5 Reasons the Steelers Will Win the Super Bowl

If two of the five reasons the Packers are going to win the Super Bowl are intangibles (Karma and Hunger), I'm feeling even better about the Steelers than before.

Karma is a tricky thing. And it's hard to convince me that it's on the Packers side when they themselves have an accused rapist (Brandon Underwood was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a house party at which 6 of his Packer teammates were also present), a Trojan and a cheater on steroids on their roster -- and 2 of 3 in the same person. The fact is, it's never a good idea to get into a game of "Who's Team has More D-bags" -- everyone loses.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: what Ben Roethlisberger was accused of doing is despicable and I hate him for it. You can compare individuals -- and by the information I have, I think Aaron Rodgers is a much better guy than Ben. But it's impossible to root for an NFL team without supporting at least a few boneheads who have made very bad decisions. Marshawn Lynch ran over someone in his SUV -- but did that reduce the number of "BEASTMODE" posts on facebook seconds after his run against the Bears?

Karma is a wash. There's always going to be a story to make you root for or against each team. One player coaches youth football. Another donates to a homeless shelter. One player was accused of domestic violence. Another tied to a strip club shootout. The NFL is a microcosm of life. There are good people and there are bad people and more often that not there are both types playing on the same team.

As for Hunger -- not so sure I'm buying that one either. Just because I've tasted Ike's Sandwiches before doesn't make me want them any less than my friend who's never tried it. The Steelers have been to the mountaintop and know how good it feels. Furthermore, there are a lot of guys on the Steelers squad who are in the twilight of their careers. For Ward, Farrior, Dick LeBeau and others, this could be one of their last shots at glory. And you have to think they're going to make the most of it.

But at the end of the day, this is the Super Bowl folks. No one is going to need extra motivation. Every person on that field wants this -- it's going to come down to preparation and execution. Whoever wins those wins the game.

And if besides Hunger and Karma the Packers have only three things going for them (two of which are different levels of their defense), then I'm feeling preetty, preetty, preetty good.

Here are my Top 5 Reasons the Steelers should win Super Bowl XLV:

1. The Steelers are by far the best team the Packers have played since Week 15 of the regular season.

Don't get me wrong, no trip to the Super Bowl as a No. 6 seed is easy. The Packers have played and beat some very good teams. But let's take a closer look at the Packers opponents since a close Week 15 loss to the Patriots.

In Week 16, they played (and to be fair, routed) a non-playoff New York Giants team. In Week 17, they barely beat a Chicago Bears team who had locked the No. 2 seed and had absolutely nothing to play for. The Packers scored 10 points and didn't move the ball the entire game. In the first round of the playoffs, they narrowly beat a gimpy Michael Vick and a porous Eagles team that ranked 21st in the League in Points Allowed, 18th in Pass Yards per Attempt and 15th in Rush Yards per attempt. In the next round, Rodgers was mind-blowing, going lights out against the Falcons. But keep in mind the Falcons were no defensive stalwarts. They ranked 26th in the league in Yards per play and 17th and 25th in Pass and Rush Yards per attempt, respectively. Against a legitimate defense the next week against the Bears, the Packers offense was shut down for 75% of the game and the entire second half. Had they faced a QB other than the genetic fusion of Cutler, Collins and Hanie, there's a very good chance they lose that game.

The Steelers defense ranked #1 in the NFL in Points per Game, Pass Yards per attempt and Rush Yards per attempt. Compare that to Packers most recent foes. The Bears defense, similar to that of the Steelers in rankings, had the Packers vaunted offense figured out. They beat them early in the year, completely shut them down in Week 17 and shut them down for all but one drive in the NFC Championship game. In their three meetings they held the Pack to 17, 10 and 14 offensive points. As my cousin said, there's something there and Steelers Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau should be able to find it.

Much like the Packers offense has yet to face a truly dominant defense, the Packers defense have yet to face a true juggernaut in these playoffs. Thanks to Marshawn Lynch, the Packers avoided a huge hurdle in the defending champion New Orleans Saints. Of course the Steelers themselves avoided a hurdle themselves in the New England Patriots. But the QB play the Packers have seen has been nowhere near Super Bowl caliber. They faced a gimpy Michael Vick, an overwhelmed Matt Ryan and the Chicago Bears ball boy at QB. Neither the Steelers nor the Packers have had to face a truly elite QB thus far in the playoffs and both will get their first shot on Sunday.

The Steelers have, however, faced legitimate defenses and won. This is why Eric's 2 Reasons of Green Bay's Front 7 and Secondary don't scare me all that much. The Steelers faced the Ravens and Jets, both of whom feature one of the league's best defense and best road playoff records. If the Steelers tattered O-Line can handle Heloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Bart Scott and Jason Taylor, they can handle B.J. Raji and a fuel-injected Clay Matthews. Ben's had to watch out for Ed Reed and Darrell Revis the last two weeks, so I'm confident he can keep the ball out of Charles Woodson's hands.

Thoughts?

Above all the stats and biceps, my point is the Steelers are the most complete team the Packers have faced in a long time -- and by a wide margin.


Most of the defensive stats used in this section came from a great two-part analysis of the Steelers Defense. It has some very interesting interactive stat displays to check out:


http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/1/24/1932755/the-best-2010-nfl-defense-a-deeper-statistical-analysis-than-yards?ref=yahoo


http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/1/25/1953755/the-best-2010-nfl-defense-a-deeper-statistical-analysis-than-yards?ref=yahoo


2. The Steelers are going to try and beat Aaron Rodgers like a rented mule.

If you watched the Packers-Bears game last weekend, you saw a total of 5 different QBs play. Cutler, Collins, Hanie, Rodgers and....Rodgers.

Huh?

Aaron Rodgers was a completely different player after taking a big hit from Julius Peppers at the start of the 4th Quarter. Up 7 and trying to put the game away, Rodgers didn't make a single play from that point forward. He looked rattled, missed open receivers and was out of his normal rhythm.

Dick LeBeau doesn't miss much, and I know this point is not lost on him.

The Steelers are going to do everything they can to pummel the crap out of Rodgers early in this game. If they can get one unblocked hit on him, even if it draws a flag, it may end up being the play of the game. They're going to try and break his rhythm, rattle his confidence and generally instill the fear of God in him that James Harrison is going to come full speed like a runaway freight train. As my uncle wisely pointed out, the Packers won't be able to run the ball at all which will lead to Harrison and Woodley drawing double teams up the wazoo, thus freeing up Ike Taylor or Troy Polamalu to come in unblocked. If Rodgers holds that ball a second too long, he may be wishing Julius Peppers was the worst of his troubles.

