It's especially rare when it comes off the bats of the Pittsburgh Pirates one of the worst offensive teams in the league. But what do you call it when the Pirates hit back-to-back home runs off the right field foul pole?



Amazingly the Pirates sit atop of the NL Central standings with 45 wins. I don't know if they'll keep up with this pace, remember last year they were playing well this time of the year, but Fangraphs had an article today saying the Pirates offense is improving dramatically. I gotta be honest, I'm rooting for the Pirates. I hope they make the playoffs this year. We need to see some new blood in the playoffs.

Pirates Sign McCutchen

The Pirates may be without A.J. Burnett to start the season, but they will have Andrew McCutchen for the beginning of this season and beyond. The Pirates signed McCutchen to a six-year contract this morning:

"The Pirates and star center fielder Andrew McCutchen agreed to terms on a six-year contract worth $51.5 million with a club option for 2018 worth $14.75 million, according to a source.

The contract will buy out McCutchen's remaining arbitration seasons and at least two years of free agency."

Nice seeing the Pirates spend money on their younger players instead of trading them away for magical beans. McCutchen along with their pitching in the minors should be a great combination in future years.

It will be interesting though to see if McCutchen stays with the Pirates throughout this entire contract. If the young pitchers don't contribute, will the Pirates then trade McCutchen? Will the Pirates even re-sign McCutchen when that contract runs out? These are all questions that will be answered in future years, but it's nice seeing the Pirates signing their younger players to long-term contracts. 

(Via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

The Power Outage at Candlestick Was One Big Conspiracy According to Ryan Clark

Let's get some facts straight first. Candlestick Park opened in 1960 as a baseball only ballpark. The 49ers moved to Candlestick in the early 1970's. Candlestick Park was a dump in the 1960's when the park was brand new and that hasn't changed in 50 years. The Park was built on a wind swept point on the cheap. It's a dump and everyone knows this.

The Giants fled the point for the China Basin over ten years ago. The 49ers are on the verge themselves on getting the hell out of Candlestick Point. The stadium is old and falling apart. This is clear. Now let's clear the air on this, the 49ers didn't purposely break the power breakers to prove that they need a new stadium. The cracks in the cement on the concourses are proof and 40 degree weather in the middle of summer are enough that the 49ers need a new stadium. Just don't tell this to Pittsburgh Steelers corner Ryan Clark.

“I just feel like San Francisco took a big stage to show the NFL and to show the state of California that they needed a new stadium. I think it was a very strategic move and Candlestick may be no more very soon,” Ryan Clark said.

Read the news every once in a while Ryan. I'm sure you were in San Francisco the day before Monday's game. The Santa Clara stadium news is all over the newspapers in the Bay Area lately. But don't let facts get in the way of your conspiracy theory. I'm sure Mr. Clark you also believe Apollo 11 didn't actually land on the moon but was actually shot in a movie studio in Hollywood.

Now James Farrior on the other hand has a reasonable conspiracy theory that I do actually buy.

“This is an old place,” Steelers linebacker James Farrior said, “or they didn’t pay their light bill.”

I buy this because I know how cheap the York family is. There was an legend during the last days of the Steve Mariucci days that the coaching staff had to ask a secretary for pens and paper because Dr. John York was monitoring if office supplies were being wasted and for he didn't have to spend money on them.

Also I love how the NFL would have moved this game to the Oakland Coliseum if there was another power outage. Because you know moving from one dump to another would totally be fine. It's not like there's a perfectly capable college stadium where the 49ers have played before after Candlestick was damaged by the 89 earthquake where these two teams could have finished the game.

(Via Niners Insider)

The Links: R.I.P. Ernie Harwell & Game-Winners

Christina Hendricks to start the morning...... R.I.P. Ernie Harwell ..... So much for the Magic pressing because of an long layoff...... The Houston Astros offense is quite pathetic..... Speaking of the Astros, you can buy Astros' Chris Sampson's car on Twitter...... The gruesome details of the UVA lacrosse murder....... Red Wings fans are a bunch of whiners..... Danny Ainge is still agitating people even when retired..... Corey Haim died of natural causes

Ernie Harwell, voice of the Detroit Tigers, remembered (Detroit Free Press)

Barry Zito is dating another hot lady (The Big Lead)

The Oakland A's attendance is so bad, that their Triple-A team in Sacramento can actually out draw them (SF Chronicle)

Dez Bryant's 'pimp' ride (Big 12 Journal)

