What Really Grinds My Gears

Yea my picture has a dog in it. I love dogs. Got a freakin problem with that??

(1) I am not even a Mets fan but the Mets not even talking to Manny is so idiotic it borders on insanity- This is becoming so absurd it is now comical; that is unless you are a Mets fan. Fuck that, I’m upset about it even as a Yankee fan! I just can’t understand why the Mets won’t even talk to Manny. It’s pretty simple, if the Mets get Manny they become the best team in the National League hands down. Manny almost took LA to the World Series with a significantly less talented roster. The Mets always seem to pick the wrong player and the wrong time to Penny pinch (see Guerrero 04).



(2) Dream week becoming a nightmare- Ugh; the Laker game really and truly does not bother me. The Lakers just went into Boston and ended the champs 12 game streak. This LA team might beat Boston in this year’s finals. The Knicks are supposed to get blown out in that game. However, the loss to Cleveland Wednesday night was an absolute heartbreaker as far as regular season games go. Down only 2 with about 1:10 left, Al Harrington misses a wide open 3, this after already compiling 39 points and shooting almost flawlessly throughout the balance of the contest to that point. Then, down 4 with 40 seconds to go, he misses another wide open 3 that would have made the game a virtual deadlock. Say what you will about not doubling Lebron and letting him score 50, if Al makes those two clean looks, the Knicks would have already guaranteed the 1 win it needed during “Hell week.” That said, I am eerily optimistic going into tonight’s contest, which I am attending with White Girl, due to Boston being fatigued and/or lacking in motivation after a brutal overtime loss to the 2009 NBA champs, there I said it.



(3) Stop with the 04 Jeter Sox July play canonizing!- Okay, Donny “Pucks” Lagreca nailed it a few minutes ago on 1050. He said, “When that guy said that the 2004 Jeter catch against Boston made him go from an icon to a legend, I nearly threw up in my mouth.” I love Derek but that was one of the most overrated plays in sports history. It won a regular season game and Jeter didn’t dive into the stands. On this play, Derek made a running catch and because he was charging so hard his momentum carried him into the first row of seats forcing him to leave the game with bad facial cuts. That is actually what happened (watch the replay people!). Donnie was right that the only thing any Yankee fan thinks about when they recall 2004 is that they regret that this year has not yet been expunged from his/her memory.



(4) When Olberman and Maddow are on vacation, they need wayyyyy better replacements- David Shuster?? Ariana Huffington??!! Are you kidding me???!! Ariana Huffington is a fine writer and blogger but she is a horrid speaker and host. Her voice never changes pitch or tone and she struggles putting sentences together orally. However, at least she is good at something unlike David Shuster. This guy is, simply put, really boring. Say what you will about Keith but he’s very entertaining if not easy to make fun of (see very funny SNL skit with Ben Affleck.) WFAN employs the right strategy of moving everybody up a slot when Mike “ I need a co-host because my show sucks ass right now” Francessa goes on one of his much needed vacations. MSNBC, take your cue from WFAN. (Wow I never thought anyone would type that sentence)

(5) Thanks Metallica for Ruining the Superbowl and thanks Super bowl for ruining my only chance to ever see Metallica- I realize that I could have just chosen one of these two options on Sunday night and just enjoyed whichever event I chose to focus on. However, I took the, “I’m going to try and experience both and be bitter that I missed out on key elements of both of them approach”. The guy who comes up with the names is on vacation. Although I now understand how amazing the Prudential center is and it is phenomenal, I couldn’t enjoy the concert that much because I was obsessing about what was going on in the game. Then, after Ben led the Steelers down the field for another impressive game winning drive, I was a bit down the rest of the concert because my one year of bragging rights over Mahatma and Iowa were a thing of the past. By the time I got past this, Metallica was already into its encore of songs from Garage Inc. I have never heard before. Would it have killed you to do a song from “Ride the Lighting” like For whom the Bell Tolls or a classic like “Battery.”?? That said, it was a great freaking Superbowl and I got to see my favorite band live. But would it have been better to see them before Hetfield’s vocal range was cut by 2/3 of its previous size? Sure. Would it have been better if both Zona won and I didn’t miss most of the 4th quarter? Yea.

Bonus neutral comment- I realized while eating at my favorite Puerto Rican restaurant, “El Molino Rojo”, a place right outside Yankee Stadium that my father and I affectionately refer to as “Cuchi Fritos”, that the first CD to be released by my new band, “The Jerry Jones Experience” (See some post I did in December) will be titled, “Greetings from El Molino Rojo.” I greatly apologize to the late great Jimi Hendrix and the living legend Bruce Springsteen for blatantly ripping you both off.

Reasons for a self-loathing Yankee fan to hate every Yankee

Ok, this guy's not exactly of the self-loathing mold, but look at the tool on his left who gets to sit next to the greatest current NBA baller?