Aaron Rodgers is a very good QB, and as he demonstrated against the Bears, he's fully capable of throwing quick slant patterns to beat a blitzing defense. But as Mr. Peppers demonstrated all it takes is one hit to "get in that ass" -- so to speak. 

Here's to Lawrence Timmons spray-painting "LARRY WAS HERE."


3. The Steelers Restore Balance to Offensive Force
I'm guessing either the TV show you're watching just came back from commercial or you're bordering on taking too long in the bathroom at work -- in any event, I'll try and make my next three points in less than 2,000 words.

The Steelers are not what I consider an offensive juggernaut. You could likely convince me that the Packers, because of Rodgers vision and rhythm, are a better offensive unit. But the Steelers do feature one thing the Packers lack -- balance. James Starks has performed well in the playoffs, but his one great game against the Eagles came, well, against the Eagles. While he rushed for a decent 66 and 74 yards the next few weeks, both came on 22+ carries, for an average of 3.0 yards per carry. If you run the numbers, Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall hasn't done considerably better, but the difference is, the Steelers will not abandon the run as quickly as the Packers. The Packers offense belongs to Rodgers. He will be responsible for their success or failure.

The Steelers meanwhile effectively share the load. Mendenhall carried the Steelers last week against the Jets and if given decent O-Line play has the ability to take some of the pressure of Roethlisberger to make every play for his offense. Like I said last week, Mendenhall keeps his feet moving and exploits poor tackling.

Moving to Roethlisberger, he is the best QB the Packers will have faced since that Week 15 matchup against Tom Brady. The fact that his Offensive Line is in shambles is no secret, but luckily for the Steelers, Ben excels in situations where he is forced out of the pocket.

The Steelers Wide Receivers and Tight Ends are vastly underrated. Even if Ben is being harassed all day, his receivers will get open. I was surprised one of Eric's 5 Reasons was not the supposed advantage the Packers will have playing on turf. Green Bay may have more team speed, but Mike Wallace could outrun a jungle cat on a people mover. He'll get at least a few deep attempts from Ben. Antonio Brown has made the catch of the game in two consecutive games and I would expect him to be similarly involved against the Packers.

Finally, don't be surprised if the Steelers whip out a trick play or two. Wallace on an end-around or Antwan Randle El airing it out. Remember this dandy that iced Super Bowl XL?

 4. Mike Tomlin > Mike McCarthy

On paper, this may be to me the Steelers single biggest advantage over the Packers. Mike Tomlin is already the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl. Now he's the first to go twice before turning 40. He has two Super Bowl rings (one as an assistant in Tampa), a great staff and just the right amount of swagger. He is, in my opinion, the best coach in the NFL. Unlike Belichick he has personality, but not too much personality like Ryan. He's defeated John Harbaugh every time he had to. 

Mike McCarthy strikes me as a perfectly good coach. But in five years in Green Bay he's 48-32 (.600) in the regular season. Good, but not great. And before this season's 3 playoff wins, he was just 1-2 in the playoffs. Compare that to Mike Tomlin's 43-21 (.671) and 5-1 in the post-season. You may be saying .600 and .671 aren't that different. But it's the difference between averaging 9.5 wins a year and 10.8. That's often the difference between the Division and a January tee time.

But more important than winning percentage is what I saw in the NFC and AFC Championship games. The entire second half, Mike McCarthy seemed to play not to lose. When one scoring drive would have sealed the game, he handcuffed the league's best QB. I admire his attempt to run the clock out with 4:00 minutes left, but when your running back is James Starks, your QB Aaron Rodgers and your defense just gave up a long TD pass to Caleb Hanie, you throw the ball and win the game. Compare that to Mike Tomlin's 3rd and 6 call at the end of the AFC Championship game. When running would have meant punting back to the surging Jets with 1:15 left, he threw and won the game.

I'm sure Mike McCarthy will up his aggressiveness in this game of games. But as Sean Payton showed last year, an aggressive and confident coach is oftentimes the coach soaked in Gatorade come the Super Bowl's final gun.


5. Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn. My God, do you learn.
Experience alone will not lead the Steelers to victory in this game. Like my buddy Troy, I don't believe it gives them as enormous an advantage as many of the pundits. But where I'll bet it comes in handy is over the next week. The build-up to the Super Bowl is overwhelming for a fan, so I can only imagine how it must be for a player. The media days, public appearances and heck, just the emotion of making to the Super Bowl.

The Steelers have 25 players who've played in a Super Bowl. 14 of their 22 starters won a Super Bowl ring in 2008. 10 of them have another from 2005. Their defensive coordinator has two rings, their offensive coordinator has one. Mike Tomlin, as previously mentioned, has two as well. The Rooneys, well, they have six.

Two players on the current Packers team have played in a Super Bowl, both having lost. Many, like Eric, use that as an argument that they're hungrier than the Steelers. But when push come to shove, I think preparation will have more a say in the outcome than hunger. And the Steelers' experience will lead to fewer distractions, thus allowing them to truly treat this as just another game.

When it's all said and done, this game is close to a toss-up as they come. Both teams feature an elite QB, freakish linebackers in Harrison and Matthews and a safety/CB duo for the ages in Polamalu and Woodson.

But the Packers are not a team of destiny. At least not any more than the Steelers will be if they win. Or the Jets had they won. Or the Bears. Let's face it, every team is a team of destiny -- so long as they win.

None of us have any idea how this game is going to play out. Not Conan, not James Lipton, not even Harry Caray. But what we do know is that the moon is not made of Green Cheese. And that, perhaps more than anything, spells victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here's the Seventh Heaven and polishing it down with a tall, cool Budweiser.

Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!

5 Reasons Why the Packers Will Win the Super Bowl

With Frank so convinced that the Steelers will somehow win yet another Super Bowl, I have taken it upon myself to tell you all why the Green Bay Packers will be your Super Bowl champions.

The game you will see Sunday, Feb. 6 will be a tightly contested one between two great teams. You first have the Steelers. A team with six Super Bowl titles to their name already and hailing from a wonderful blue-collar city. Then, the Packers. You might call them the people's team, as they are the only publicly owned professional sports franchise. Most of the people in Wisconsin own a piece of them. The Packers are a team of destiny. The Steelers wave is about to come crashing down. It's like Conan the Barbarian. The Packers are Conan. The Steelers are James Earl Jones. Conan is coming for you, and he knows what is best in life.



So, other than being really cool, here are the five reasons why the Green Bay Packers will be your Super Bowl XLV champions.