Magic look super vs. Hawks (Sporting Blog)

Tim Welsh's mistake, turns into a learning moment (NY Times)

Kobe Bryant photoshop gallery (Deadspin)

SI takes an unflattering look at Ben Roethlisberger (PFT)

Patrick Marleau's game-winning goal against Detroit (Fear the Fin)



Another idiot ran onto the field in Philadelphia (700 Level)

2009 NFL Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

By JFein:

After a thrilling win in Super Bowl XLIII, the Pittsburgh Steelers are not only the 1st NFL team to win 6 Super Bowls, but they are hoping to be the first team since the New England Patriots to repeat as champions. Something that is a whole lot easier said than done. Now before you discredit anything I say because I'm an Eagles fan, I do have a great deal of respect for the Pittsburgh Steelers and what they have been able to accomplish this decade at first with Coach Cowher and now Mike Tomlin all with Ben Roethlisberger at QB. That was a thrilling Super Bowl and a great win for the Steelers, but the keyword there is "was". This is a new year, a new season, and everyone is starting from scratch at 0-0 and the Steelers are no different (face it, this kind of insight is quite hard to come by). That being said, the Pittsburgh Steelers might just be one of the favorites to win the AFC and make it back to Florida and the Super Bowl. Here's a look at some of the keys to this season for the Steelers.

Willie Parker: Ben Roethlisberger may be the quarterback of the Steelers, but Willie Parker is the engine that gets it going. When he does well, the Steelers do well, but when he does not have a good game, chances are the Steelers as a whole are not having a good game as well. If Willie Parker stays healthy through the year and is as productive as he has been in past years, I have a hard time visualizing this team NOT making the AFC Championship game again.

The Steel Curtain: Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense was the best in the NFL. This year, they retain the core group of that defense and even added to it by drafting Ziggy Hood in the 1st round of the draft. As a franchise as a whole, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always been known for their defense (except for a few years in the early 2000s with Tommy Maddox as QB). This era of Steelers is no different. And this year will be no different.

Big Ben Roethlisberger: Some Super Bowl teams would not have gotten there if it was not for superb QB play. Just look at the Colts in Super Bowl XLI and the Patriots in every Super Bowl they made this decade. And that's just naming the recent ones. And then there are the teams that all they need is an average passer to get the job done. Just look at the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV. The Steelers under Roethlisberger are one of those teams. Despite leading a Super Bowl team, Big Ben only completed 59.9% of his passes last season. And while that is certainly not piss poor, you would expect different from a QB who has won 2 Super Bowls in 5 seasons. The trait that makes Big Ben special is his leadership ability, but perhaps more importantly, his performance in the clutch. All you need to do is watch the game-winning drive of Super Bowl XLIII for an example of that.

Video: Aspeaking of Super Bowl XLIII




Prediction: 13-3, 1st place AFC North. Bottom line: this is the team to beat in the AFC.

The Links

Today JFein and I start the 2009 NFL Preview. I start the preview with the 49ers and JFein continues the preview tomorrow with the Eagles. I hope everyone enjoys the previews.

Katy Perry to start off the workweek.... Disaster movies all the rage.... Prepare for tax hikes.... ESPN lifts ban on New York Post writers..... Grad sues college after graduation, because she couldn't find a job.... Where would you place in a screaming contest?.... What's with all these old golfers playing well?

Training camps have barely began, and we already have multiple injuries (The Big Lead)

Tiger Woods enjoys a good fart (Awful Announcing)

Ari Gold(Jeremy Piven) guest hosts WWE Raw tonight (Camel Clutch Blog)

Say goodbye to the Arena Football League (PFT)

LenDale White loses weight by not drinking Tequila (Deadspin)

Could Vick sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers (HHR)

Does the Jake Peavy trade make the Padres the worst team in baseball? (Rumors & Rants)

Somehow, Stu Scott is to blame for this (The Big Picture)

Shark Week started last night on the Discovery Channel and I'm geeked. I've loved Shark Week since I was a little kid. Here's a video from a past episode from Shark Week.