The other day, I did my part to stimulate the economy by trying to spend a $50 MLB gift card. But a funny thing happened-I couldn't find any Yankee stuff worth buying. Basically, each Yankee numbered t-shirt I found, I gave myself a seemingly rational excuse not to show my love for that player. It made me realize two things:

1. I hope this is the year that the NHL postseason lasts until August.
2. I probably hate every player on this Yankee team.

Time to prove #2! First the position guys:

Jorge Posada
-For a guy who was here for the World Series years, find me a big hit he had between '98 and '01. Sure, he had a big hit vs. Boston in '03, but didn't '04 pretty much nullify anything positive from '03?
-So he's coming off of major surgery? Good, I hear most guys who are 37 respond well to surgery in the post-steroids era.
-And the starting Yankee catcher is 37? How many catchers still catch (or hit) effectively at this age?
-So Posada is an old veteran who can still hit well enough that he should be a DH? I wonder if the Yankees have any more of these guys. I bet we'll find out.

Mark Texiera

Fill in the blank: In first baseman ______________ the Yankees are getting a guy who is the best hitter available in the free agency market. Sure, they signed him to a longer deal than normal, but as long as he continues to hit as he has, this shouldn't be a problem, should it? I mean, after all, he's a nice enough guy, who cares if he makes more than the Zimbabwe GDP? What can go wrong?

A: I would have accepted Jason Giambi or Mark Texiera

Robinson Cano
Let's just say that the first pitch of the MLB season is a few months away, and Cano is already trying to swing at it. And this from the most successful Yankee hitting prospect since his double play partner.

Derek Jeter
As a kid who first started following the Yankees around 1993, I always referred to Mattingly as Donnie Backache more than Donnie Baseball. Likewise, there's an 11 year old out there who must be wondering how someone who hits into double plays as much as Derek Jeter is so loved by the hometown faithful. And I'm not saying Jeter is a lousy defensive shortstop, but it was unreal watching light hitting Alberto Gonzalez play the position last year, if only to see how much range an average shortstop actually has.

A-Rod
Too easy. But let's just put the over/under on the number of double plays or strikeouts vs. the Red Sox after the sixth inning next year for A-Rod is 14. And I'm taking the over.

Johnny Damon
In Damon's defense, he's a pretty good leftfielder. But he's also the starting centerfielder. And Damon's a pretty clutch player, but can someone who's not the leadoff hitter please be the most clutch Yankee hitter? And he's going to be hurt at some point next year where he's going to have to DH at certain points. So that's one more guy who is going to be DH-ing along with Posada.

Brett Gardner
Apparently he's the top Yankee prospect. In related news, he's a .228 hitter with a .283 on base percentage. And that's after he had a very good September. He's a very fast player with a solid arm who has a ceiling as a .280 hitter. What, exactly, can this guy do that Melky can't?

Xavier Nady
Eh, I'm ok with this guy. In related news, the Yankees are trying to trade him. Smart.

Hideki Matsui
There was a time when Matsui was a fairly good outfielder. Unfortunately, that time has passed. And if the Yankees want Posada's bat in the lineup for more than 80 games, this guy's going to have to play left field. Everything about his outfield play sucks: how he handles fly balls, his arm, his speed, everything. And we're going to have to see him in the outfield for about 30-40 games if not more. Should've traded him years ago, but the Steinbrenners need that Japanese money. 3rd guy, along with Damon and Posada who's going to need significant time at DH if the Yanks want to see his bat.

Signing Day Nets WVU the Next Pat White

Our mascot rules because he wears a dead animal as a hat and shoots a gun when we score. He is A MAN!!!

Eugene Smith of Miramar, FL, the #3 rated QB in this years senior class is locked in to attend West Virginia University, ensuring another 4 years of dominance over The University of New Jersey.



Also among the haul are 3 four-star WRs, including Smiths favorite target at Miramar, an elite DE prospect from Phoenix and a RB from Baltimore(you know hes been running away from aggressive drug dealers and bad influences like Ricky Baker, so hes fast). All in all, a great group to coach up into West Virginia's first National Champion. As the winningest D-1 football program without a title, its about damn time. Lets Go--Mountaineers!!!

Stop me if you've heard this before...

-A-Rod is insanely insecure about himself, is jealous of Jeter, and cares more about stats than the team.
-David Wells chose to be an asshole.
-Kevin Brown was an asshole by birth.
-Randy Johnson was too old and didn't handle the media well.
-Carl Pavano has no friends.
-Doug Mientkiewicz and Josh Phelps aren't as feared by opposing pitchers as Bernie Williams.
-Brian Cashman has made some awful pitching acquisitions since '03.
-Some of the Yankee front office in Tampa are assholes who don't know what they're doing.