1. Karma

The Steelers have angered Crom. Between Roethlisberger, a womanizer and rapist, Polamalu, a Trojan and hair enthusiast, and Harrison, a psychopath, the Steelers have a crop of players who are not good people. Bad people can't win the Superbowl. There is more and more evidence of this every year. You don't think karma plays into it? Do you really think the Saints won last year just on skill. You're wrong. It was destiny. Aaron Rodgers has taken so much crap over the last decade missing out of championships and what have you. Its time he gets what is coming to him. Which is a great thing considering how good of a person he is. Crom will not let the Steelers win a seventh Lombardi trophy with this cast on their roster.

2. Aaron Rodgers

Will Ferrell was actually describing what Rodgers is about to do here. Could not find it on youtube, so, many apologies. Watch at 2:28.



He is a top 5 quarterback in the NFL. He does it without a running game. He does it with a none-too-impressive O-line. He throws the deep ball, he throws the screen. He throws on the run. He throws in the pocket. The guy is just freaking good. He is the X factor above anyone else in this game.

Here's a video of him being awesome last year.



He is the second coming. He will lead the faithful to salvation. Ben has nothing and is a bum. This could easily be reasons 1-5. He will do it. And everyone will eat cheese to celebrate.

3. Raji, Matthews, Bishop, Jenkins, Hawk and Co.

The Green Bay defense is as good as it has been in a long while. The front 7 is going to give the Steelers fits. As I see the Steelers, they have a good balanced offense. However, there has to be balance in order for them to be successful at either. If they are forced to go run or pass heavy, its game over. I see the Packer pass rush blowing by a beaten offensive line. I see them showing looks they haven't shown all season. I see them filling the holes and stopping the running game. The Steeler offense will never hit their stride. Game, Packers.

4. Treman Williams and Charles Woodson
With the front seven harassing Ben and the running backs, the cornerbacks of the packers will have a field day. These are world class players with world class talents. Ben will be intercepted at least twice during the game. Wallace and Ward will be blanketed during the rest of the attempts. The Steelers won't move the ball.

Here's what Woodson did last season:



5. The Hunger
The Packers want this. They want this for Aaron. They want this for the doubters. No one has doubted the Steelers. No one likes a dynasty except for the fans of the team that has it. The Packers have the bigger chip on their shoulder. They're eager to make this happen, and there's no reason why they can't. I know Frank pointed this out as a reason why the Jets might beat the Steelers, and then they didn't. The Packers want it way more than the worst QB in the NFL (Sanchez). Hunger will play a part in this game, and the packers are hungrier. That, and Crom is on their side.



GO BEARS! GO PACKERS!

Cal beats OSU 85-57

For a good breakdown of the game, check out this article at California Golden Blogs.

BEARS WIN!

Mike McCarthy's Pittsburgh Connection

Great article by Elizabeth Merrill on Packers coach Mike McCarthy and his upbringing in the Burgh.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2010/columns/story?page=hotread20/MikeMcCarthy

"And on Feb. 6, he'll be on the TVs here, and the patrons will awkwardly cheer for two things. The team they love and the man they know."

It's nice to know I won't be the only one conflicted with this matchup.

And stayed tuned for our Super Bowl Showdown in which Eric and I will debate who has the edge in this title bout.

AFC Championship Recap: Homeward Bound

I am, at my core, a sports pessimist. Meaning, when my team is down, there is no hope. And when my team is up, they'll likely find a way to gag. Interestingly enough, both have been on display in consecutive weeks of the NFL playoffs.

Down 21-7 to the Ravens, I was already completely resigned to defeat -- like Peter waiting for Shadow at the end of Homeward Bound. The Steelers weren't going to make it. "He was old," Peter said. "It was too far. He was just too old." I'm not sure my actual words were as suitable for a Disney movie, but the moral was the same. Yet despite my pessimism, Shadow, at the very last moment, came lumbering over that hill.

I'm not quite sure if there's a Homeward Bound analogy for the Jets game. Maybe something like -- during their journey, Shadow is forced to confront a trash-talking coyote (who happens to be obsessed with female coyote's paws). Shadow proceeds to beat the living crap out of said coyote for 30 minutes, then they take a short break, after which the coyote beats the living crap out of Shadow until the coyote runs out of time, tires itself and admits defeat. 

Could not find a video of that scene. 

This week against the Jets, you literally could not imagine a person less confident with a 24-3 halftime lead. But that's how it is I suppose. When you're down 24-3, there's not a chance in hell your team will come back. But when you up 24-3, there's not a chance in hell the other team won't come back.

While all ended well, my pessimistic nature was certainly on to something in predicting a Jets comeback. 

Next to Joe Buck, Phil Simms might make more idiotic statements per broadcast than any other announcers. It'd be fun to calculate some stats on that. But totally redeemed himself with his statement right after the Jets kicked their field goal before halftime. He said something like, "Don't discount the significance of that Field Goal. They get the ball back to start the second half, and if they can score there, it's 24-10."

While it may seem like simple arithmetic, Phil was right. A 24-3 lead really isn't insurmountable. Especially when the leading team gains 8 yards of offense in the second half.

But let's go back to the beginning. I was thankful that the Packers game was on first, simply to have some time to prepare myself emotionally for the Steelers game. The Packers game, as Eric noted, was entertaining if not frustrating. McCarthy did about everything he could give that game away. His uber-conservative play-calling was beyond suspect, particularly when you have the best QB in the league and one score would ice the game. They should have been up 35-0 in that game, but instead were at risk of going to overtime against Caleb Hanie.

In any event, the Packers won, which pleased me. At the very least, the Packers would play the Jets. A Bears-Jets Super Bowl sounded about as entertaining as a root canal. Moreover, I knew if the Bears somehow won that game, the AFC Championship might as well have been for the Super Bowl. And the Jets just could not be allowed to win the Super Bowl simply by default after going up against the great Caleb Hanie. 

So it was on to the AFC Championship. Katherine, to her credit, tried her best to watch the game with me. I will admit I am not the easiest person to watch a Steelers game with. It's long periods of silence and wringing paper towels followed by unpredictable obscenity-laden outbursts.

Perhaps as a result of the high stakes, it only took three plays to incite my first explosion this week. Ben threw incomplete on 3rd down. Naturally I jumped up, slapped my hands together and shouted. As if she had been released from detention, Katherine promptly moved to her bedroom and watched Modern Family on DVD until about 2 minutes left in the game. All things considered, I think it worked out well for both of us.

The Steelers first drive really set the tone for the whole half. Nothing quite says, "We're in control" like a 9 minutes touchdown drive to start the game. Mendenhall was fabulous, and I don't say that often. I have a tendency to criticize him for dancing behind the line of scrimmage, waiting for a hole that never forms and settling with a 1 yard gain. But it was exactly that ability to keep his feet moving that triggered his monster half. What's more, the Steelers completely denied the Jets' ability to play their "ground and pound" brand of football. Not only were the Steelers manhandling the Jets' defensive line, but the Jets were missing tackles, getting stuffed in their own run game and falling behind early.