The Links

Candice Cardinele to start the mourning.... Katie Price is falling out of her dress.... Adam Morrison actually made the best out of Summer League.... But Obama promised.... Obama is pissed that his communist health care plan hasn't been passed yet..... The vanishing middle class.... Don't sell lemonade in Philly.... 8 secrets of Rock Star sex

Ben Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault (Shutdown Corner)

The Padres are now ruining local businesses (HHR)

Top 10 ongoing sports feuds (Real Clear Sports)

I wouldn't want to be in the Eagles training camp (Courier Post)

I can't stand the Dodgers, but I am happy to see Jason Schmidt return from injury (LA Times)

Humor, family, and cigarettes keep Jim Leyland fresh (Detroit News)

The girls of the ESPY Awards (In Game Now)

And you thought the Yankees broadcast sucked before (Sports Hernia)

Obama is getting a little desperate (Another Black Conservative)

This guy needs a jet ski lesson from Kenny Powers (Don Chavez)

WOW! (Ugliest Tattoos)

The Links

Wow! There was some great action in last nights games. The Villanova, Pittsburgh game video is at the bottom. That's all you need to see. The Missouri, UConn game too was exciting. UConn won, but they needed everything they had to beat Missouri. Let's hope today's games are just as exciting.

Megan Fox is a great way to start another college basketball mourning....

- Villanova is going back to the final 4 (Fire Andy Reid Now!)

- Even Jay Mariotti said last night's Nova-Pitt game was an 'classic' (Fanhouse)

- Anthony Grant is good fit Alabama, but Mike Anderson would have been better (AL.com)

- Sherron Collins should stay at Kansas, if he gets some help (KC Star)

- The Stanford women are headed to the Elite 8, again (SF Chronicle)

- There is a lot of similarities between this Nova team and the 85' team (Philly.com)

- Louisville should win, but Michigan St. won't go down without a fight (Detroit News)

- Jeff Capel was destined for greatness (The Oklahoman)

- A late collapse cost Pittsburgh a trip to the final 4 (Post-Gazette)

- It's time for Louisville to finish what they started (Courier-Journal)

Here is one of the best finishes in college basketball history:

Elite 8 Live Blog

Well we are down to 8 teams for a chance at the final four. We start off with the Pittsburgh, Villanova game. And end with the UConn, Missouri game. Both games should be fun to watch.

JFein is going to start you off with the Division II championship. I will be in-and-out for that game. But you should enjoy it.

Feel free to leave your comments as always. Enjoy:

Day 1: Sweet 16 Live Blog

Well we started with 64 teams, and now we are down to just 16 teams. By the end of the weekend we will be down to just 4 teams. Enjoy the games and the Live Blog and please leave comments.

Here is your announcing schedule for tonight, courtesy of Awful Announing:

Connecticut vs. Purdue (Glendale, 7pm)- Dick Enberg, Jay Bilas
Pittsburgh vs. Xavier (Boston, 7:30pm)- Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery
Memphis vs. Missouri (Glendale, 9:30pm)- Dick Enberg, Jay Bilas
Duke vs. Villanova (Boston, 9:30pm)- Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery

My local affiliate is giving me the UConn, Purdue game and the Duke, Nova game. It should be fun.

Breaking Down the Today's Match Ups in the Sweet 16

This year's Sweet 16 match ups are some of the most intriguing match ups in a long time. So let's breakdown today's games.

Duke vs. Villanova
Where/Time: Boston/9:30 EST
Announcers: Lundquist, Raftery
Match up to watch: Reggie Redding will have the tough task of defending Duke's best player Gerald Henderson.
Battle of Big Men: Donte Cunningham and Kyle "Sweating Man" Singler will have to battle each other for every rebound. Villanova is at their best when Cunningham gets a double-double.
No foul trouble: Cunningham is also Villanova's most skilled big man. There isn't much depth behind him, so it is key for him to stay out of foul trouble.
Battle of the Guards: Dwayne Anderson and Scottie Reynolds versus Duke's Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith. Nova has the advantage in the backcourt but they can't let Scheyer or Smith get hot at the 3-point line.
My pick: If Villanova plays to their potential, then they are pretty much un-stoppable. Just ask UCLA? But they can not get into a 3-point shooting contest with Duke. Duke will beat them in that catorgory. I still like Villanova in this game.

Memphis vs. Missouri
Where/Time: Glendale, AZ/9:30 EST
Announcers: Enberg/Bilas
The bench is key: When Memphis struggled against CS Northridge, they unleashed Roburt Sallie off the bench. He hit multiple 3-point shots. He will be the key for the Tigers. If Missouri plays a pack-in-zone, his shot could be the answer.
40 Minutes of Hell: Mike Anderson is a protege of Nolan Richardson. Richardson was the coach who made 40 minutes of Hell popular. His teams would play full-court presser, try for the steal, and then run away from you. Missouri plays the same type of game. If they can do this the entire game, they can win.
My pick: I like Memphis in this game. If Missouri doesn't keep up with their own high-tempo game, they will lose. They built a nice lead against Marquette, but had to sink 2-free throws at the end of the game to win. Memphis though is just too tough of a team to let Missouri run away from them.

