Super Bowl XL

Alright…I yield. I concede defeat to the hands of fate. To the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team that has boiled the blood of every Bengals fan around, knocked us out of the playoffs, injured our star quarterback, and have been our most hated rival in the NFL since before I can remember….I salute you.

The Steelers may soon be considered the ultimate road team in the NFL. They've won three straight road games in the playoffs and have one more to go in two weeks. Their travels and their play are taking them to Detroit, to play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL (*cough*…40). Big Ben had a great game against a Denver team that never found its stride. Jake Plummer made costly errors, including two fumbles and two interceptions, that never gave the Broncos a chance. The end result was a 34-17 victory for the Steelers, giving Jerome Bettis and Roethlisberger their first Super Bowl appearances. It'll be especially sweet for Bettis, as Detroit is his hometown and the big game may be his last in a Hall-of-Fame career.

On the otherside of the country, Seattle manhandled Carolina, earning the Seahawks' first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. It should be a fun game to watch. Two running teams that have the pass option and great defenses. If Seattle's D plays like it did against Carolina, this should be a great game to watch. Pittsburgh's defense is fun to watch just as well, especially Troy Polamalu. That man just flies everywhere on the field. Somehow, he remains highly underrated compared to the league's other big defensive stars, such as Ray Lewis and Champ Bailey, but the man makes plays outta nowhere in clutch situations. He is probably the best overall defensive player in the game right now. Seattle's rookie linebacker Lofa Tatupu has been solid as a defensive leader, calling plays and making smart adjustments. The next Ray Lewis? Too early to say…but he's off to a good start.

Pittsburgh vs. Seattle? Who da thunk it? Maybe there is parity in the NFL.

All in all, it's shaping up to be a good game. Both teams have solid running. Seattle probably has a better advantage in passing and overall offense, but hey…what do I know? Pittsburgh, I think, has an overall better defense, but again, Seattle's D is nothing to scoff at, especially fired up. The Steelers have more play makers on both sides of the field, so I give them the advantage. Plus, they have the Bus. He'll be playing with emotion and I feel sorry for the linemen that get in his way.

And with Stevie Wonder opening and The Rolling Stones at halftime, this Super Bowl should rock.

Pittsburgh: 31
Seattle: 27

Patriots: 0. Hehe, I couldn't resist.

Oh yeah…in basketball news, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a single game last night. Yes…the Lakers won. But again…81 points in a single game…Kobe, as much as I don't think very highly of you…I salute you.

Peace!