At halftime, I took a few breaths and considered where we were at. Just as I had hoped, the Steelers raced out to an early lead thanks to stuffing the Jets run and forcing Sanchez into a costly mistake. If the Jets were going to come back, it would have to come from Sanchez's arm, which was my hope from the very beginning -- force Sanchez to make throws. As fearful as I was of a Jets comeback/Steelers collapse, the Black and Gold really couldn't have been in a better position. One more score in the second half and the game was over.

The second half, as we know, was like a negative image of the first half. We knew the Steelers were going to hang back and play a lot of prevent defense, but 30 minutes is a lot of clock to runout. I for one wish they'd played the third quarter a little more aggressively. If you want to start running the clock out at the start of the 4th, that's fine. But starting it immediately after the half just gave the Jets too much time to close the gap.

Before this game I detailed some keys to the game. Let's see how they went: 

- Sanchez's Decision Making:
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Sanchez really impressed me. I gave him no credit for any of his team's accomplishments up to this point, but had they won this game, he would have been the reason. He had some huge completions in the second half and even more that were dropped by Jets receivers. I wanted the Steelers to force Sanchez to beat them and he almost did. For that, he earned my respect. Some of it anyway.

- Where does Revis play?
Revis, for the most part, covered Wallace and did a fine job. Ben took one big shot to Wallace in the first half, and while Wallace had Revis beat, Ben under threw him and should have been picked off. The Jets took their chances with Ward and it was a smart decision. He was essentially a non-factor as well. Wallace may not have had a huge game, but he did occupy Revis' attention on almost every play. I can't wait to see Wallace on turf in Denver. I texted my Dad during the game, Mike Wallace should run a stop and go on every play. Ben would have him every time, if he could throw it far enough. He's that fast.

- Steelers O-Line vs. Jets D-Line: 
Even with the Steelers losing Maurkice Pouncey, their best Offensive Lineman, in the first quarter, the Steelers O-Line managed to give Ben just enough time to make plays. They cleared space for Ben to run for several crucial first downs, and gave him the escape valves I stressed which allowed Ben to get outside the pocket to Heath Miller and Brown on his last two game-icing completions.

- Tackle Return Men:
Outstanding job. Part of it was the Steelers' advantage in Time of Possession, but no Jets return man came close to breaking a big return. They couldn't give up points on returns like they did in Week 15 and expect to win. They did not and they won.

- Week 15 Means Nothing: 
In many ways, this game was a lot like the Week 15 battle. The winning margin was 5 points, it featured a Jets' safety, and both teams endured painfully cold weather. While neither Heath Miller nor Troy made the highlight reel, they certainly changed the landscape on the field. Troy had a few awesomely loud tackles and Miller made a few of the biggest catches of the night.

- Stop Santonio 
Santonio did exactly what he always does -- he scored a huge TD when his team needed it most. But other than that one long TD reception after Ike Taylor slipped, he was held mostly in check. I'm not sure if that's more a credit to the Steelers or a fault of the Jets for not getting him the darn ball more. 


- Who Wants It More?:
What I thought might tilt this game in the Jets' favor was their hunger. They essentially shocked the football world with their win over the Pats and I was worried they might come into this game so hopped up on emotion that the Steelers couldn't compete. In the end, the exact opposite rang true. The Jets looked drained and lacking focus. The Steelers pounded them into submission from the opening gun. And while they "stumbled at the end" (putting it very nicely, Coach Tomlin), the Steelers put the Jets in a hole of which they could not climb out.

The Jets deserve credit for a turning a 24-3 halftime deficit into 66,000 soiled trousers at Heinz Field. Literally a few plays here and there, and that game could have ended differently. And we'd be talking about the "greatest playoff comeback of all time" as Rex Ryan held a 24 hour press conference sponsored by KFC. Braylon Edward's third down drop in the 4th quarter sticks out to me as a game-changer. As does the Steelers goal line stand. Even with the Safety a few plays later, it forced the Jets to start a new TD drive on their side of the field. 

Furthermore, all of the Steelers mistakes were minimally painful. Ben's first interception was on a 4th and 1 for no return, thus giving the Jets even poorer field position than if had simply been an incomplete pass. His second pick came at the Jets' 5 yard line on a 3rd down. Chances are had the Steelers been forced to punt, the Jets would have ended up with better field position. Even the safety, much like that in Super Bowl XLIII, wasn't the end of the world. The Jets still needed two TDs to avoid losing and the time it took them to score their next TD was the difference in the game.  

The Steelers last drive really was a thing of beauty. I think their play calling was flawless, including the big gamble to pass on 3rd and 6 to ice the game. During the 2 minutes time-out my dad and I sent identical texts to each other: "Run or Pass?"

We agreed. Pass. End it right now. They did and, they did. I don't even want to think about what would have happened had they been forced to kick the ball back to Sanchez with 1:15 left. I have a feeling I would not have gone to get a Giordano Bros. sandwich later that night if they had.

So here we are. The Steelers are back in the Super Bowl for the third time in six years -- homeward bound, indeed. And it's Ben's 4th AFC Championship game in 7 seasons. That's a pretty phenomenal stat. 

As I said in my previous post, I realize how recent the Steelers have won it and how that sways a lot of casual fans (Katherine included) to root for the other team. But to fan's of a winning team, does that really matter? If the Giants are in the tight race for the West next year, are we going to just hand it over? Do we have any problem rooting for Cal to keep the Axe for consecutive seasons? Heck no! When your teams in it, you want them to win every single time. Sure, it makes it less painful to lose if you've won recently. But you can't squander opportunities for a championship. There's no telling when you'll see one again.

Much Super Bowl banter to come from Eric and I, but for now, enjoy Rex Ryan's final Hard Knock of the year.

Super Bowl XLV a Win-Win

Don't get me wrong, I want the Steelers to win the Super Bowl.

But it's rare in sports that you find true "win-wins", especially in championship games.

But I suppose that's what happens when you favorite pro team goes up against your college's current pro hero. Even if Rodgers was gone by the time I started school, most recent Cal grads will tell you -- Aaron Rodgers is our pro team. Despite being a Steeler fan, I've followed Aaron Rodgers every step of his career. Lamenting when the Niners passed on him and screaming at Bret Farvre to retire and finally give Rodgers his chance. The NFC means about as much to me as the American League, but once Rodgers took over in Green Bay, I finally had a reason to switch from CBS to FOX every now and again. I cringed when the Pack lost to the Cards last year on that freak interception in OT, as well as every other time Rodgers teammates left him out to dry. I think he's been the best QB in the league for a few years now, and I'm glad he finally has a team good enough for him to lead to the promised land.