Did people not already know this just by following the Yankees for the last 8 years? I'm waiting for Torre's scandalous tell-all from his Dodger years, Manny Ramirez is not a Normal Person.

Odds for Superbowl XLIV

New England Patriots	8/1
Dallas Cowboys	9/1
New York Giants	10/1
Pittsburgh Steelers	10/1
Indianapolis Colts	12/1
San Diego Chargers	12/1
Baltimore Ravens	14/1
Tennessee Titans	16/1
Carolina Panthers	18/1
Philadelphia Eagles	18/1
New Orleans Saints	20/1
Atlanta Falcons	25/1
Denver Broncos	25/1
Green Bay Packers	25/1
Jacksonville Jaguars	25/1
Minnesota Vikings	25/1
New York Jets	25/1
Arizona Cardinals	30/1
Chicago Bears	30/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	30/1
Buffalo Bills	35/1
Houston Texans	35/1
Miami Dolphins	35/1
Washington Redskins	35/1
Seattle Seahawks	50/1
Cleveland Browns	55/1
Cincinnati Bengals	60/1
San Francisco 49ers	60/1
Oakland Raiders	75/1
St. Louis Rams	75/1
Detroit Lions	100/1
Kansas City Chiefs	100/1

Good to know Tom Brady's injury is progressing better than scheduled and the Pats in a mere month have already fixed their terrible secondary. Also good to know that the Cowboys are well on their way to getting into the playoffs after getting embarrassed in December. Boy, so much can change in a month.

Sports Figures We Wouldn't Wish On Our Worst Enemies

Being sports fans we all have to deal with our teams employing a player, coach, or GM that constantly infuriate us. But every once in a while we get a person that transcends mere infuriation. It turns into pure unadulterated hate, so much so that we wouldn’t even wish this person onto our most hated rivals. We would actually rather have this person out of the league so we never have to lay eyes upon their wretched hides than have them go to even our most hated teams and ruin them. And let me tell you, us here at SUS are very bitter and vengeful, so this says a lot.

Click here to see who Mahatma wouldn't wish on his worst enemy.
Click here to see who Yinzer wouldn't wish on his worst enemy.


Will Allen

White Boy had a theory that held up for most of Allen’s time in blue. Every pass that Allen should pick off would be batted down. Every pass that Allen should bat down would be caught. This theory held up nicely until Allen’s last year here, when Allen would nearly pick off a pass, the ball would go through his hands, and the opposing wr would catch the ball. So it would go from a pick to a completion. Oh, and have I mentioned that Allen, during most of this time, was our #1 cornerback?

(But the worst part? Allen was tantalizingly FANTASTIC in Madden. I remember one season I had with him where he had 7 interceptions for 7 touchdowns. In the early ‘00’s, I would get him up to a 99 rating in 2 seasons, max. Oh, the pain!)

Steve Thomas


For a scorer, Thomas sure had a tendency to miss the net. And by missing the net I mean taking a shot from the slot and having the puck go into the stands. And oh-by-the-way, this is the guy the Devils got in a trade for Conn Smythe winner Claude Lemieux after the ’95 season. When Pepe was traded, it was one of three times in which I full-out cried over a sporting event. And bringing in Steve Thomas to apparently give out pucks to the Devil faithful wasn’t the best way to replace Lemieux. Fuck this, I actually would love to see the Rangers offer this guy a 5 year $10 million contract.

Kelly Stinnett

Look, I’m ok with backup catchers sucking. But if a backup catcher is going to suck he has to at least be either a) young so there’s at least hope for improvement, no matter how false said hope turns out to be (see: Nieves, Wil) or b) a veteran who has had some good years who can impart some veteran wisdom on the current catcher. Stinnett was the worst of both worlds-he was an old backup catcher who never truly had a prime. Unless he’s going to experience his best season at the age of 40, having a 35 year old backup catcher who is yet to experience his ‘prime’ is just a waste of a roster spot. Somewhere out there, Wil Nieves has kids to feed.

Jimmy of Playmakers fame

Now before you start scouring IMDB for a show named Playmakers, stop. The Playmakers was the intramural football team that Mahatma, BH and I were on for roughly three years in college. Well ok, Mahatma and BH were only around for two years due to a torn acl and sabbatical, respectively. Our team was solid, putting forth a Warren Moon-Houston Oilers type run of getting into the playoffs but never being able to get over the hump. Man, those championship t-shirts would’ve been sweet.