Pittsburgh vs. Xavier
Where/Time: Boston/7:30 EST
Announcers: Lundquist/Raftery
Have to be aggressive: B.J. Raymond is Xavier's best scoring threat. He has to stay aggressive all game long.
You have to be Young: Even when Oklahoma St. was shooting lights out, Pittsburgh was still able to beat them. That's because Sam Young was shooting lights out himself behind the 3-point line. If he keeps this up, Xavier won't have a chance.
The Battle of the bigs: The key match up will between Xavier's C.J. Anderson and Pitt's DeJuan Blair. Both guys are studs in the frontcourt. Xavier will need Anderson to clean up the glass. Pitt will need Blair to keep up with Anderson for Pitt to have a chance.
My pick: I like Pittsburgh in this game. They have been the most tested #1 seed in the whole tournament. This will help them tonight against Xavier. I expect Young to have a big game tonight for Pitt.

UConn vs. Purdue
Where/Time: Glendale, AZ/7:00 EST
Announcers: Enberg/Bilas
Will UConn be distracted: With the recent report coming out against UConn, the big question is, will they be distracted? No they won't. UConn players will not be distracted tonight. They are too tough mentally for that.
The Battle of the Bigs: Hasheem Thabett and Robbie Hummel will battle tonight. Thabett is is a shot-blocking machine. But he has to stay out of foul trouble. Hummel has to attack Thabett for Purdue to have a chance.
My pick: I like UConn in this game. The Huskies have been through a lot this season and Purdue is just another challenge. This will be a low-scoring game, but it should be a close game.

Updated: Yes, after I just posted this article I realized I did the games backwards. It happens, move on.

Update: If this post is filled with too many puns, I was channeling my inner Tim Brando why writing it.

Oh, I can't forget about this video for tonight:

The Mourning After: NCAA Tournament Round 2 Observations

Round 2 finally gave us some excitement. Sure there was really no upsets, and no I won't call Arizona a Cinderella, but there were some edge of your seat finishes.

Like the ending of the Marquette, Missouri game. In the final seconds of the game a Missouri player was fouled which lead to an injury. Missouri used a "pinch" free throw shooter to take the lead.

Then Lazar Hayward became infamous. Down by two with 5.5 seconds left Hayward was in charge of inbounding the ball. Missouri went with their usual full-court press and Hayward hesitated and stepped on the line. He turned the ball over to Missouri erasing Marquette's shot at a last-second shot.

Hayward I am sure is taking a beating from the entire state of Wisconsin right now. But it wasn't all his fault. Missouri was using a stingy full-court defense that wasn't going to allow anything by. Also making a shot in 5.5 seconds is tougher than it looks. For every Christian Laettner and Bryce Drew there is one guy who takes a last-second shot and either airball's it or the ball clanks off the rim. Just ask VCU's Eric Maynor about it.

Hayward did make a crucial mistake, but the odd were against Marquette from even tieing that game.

Here are some more observations:

- Here's an interesting fact. Xavier, who is coached by Sean Miller, will face Pittsburgh in the Sweet 16. Why is this important? Because Miller was the person who passed the ball to Jerome Lane who promptly slammed the ball and broke the backboard. Bill Raftery then unleashed the famous "Send it in, Jerome!"

- The referee's screwed up by not recognizing Western Kentucky coach trying to call a timeout during their game with Gonzaga. The Zags took the lead with 0.9 seconds left, giving the Hilltoppers a chance. W. Kentucky coach Ken McDonald was calling for the timeout but the refs didn't recognize it, and W. Kentucky lost the game. Granted they probably wouldn't have scored 0.9 seconds you have to give them a chance.

- Siena probably put up the toughest fight of the weekend. After beating Ohio St. in two overtimes, they took Louisville down to the wire. If it wasn't for Terrance Williams, Louisville would have lost that game.

- Ty Lawson wins the toughest player of the NCAA tournament so far. Lawson, who is fighting a painful toe injury, was the key reason why the Tar Heels beat LSU on Saturday.