I think all Cal grads would tell you the same thing I feel when I think about Rodgers -- pride. Pride in Cal. Pride in all things not USC. He's just "ours." And like I said, even if he was gone the year before we got there, he's still the most visible Cal presence in the NFL, and he unlike some (LONG BEACH POLY) he's proud of his alma mater...

And let's be real. Rodgers has been screwed. Screwed in '04 with the Rose Bowl. Screwed with falling so far in the draft. Screwed with the whole Brett Farve drama the year the Packers didn't want him back. And what did he do with it all? He stays at it. He keeps "doing work" as my friend Edd would say. He just wins. And that whole "cheri the angel -- save me a spot" thing? Freaking made me cry.

It's easy to be proud of a guy like that.

So that's what makes Super Bowl XLV so awesome. Steelers win, that's great. Seventh Heaven. Rodgers wins, that's great too. Oski Incarnate in the NFL ascends to the top of the NFL pyramid where all Cal grads know he truly belongs.

The Steelers won it two years ago and certainly have not accrued any kind of karma boost. Plus, as much as I hope Ben is turning his life around and working hard to become less of a d-bag, Rodgers wins the Gentleman test. Going away.

And the thing about the Steelers is -- I'm just glad they go this far. I'm glad they beat the Ravens and I'm damn glad they beat Rex Ryan and his loud mouth crew. I hate those two teams and would have hate to lose to them. But the Packers? I do not hate the Packers. So should the Steelers lose, it won't sting nearly as much as a loss to the Ravens or Jets would have. They won the AFC. Which is better than every other team I care about in the NFL.

This is gonna be an awesome game. The two marquee franchises in the NFL. League's best Defense against the world's hottest QB. I'm sure Eric and I will both have a lot to say in the weeks leading up to this game. And for once I'm glad there's a two week gap. More time to enjoy the hype surrounding this "Dream Matchup."

Go Beelers?

Pittsburgh's Going to the Super Bowl!

More to come after Giordano Brothers!

Packers-Bears Final Thoughts

Ladies and gentlemen, the great Kaleb Hanie!



He definitely made it a game. Of course, he almost lost it with that Raji interception. Which was HILARIOUS. I couldn't find a video of his tight dance, so this will have to suffice.



Then of course, he did lose it on the final drive. But hell, he looked better than Mr. Cutler.

A tip of the cap to the Bears defense, who stifled the Packer offense for the second half. They made the adjustments they needed to make. Rodgers didn't have his scrambling lanes, and the running game was effectively shut down. Once the Packers became one dimensional, it was much easier for the Bears to cover the Packer receivers.

A tip of the cap to the Packer defense, who made big plays when they needed to, even though they, at times, made Kaleb Hanie look like Joe Montana. Hanie gets the tip of the cap too. Next to nothing experience, and they bench Collins for him. He came out there and performed at a pretty high level.

McCarthy almost coached himself out of this one. If you are the Packers, you pass. That's what you do best. Stop trying to run against a defense with their ears pinned back looking for it.

In the end, the Pack wins, Aaron gets to go to the Superbowl, and we now get to be excited to watch the AFC championship, which I'm sure my counterpart will cover.

On another note, watching the Cal-USC men's basketball game last night was a lot of fun. You can find great recaps on it here:

California Golden Blogs

Packers-Bears FIrst Half Thoughts, 14-0

Well, I may have called this one a bit wrong. But I am ok with that, as it is happening in my favor.

This is all Green Bay, and all Aaron Rodgers. Halfway through this thing, the QBs should not even be compared.

Rodgers: 10/15 156 yards 10.4 YPP 0 TD (1 Rush) 1 INT 73.2 Rating
Cutler: 6/13 80 yards 6.2ypp 0 TD 1 Int 34.1 Rating

More interesting to look at is Cutler's passes. Except for the big play to Knox, he did not complete another pass to a wide receiver. Everything else has been a screen pass or a dump off to a running back. The pressure has gotten there. He is not comfortable in the pocket. When he tries to throw down the field it gets overthrown or into the hands of a Packer.

Rodgers doesn't look like the GOD he is, but he still looks good. The game seems to slow down for him. He makes great decisions. He knows when to throw and when to run. The one interception near the end of the half was a fluke.

In the Locker Room:

Bears: Have to figure out or to open up the passing game. The Packers are doing a good job keying on Forte and not allowing him to get free. If Cutler can hit Hester and Knox, this game could turnaround. The Bears haven't done a terrible job on defense, especially with that stand on their 35. However, they need to hold the running lanes and not let Rodgers escape the pocket, or this will continue to be a long afternoon.

Packers: Keep doing what they're doing. They took the crowd out of it. They established a downfield passing game. They established the run. They are getting to Cutler. I would like to see them get the TEs established and keep up the WRs, who they did't throw to late in the half.

Good luck to both teams!

Packers-Bears

Well America, we all know who I want to win this one. The Second Coming.

Have you seen how freaking amazing he is?



There he is. In all his glory.

And let's be real. Aaron Rodgers is the Green Bay Packers. He will lead them to the promised land. Sadly, I don't have the time right now to post all the highlights that Frank did, but I'll do some quick stuff on each team.


The Packers have the obvious advantage at QB. Rodgers is clearly one of the best in football, and has done it without much of a running game this year. Cutler can be a very good QB as well. Unfortunately, I don't think he has the grit necessary to be an elite one. It seems to me that this game will be decided in the first quarter by the Packer front 7 against the Chicago offensive line. If Bishop and Matthews start sacking Cutler and taking away the running games early, then Cutler will feel that pressure the rest of the game. He will throw picks and make bad decisions.

I personally have felt that the Bears have flown under the radar all season, very quietly earning their number two seed.

They only had the number 22 rush offense in the NFL. The Packers only had the number 18 rush defense. The Bears have the number 2 rush D, but the Packers don't really rush anyway, finishing 24th. Its hard to tell which teams has more weapons. Mike Martz has done a great job revamping a poor Chicago offense, but it hasn't been that good. On the passing side, Packers ranked 5th, Bears 20th. Those ranks are the same defensively, and I think that is what makes the difference in this game.

Look for Rodgers to take advantage of the Chicago secondary with his multiple receiving threats. Look for the Bears to mix it up a lot, you'll hear Forte, Olson, Knox, and Hester all called out multiple times, but other guys will get the ball as well.

In their first meeting, the Bears beat the Packers at home 20-17. A few weeks ago, the Packers held off the Bears at an icy Lambeau, 10-3. These teams always play great games. I think we'll see another close one, but with the most points between these two this year. But I'm calling it: Packers 24, Bears 17.