- Why does Oklahoma allow their star player Blake Griffin to get beat up in their games? They allowed Texas to knock him out silly. They allowed a Morgan St. player to give him an armbar. They allowed Michigan players to play Hack-a-Shaq on him. They do nothing about it. I am not saying Griffin needs to respond, because he doesn't. But someone else on that team needs to get some payback for all the cheap shots Griffin has had to take.

- It took almost two games, but Eric Devendorf of Syracuse finally profiled a shot. After Arizona St. was getting closer to Syracuse in the game, Devendorf hit a three to extend the lead. Then Devendorf hit another three to basically put the game out of reach. For his last three Devendorf went all douche with it, and profiled the shot. He can't go the entire tournament without profiling a shot. Wait until he has to face Blake Griffin in the Sweet 16.

- Have to love Duke going crazy after their win over Texas. They realize they play for Duke right? They have been to the Sweet 16 before. But I'd guess I would go crazy too if I haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 2006.

While there really isn't any Cinderella teams in the Sweet 16, and no Arizona doesn't count, there are some great match ups. We should have another fun weekend, with the action kicking off on Thursday.

The Mourning After: The Super Bowl After Thoughts

We we got to witness one of the best Super Bowl's ever. Pittsburgh laid claim to the greatest team in the NFL with a 27-23 thrilling victory. The game itself though was not very exciting until the fourth quarter.

Pittsburgh took a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter and it seemed like the Arizona Cardinals were done. But Kurt Warner only needed about 4 minutes to drive the Cardinals down the field and hit Larry Fitzgerald for a touchdown to cut the lead in half.

Then the Cardinals defense finally showed up. They forced a safety by the Steelers and received the ball back with good field position. Then Warner hit Fitzgerald for a 64 yard touchdown pass, and the Cardinals made the greatest comeback ever in Super Bowl history. Only one problem, they gave the Steelers too much time.

Ben Roethlisberger drove the team right down the field and hit Santonio Holmes for a perfect touchdown grab. Giving the Cardinals only :35 seconds left. Then Warner dropped back for a pass and fumbled the ball giving the Steelers their sixth Super Bowl win.

The Steelers all season has beat the odds. First they play the toughest schedule in the league and they hung around all season. The schedule probably did more for them than anything. They faced the toughest challenge and it prepared them for the Super Bowl. Here are some other thoughts:

Image Conscience: For a league that is image conscience, they had no problem giving the Super Bowl MVP to a self-proclaimed former drug dealer. Yes Santonio Holmes, won the MVP award. I don't understand this league. They worry about Pacman, Tank, and Chris Henry, but they have no problem handing the Super Bowl MVP award to Tony Montana.

I don't think Mike Tomlin likes the Gatorade bath: I don't think any coach likes the Gatorade bath. They are pointless and stupid and who likes to get a wet-sticky substance poured on them.

That being said, I don't think Mike Tomlin enjoyed it at all. He looked more upset with that, than the Fitzgerald touchdown pass that gave the Cardinals the lead. Once again its pointless, and they need to put an axe through that tradition.

How about them Refs: Once again, the referees are in question during a Steelers Super Bowl win. We all remember the controversy after Super Bowl XL. Well there are a lot of questions again. The Cardinals were penalized 11 times. Three of those calls against Mike Gandy were justified. But there were a lot of head-scratching calls.

Also why didn't the refs review the Warner fumble that ended the game. The calls in the game will once again be questioned for a long time.

Where does Roethlisberger rank? Ben Roethlisberger has now won two Super Bowls in his first five years. While he is not flashy like(Brady or Brees) or has the name like (the Manning brothers) the guy is a winner.

Right now I would rank Roethlisberger ahead of Payton Manning and one spot below Brady. Stats in the NFL mean nothing. If that was true Dan Marino would be the greatest quarterback of all-time. But Big Ben has two rings and the swagger to be in Brady's group.

Quick Thoughts:

- Did anyone see Larry Fitzgerald Sr.? And did you know he is a sportswriter in Minnesota?

- Did you know Kurt Warner used to bag groceries? Neither did I.

- I am still not the biggest Bruce Springsteen fan, but his performance was the best in a while.

- The NBC pre-game show was just terrible. Too many people, and to convoluted.

- I am glad I didn't see that idiot holding the John 3:16 sign during the game.

- Shouldn't Troy Polamalu get lasik surgery by now. He had to leave the game, to get his contact lens fixed.