Steelers-Jets Preview

First off, my Dad's friend, Drew, from Pittsburgh wrote a great article on Ben that was featured this morning on CNN.com. Check it out:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/21/steelers.roethlisberger.redemption/index.html?iref=allsearch

Ok, to the game -- the anticipation is killing me. We're only two wake-ups away from the best football weekend of the year: Championship Sunday.

My counterpart might be writing something up on the lesser conference, but just for the hell of it I'll say Packers 34 Bears 21. Go Bears! And by that I mean Aaron Rodgers, not the Chi-- you get the idea.

Now on to the main event.

Midway through the thrid quarter of last Sunday's Jets-Pats game I tried to prepare myself for both potential outcomes. If the Pats win, I thought, that's good. It's the way it should be. The two best teams in the AFC going at it. I want another shot at them after being so humiliated early this year. If we want to be the best, we have to beat the best, blah blah blah. And at least Sanchez will be out of the playoffs.

If the Jets win, that's good too. They match up much better with the Steelers and we won't have to play Brady. We'll be at home. And the Jets barely beat the Colts. And the Colts aren't good. We got this one, right?

After the final gun, I still couldn't quite convince myself I was happy the Jets won. I still believe the Steelers have a much better chance of beating the Jets than they would have the Pats, but there's something fishy going on inside my stomach about this game.

For one, I hate the Jets. And as I said before, I'd rather see the Pats in the Super Bowl than the Jets. I just don't want to live in a world where a QB as mediocre as Mark Sanchez become a Super Bowl Champion.

All week the experts have been going back and forth, studying the stats and their previous match-up in week 15. But 49 hours before kick-off, these are the factors I think will decide the AFC:

- Sanchez's Decision Making:
To me, this game comes down to Mark Sanchez doing stupid things. If he does stupid things, I like the Steelers big. If he doesn't do stupid things, it's going to be close. My fantasy first drive goes like this:

Steelers win toss and defer
Jets return kick to 26 instead of for a TD
1st and 10: Tomlinson runs up the middle for 1 yard gain
2nd and 9: Green to the outside for 2 yard loss
3rd and 11: Sanchez underthrows Edwards
PUNT

It all comes down to the Steelers Defense first stopping the Jets running game. I am convinced that if the Steelers can force Sanchez to throw the ball more than he wants to, he's going to make at least one big mistake. I invision him dropping back on third and longs, getting pressure, running to his right, throwing to his left and getting picked off about 11 times. A lot of people are saying, and with good reason, that the Steelers may have a hard time moving the ball. I think this is possible. The Jets defense as we saw last weekend is legitimate. And you know Ryan is going to have a good defensive plan. This is why I think its imperitive that the Steelers win the turnover battle and that the defense if not scoring directly, sets up the offense in good field position.

- Where does Revis play?
When they met in Week 15, Revis covered Hines Ward and completely neutrilized him. But it doesn't take a genius to realize Ward is no longer the Steelers most dangerous receiver. Mike Wallace's blinding speed makes him a much bigger threat. Wallace torch Antonio "A**hole" Cromartie in Week 15 for a 100+ yard game. It wouldn't surprise me to see Revis switch to Wallace's side and let Cromartie take the slower Ward. If Revis is on Wallace, it might considerably hamper Ben's ability to hit Wallace long. And he likes to take at least a few shots to him every game.

Man, he's fast.

- Steelers O-Line vs. Jets D-Line:
Ben Roethlisberger is a good QB. Give him time and he'll make plays. The key for the Steelers is to either A. give him enough time to get a throw off before having to run around in circles while making that Three Stooges sound or B. give him somewhere to scrample too if he does have to leave the pocket. We all know Ben is the best at breaking tackles and extending plays. But that ability is dependent on having space to escape to. His skill is evading the pass rush and finding refuge in an open space outside the pocket and making his throw from there. But when he has a rush coming at him from all sides and he tries to spin away from a lineman only to find Shaun Ellis there to greet him, the play is over. The O-Line has to find a way to give him enough time to find his talented corps of receivers. The RBs are going to have to come up big in pass rush because Ryan loves to blitz all the freaking time.

- Tackle Return Men:
The Jets opening kick-off in Week 15 was returned for a touchdown. The Steelers lost 22-17. That's the game. Tackle returners before the 35. JUST DO IT!

- Week 15 Means Nothing:
At this point, the Jets week 15 win shouldn't matter to either team. The Steelers were missing their best defensive player in Troy and arguably Ben's favorite target in Heith Miller (especially in the Red Zone). The Steelers had three shots from the 10 yard line to win that game back in December. And while they didn't get it done, I don't think there's anyone on this Steelers team that thought the Jets were a better team that day. And I don't think any of them think that now.

- Stop Santonio:
Steelers fans are the last people who need to be told what a game changer Santonio Holmes is. He's cocky and brash and probably a bit of a chump, but the dude makes plays in crunch time. And when the Jets are down 4 with 3 minutes left, the Steelers better be all over him. After his catch in the Super Bowl and last week, there's no telling what freakish physical tricks he's capable of. Don't let him beat you.

- Who Wants It More?:
I really think this is what it might come down to. Are the Jets going to be as fired up without having spent the week throwing insults around like a 7th grade girls bathroom? If the Steelers take an early lead and things are down at halftime for the Jets are they going to be too exhausted to come back? Do they really want to kill the Steeelers the way they did the Patriots? At least we know Bart Scott does. He's the former Raven who reportedly "put a bounty" on Hines Ward's head.

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/10/21/ravens-have-a-bounty-on-hines-ward/

Are the Steelers as hungry as the Jets? Having won it only two years ago, is there any part of that recent success that will prevent them from going as hard as humanly possible?

This really is a fascinating matchup. It's going to be a chess match. Every play will have significance in the big picture.

I'm a pessimist when it comes to sports. I think I like to expect the worst and then be overcome with joy when things go well. That said, I feel like the Steelers are going to get it done. I think they are hungry. I think Hines is going to come out there and pop Revis on a block like he did last week with Ed Reed. I think James Harrison is going to freaking crush LT's tinted visor. And I think Troy is going sneak up to line of scrimmage, sprint in untouched and go Tommy Trojan all over Mark Sanchez and his super-model moles.