- James Harrison showed why he was deserving of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

- Ken Whisenhunt and the Cardinals have nothing to be ashamed of. They played their butts off to make it a game and came up short. I became a fan of Whisenhunt after this game.

Next Year's Super Bowl Pick: San Francisco vs. Buffalo, sorry but I have been picking the same teams since 1990 and it will happen one day.

The Mourning After: On To The Super Bowl

Well we get a Super Bowl this year. But is it the match up we want. Yes Arizona versus Pittsburgh is not the greatest match up in the world, but we are stuck with it.

There is always a storyline: There is always a storyline for a Super Bowl. Three years ago it was Jerome Bettis returning to Detroit. Two years ago it was two African-American coaches going after the Super Bowl for the first time. Last year it was the perfect Patriots going for all-time greatness.

This year it will be Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt facing off against his former team the Pittsburgh Steelers. This storyline will get ran into the ground like every other one. Whisenhunt was the Steelers offensive coordinator when they won their last Super Bowl. When former Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher left the Steelers it was a forgone conclusion that either Whisenhunt and offensive line coach Russ Grimm would get the job.

Instead the Steelers choose an unknown Mike Tomlin. Whisenhunt and Grimm both left for Arizona. Now they will face off against each other and we will have to hear about this for two weeks.

What happens to Reid-McNabb: Andy Reid and Donavon McNabb's legacy in Philadelphia was already in question, now it's getting hit again.

Reid-McNabb have gone to five NFC championship games, lost four of them, reached one Super Bowl that they also lost. Reid-McNabb have both been in Philadelphia for ten years and have had a lot of success, but they have no championships. So what happens to them?

I think they both have to go. McNabb is older and has broken down knees. Reid will always be the conservative coach who abandons the running game to soon. They are really made for each other, so you can't keep one and not the other. So Philadelphia needs to start looking elsewhere.

Crying when your team is driving: This is exactly what happened to Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin. When Arizona was driving down the field during the fourth quarter, Boldin was in the ear of Arizona offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Haley told Boldin to simmer down and Boldin yelled back. They had to separate the two and FOX let the entire nation watch.

Boldin has always been jealous of his counterpart Larry Fitzgerald and the jealousy poured out yesterday. Like McNabb-Reid, Boldin has to go after the season.

Defense Always Prevails: Like I said before this is not a match up we all want. But it does have the perfect ingredient. Arizona's Offense vs. Pittsburgh Defense.

Pittsburgh defense is the number one ranked and is playing at a higher level in the playoffs. Always take the defense over the offense. There is a reason why Pittsburgh is already a seven point favorite.

Other Thoughts:

- Tampa Bay had to let go Jon Gruden. The supposedly quarterback guru showed his true colors in Tampa Bay. He never once developed a quarterback while at either Oakland or Tampa Bay. He used old guys who had already developed. Tampa Bay's defense won the Super Bowl for him, much like the Baltimore defense won their Super Bowl. I have no doubt that Gruden will land another job, but he will hate his quarterback there to.

- Has anyone star faded more than Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Last year he was the toast of the NFL and could have had any job he wanted. This year after being out front with the drama in Dallas didn't get the job he wanted. After losing out for the St. Louis job, Garrett will have to spend another year in Dallas. And if he is lucky will get a head coaching job next year, and if not he will be lucky to be a quarterback's coach.

- Julius Peppers-Carolina divorce will not be pretty. Peppers wants out of Carolina, Carolina wants to franchise Peppers. Carolina will hold on to Peppers and try and get a first round pick for him. So Peppers will likely have to wait until the draft to get out of Carolina.

-Joe Flacco has only room to improve and will likely get better.

- At least the Eagles stole DeSean Jackson in the draft.

- Rex Ryan is a good choice for the Jets.

My Super Bowl Pick Right Now: Pittsburgh 21 Arizona 14

The Links: Championship Links

- There were finally tears of joy in Arizona (Arizona Republic)

- How will Reid-McNabb be remembered in Philly. Same old story for Eagles (Philly Inquirer)

- Flacco played like a rookie yesterday. Key plays and factors in the AFC Championship (Baltimore Sun)

- Pittsburgh finally wins an AFC championship at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh proved that their defense was better (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

- The Kansas City Chiefs might have found their next head coach in an Arizona assistant

(KC Star)

- Cardinals go from joke to champions (LA Times)

- Pittsburgh is of course the favorite by 7 points (Vegas.com)