I'm learning to forvige

Except in this case

But I could be wrong. The Jets could very well take this game. What struck me during last week's win over the Pats was in about the middle of the third quarter, it felt like everyone in the stadium and on TV all at once went, "Holy Crap. This might actually happen." It went from being one of those exciting come-back wins by the Pats to, "I don't think they're gonna come back. The Jets are actually doing this." From that moment things just became incredibly urgent. And every second that went by and they didn't come back made it all the more real and imminent. It started to suck all of the hope and energy from the team. It's like when you're at a urinal in a crowded bathroom at a ballgame and it's just not coming out. People are waiting behind you, wondering what the deal is. Every second that goes by it gets harder to pee.

"Ok, it'll just take a sec. Hmmm. Still nothing....still nothing. Ok, now it's awkward. Out with it. Come on!'

Eventually you have to admit defeat, zip up and try again later. And that's exactly what the Jets did to the Pats.

I think the Jets are in the same position this week, the have the ability to create the same "pee" effect. Every minute the Jets lead, their confidence and swagger grows and the other team's shrinks. Similarly, every minute they Jets are behind, they're bad attitudes become inflamed and they pout. They reak of bad energy when things aren't going well.

The key for the Steelers is to get a lead, force Sanchez to throw the ball a lot and catch balls on offense and defense.

If all goes according to plan: Steelers 24, Jets 14

Steelers - Ravens III

There is nothing like a Steelers-Ravens game.

I had the distinct privilege of going to a Steelers-Ravens game at Heinz last year. It was cold, loud and awesome. And that was when both teams were question marks for the playoffs. My uncle and cousin got to be there for this one and I can only imagine how much more intense the vibe was.

Fans are different in Pittsburgh. I don't think it's necessarily a matter of them caring more than fans elsewhere. It's that everyone cares. Everyone is a fan. And I mean everyone. Your best friend. Your best friend's mom. Your best friend's Nana. Everyone. In larger cities, you get a pretty big hunk off the population that just isn't interested in sports. In a place like New York or San Francisco, there are just too many who don't care to create the same type of environment they have in Pittsburgh. It's like a small town of 300,000. When I was in town for the Winter Classic, I showed up at my family's house for dinner. Aunts, cousins, uncles, babies -- every single person had at least one article of Pens gear on. My five year old cousin came down in his new Crosby jersey. My great Aunt was showing off her Penguins earrings. And the dog is named Sid.

"These two teams don't like each other." You hear it every time the Steelers and Ravens play. But what I think is even more true about the Steelers and Ravens is that they don't like playing each other. Or maybe that's just me.

I know the players talk all week about how much they love the games between these two rivals. And as a fan, they're always something to behold. But I'll say this -- there is no team in the league I fear playing more than the Ravens.

Part of it is the fact that the teams are so similar and the games are always close. As you watch every game, you know a single, subtle mistake can make the difference, making it all the more excruciating.

But what it really comes down to is there is no team in the league I hate losing to more than the Ravens. It seems like each meeting, regardless of the circumstances, is personal. So when a loss to the Ravens also means the end of the season, it's explosive.

As anyone who watched this game knows, it lived up to the hype and then some. There were a lot  of penalties early on, which slowed up the tempo. But the ebb and flow and changes in momentum made it a really compelling game to watch. I certainly thought the Ravens had a chance to win this game, but never in my life did I think they'd have a 21-7 lead at halftime. But even more stunning was the Steelers 17 unanswered in the second half.

I'm rewatching the game right now on NFL Network and a few things are standing out:

- Terrell Suggs, as much as I love to hate him, had a hell of a game. Even beyond his forced "fumble" that turned into a TD 17 awkward seconds later, Suggs was in on every big play the Ravens D made. Ray Ray may be the heart of the defense, but I'd take Suggs over him every day of the week. He just looks like a monster. He looks like he wants to literally rip your heart out of your chest and eat it while you watch.

- Ryan Clark outshines Troy. This isn't in any way a knock on Troy, but instead massive props to Clark. Troy is a game-changer, but if the Steelers had two game-changing safties, their pass defense would be on par with their Run D.

Troy missed a few tackles early in the game, but Clark sure picked up the slack. He had some great open field tackles and made brilliant plays on both of the Steelers turnovers in the 3rd Quarter. If both Clark and Troy are on this Sunday, I literally feel like the Steelers could intercept every pass Mark Sanchez throws.

- The Ravens really did choke. I've heard people say that the Ravens lost this game more than the Steelers  won it. I won't go that far, but between Flacco's meltdown in the second half, Boldin's drop of a sure TD pass and TJ's drop to end the game, they really did gag big time.

-Ben wins. You can knock Ben all you want, and I do it regularly. But when the game is on the line, he seems to always come up big. Take a look at the game winning drive in SB43 again -- it's unreal. His throw to Antonio Brown at the end of this game against the Ravens is just another example.

What I think impressed me the most about this game was the Steelers (and Tomlin's) composure, even after going down 21-7. A 14 point lead between these two teams is like 24 point lead in any other game. But the key to this game was the Steelers D realizing that despite having scored 21 points, the Ravens could not move the ball. They got 7 from a PI call. 7 from that fluky fumble recovery for a TD. And 7 were from another fumble at the Steelers 16. The Ravens were up 21-7 in the third quarter and hadn't gained 100 yards of offense.

So the Steelers got it done. And now on to the Jets. When the Steelers won it in 2005/2006, they avoided the Pats after the Broncos knocked them out. I remember then thinking how lucky they got, seeing as they can never beat the Pats in the postseason. They just caught the same break, and here's hoping they take advantage. Any time you can get to the Super Bowl without facing Brady is an opportunity you have to pounce on.

I forecast at least 2 INT by Sanchez. If the Steelers can stop the run and force Sanchez to throw, I like their odds.

Finally, one of the truly strange parts of the weekend: Did anyone else notice how freakishly similar Holmes' TD catch against the Pats was to his catch in Super Bowl 43? He sits down afterwards in the exact same position. Observe:

I'm sure I'll have some more pre-game thoughts before the Jets come to Heinz on Sunday. But the way I see it, if the Steelers D can limit the run and the O-line can give Ben even a few seconds of  protection, they have a good chance of taking a lead. If they can maintain a lead and force Sanchez to throw the ball with some urgency, I really like their odds of picking him off and winning the game.

Here we go!

Giants Reality TV Show?!?

I get it -- Hard Knocks, then the 24/7 Winter Classic Special. MLB wants a piece of the cash cow.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/51065951-77/team-reality-series-wanted.html.csp

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110114/tv_nm/us_baseball

But why the Giants? Why not go distract the Phillies and their 18 Cy Young Winners. Or the Red Sox who just signed their bat boy to a $100 million contract?

It may be cool to see all that inside footage once it's all done and edited, but if the G-men are 12 back in June, something tells me Bochy might pull a Stan Verrett on those cameras.

And what if we see things we don't want to see? Like Pablo on a Twinke binge or Wilson dying his beard?

Don't get me wrong, I like that the Giants are trying to increase their brand and use their recent success to become more visible on the national scene. It might encourage Sportscenter to spend more than 15 seconds on Giants highlights every night.

But another part of me is nostalgic. It'll never be the same as last year when they were that scrappy, unheard of bunch who snuck up and stole the show. Sigh, such is the price of winning I suppose.

But let's be real -- we'll pay that price any day of the week. And we'll like it.

Ten for Eleven

Thank you, Eric, for having my back. We have to keep our 9 loyal followers satisfied with new material. 

Seeing as I'm still working on the masterpiece that will be my write-up on the Steelers win against Sloth and the rest of the Ravens, I'll chime in on thoughts for 2011.

Rather than predictions necessarily, these are just the 10 things I'm most looking forward to in 2011:

10. Pittsburgh Pirates Trying Winning 82 Games

I know, I know. Typically a team needs to have at least one starting pitcher with a winning record in order for the team to finish over .500. Call me crazy, but I think this is possible. They have a core of good young position players who are going to get better each year. Clint Hurdle helped construct the Rangers' potent offense last year. If he can help instill some confidence, they will improve. This streak has to end someday, and you have to think the McCutchen, Alvarez, Tabata, Walker group is going to be the one to do it. They’ll need divine intervention in the form of starting pitching, but if just two of their starting pitchers have out-of-nowhere seasons, a decent year is possible. Heck, I’d take 75 wins. 

9. Harbaugh Coaching the 49ers

I'm not a 49ers fan, and obviously as a Cal guy, I'm not supposed anything coming within 15 miles of Palo Alto. But I like Harbaugh. I’m not sure why, but I really do. I like his gutsy, take no prisoners mentality and anyone who can turn a 1-11 Stanford program into the hottest team in the country deserves respect. Harbaugh is the kind of guy I’d want coaching my team. I’m praying he can turn the Niners into winners simply so that KNBR from November to March isn’t so freaking boring.

There’s no guarantee Harbaugh will succeed with the Niners. But the fact that they play in the NFC West, football’s Tuesday Night Bingo Club, should help. They need a QB, but once they get one, I like Harbaugh’s chances. It won’t happen overnight. Look for them to follow a similar path as his Stanford teams. His first year maybe they finish out of the playoffs but score a few statement wins.

All of this depends on the CBA, but I agree completely with Eric. It will get done. There will be football.

8. A Summer of Baseball Uninterrupted by the World Cup

Soccer, you can have the three weeks between the Super Bowl and the starting of Spring Training games.

7. Pac-12 Championship

Regardless of who plays, it will be interesting to see the Pac-12’s inaugural championship game. It’s uncharted waters and I know some folks are poo-pooing it, but I sure would have loved to see Stanford and Oregon play again at the end of Pac-10 play last season.

6. Steelers/Packers Super Bowl

There’s no telling if this will happen, which is why it isn’t higher on the list. But this would be a great game to see. Rodgers arm against the Steelers D. I think I’d be the only Cal alum/citizen of Northern California not rooting for Aaron Rodgers, but I’m with the rest of you wetting your pants over him. He’s awesome. I hope he doubles every record Farve set.

I have a hard time giving a rat’s about the NFC most of the time, but I want to see Rodgers win every game he plays – except this one.

5. Penguins v. Capitals in Eastern Conference Finals

Like the Steelers-Ravens AFC Championship game in 2008, this series needs an encore. The Caps-Pens series in 2009 was an absolute classic. And after all the hype the Winter Classic got, both the league and fans would benefit hugely from a few more periods of Sid and Alex the Ogre. There’s nothing like playoff hockey and seeing hockey’s two best players and two biggest rivals go at it just ups the ante.

4. Heat v. Lakers Finals

I guess this qualifies as a prediction, but I’m just sick and tired of being deprived of Kobe v. Lebron in the Finals. Every year, something gets in the way. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – give the people what they want.

Last years Finals was great basketball, but the Kobe v. Lebron spectacle would outshine even the Lakers/Celtics rivalry.

I envision Game 7 in L.A. Heat up 1. Kobe drains his turn-around jumper at the elbow with 5 seconds left to give L.A. a one point lead. Heat call a timeout during which ‘Bron literally pushes Eric Spolstra out of the huddle when he tries to draw up a play. Lebron says, “Give me the ball.”

James inbounds to Wade, runs off a pick by Bosh and gets the ball back. He goes one on one with Kobe, pulls up just past the free-throw line and nails it. The net doesn’t even move.  

3. Giants v. Phillies

In a perfect world, we’d get a NLCS rematch, but that may be asking too much. I’m excited for just their regular season meetings, especially those three in Philly. You know emotions will be running high, people wanting revenge.

I’m already planning a trip to Philadelphia for the Giants one swing through Citizen’s Bank. I’m already brainstorming for the most biting sign to display for Phillies Fans.

Front-runners are currently:

“PHAILING PHILS”

“CONGRATS TO THE PHILADELPHIA YANKEES”

and finally

“HOWARD, HOW DID STRIKE THREE LOOK?”

I’d appreciate your suggestions, and yes, I have taken out an extensive life insurance policy,

2. USC v. Cal at AT&T Park

I know the Bears may have a rough season ahead, but I am seriously juiced for the season at AT&T Park.  And it’s not just because I’ll save $5 in would-be Bay Bridge tolls every Saturday. It’s like mixing two of your greatest loves into one perfect concoction, like playing baseball with the cast of Star Wars, or watching Star Wars with the 2010 San Francisco Giants.

Anyone who has seen a game at AT&T knows how awesome a venue it is, and I really enjoyed the Emerald Bowl experience. The streets will be packed with Cal fans, the Band will parade around Willie Mays Plaza and Buster Posey will walk-on as QB.

The USC game is going to be icing on the cake. The SC fans will be swarming the City in maroon sweat-vests, ecstatic over the fact that they don’t have to mingle with commoners on the “revolting” BART train to the East Bay this year. It’ll be awesome.

1. April 8, 2011: Giants Championship Banner Raised

Outside the Lefty O’Doul Bridge entrance to AT&T Park is a large mural that details all of the Giants’ accomplishments in franchise history. There’s a list of years the Giants won the Division, the NL Pennant, and yes, the World Series.

I can remember standing outside this gate before the second game of the World Series, waiting to run film for the game. I remember looking up at that mural and seeing a lot of blank space under the “World Series Champions” section.

I remember thinking to myself, “You know, they really could do this. It could say 2010”

Sure enough, they did and it will. On April 8, the banner will be raised at 24 Willie Mays Pl. On April 9, the players will get their rings

I will be selling a kidney for a ticket to these games.