But this isn’t about us, it’s about our wide receiver Jimmy. Jimmy was a Plax-like 6’4 but a Shawn Bradley-esque 120 lbs. But he was fast. Due to his speed, he would inevitably get open. And even if he wasn’t open, he was still tall enough to catch a jump ball over the cornerbacks. How did we know that he was always open? HE TOLD US EVERY F*$KIN TIME HE CAME BACK TO THE HUDDLE. So inevitably the quarterback would throw it to him, hit him in stride, Jimmy would get his hands on the ball…and he’d drop it. And then when the quarterback looked the other way the next throw? Hey guys, I’m open! And the QB would throw it his way, it would get dropped, and this cycle would repeat itself over and over again. Professional or not, I still wouldn’t wish Jimmy on my worst enemy.

Who Knew?

That a game featuring the ARIZONA CARDINALS was the highest watched superbowl of all time!

Nielsen said 98.7 million people, on average, were watching Pittsburgh’s exciting 27-23 victory Sunday night. That beats the 97.5 million who watched the 2008 game, which held the record for most popular Super Bowl.

On Monday, Nielsen had reported that this year’s game had 95.4 million viewers—impressive, but not a record-setter.

Granted this was an epic game compared to many of the 42 other blowouts the superbowl has seen. It's still interesting to see all those people who said last year's game was a better story (and it was) with better teams (probably also true) but still lost the ratings battle. For the record, it is strange to me. The storylines for this one weren't as good as last year nor were the teams. So why did more people tune in? Maybe it was for the commercials or the wonderful insights of John Madden, or maybe it was a damn good game. Maybe it was less people going to the bar or maybe some people didn't have concerts to attend. Whatever the reason may be, the unwashed masses turned out to see it. This totally gives CBS, next year, the option to charge 4 million dollars per ad spot and shove Jim Nantz down our throats. Can't wait!

Still though, isn't it weird to know that a superbowl featuring a unsexy Steeler team and a Cardinal team that didn't look like they belong is now the most watched Superbowl of all time?

Hate the Steelers?

Than follow this handy chart for how you can argue with Steeler fans. The photo was thiefed from here but was too good to not post.

Number Six

Mahatma's Superbowl Pick

This has probably been the longest week of my life. Work has kicked my ass. Drinks have kicked my ass and I still have crapload of shit to do over the weekend. Sorry this is long.

Thankfully this has allowed me to not be as obsessed with the game as I'd thought I'd be. Don't get me wrong I still check every media outlet and message board every hour but I still have other thoughts going on in my head not relating to football. I took my one week break from ESPN and tuned in over the past couple of days. Apparently, the Arizona Cardinals are in the superbowl. I don't know who they are playing because the point is mute. Arizona will win because that other team isn't worthy enough to talk about.

After some research, it seems the Cardinals are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. It doesn't matter who they are playing because the Cardinals are so hot right now.

The problems with the Steelers are well chronicled on this site and have yet to be rectified.

• Idiot offensive coordinator. 3rd and inches. No problem! 5 wide receivers!! The problem with Arians is that he has no feel for the game. Plays don't get setup. Players aren't put into position to succeed. Not making the TE the #1 receiver on designed plays. He uses a lot of different formations but runs THE SAME plays in these formations. It’s to the point that me, BH, Brooklyn Yinzer and Iowa can determine the exact play. Now imagine what people who’ve seen the game films 100000 times can do. It’s one thing if you show something different in said formations but no, he doesn’t. it’s the lame brain predictable play calling that gets this team in trouble. He also lacks a feel of the game. Run working fine but hey let’s go 5 wide on 3^rd and 1. Opponent can’t cover Heath Miller, fine let’s call plays with him blocking!. Using running backs in space is out of the question for Bruce. No huddle always works with this team because the offensive coordinator isn’t calling the plays. Nothing can be taken for granted when Bruce Arians is running an offense in the playoffs. Arians also forgets to use the Steeler’s version of Darren Sproles, Mewelde Moore. Moore was/is the offensive MVP of the season and has proved to be a dangerous weapon out of the backfield. Now with Willie Parker, it’s almost as though Moore is unable to even see the field. Look Parker should start but it’s obvious that Moore makes things happen for the offense in both run and pass. Why he isn’t allowed to see the field more especially when the offense is more in sync with him?

• Horrendous offensive line. There isn't even a good player out of the bunch. C Justin Hartwig is best of the bunch and he got cut from Carolina last year. Add 7 million Man, Maxi Pad Starks who is a RT playing LT, Chris Kemoeatu who has an IQ of 10, Darnell Stapelton who is only playing because a Diabetic with a history of knee injuries is out for the year, and Willie "The" Colon who is talked about here.

• All week the Cardinals have heard that they are playing with "House" money. I thought the NFL didn't condone gambling. Now even more so. Nothing to lose and everything to gain.
  
• God loves Kurt Warner. From bag guy to Hall of Fame QB. God loves you Kurt and so does ESPN. God hates heathens especially those who ride motorcycles without helmets.

• Larry Fitzgerald is the BEST RECEIVER OF ALL TIME. Like totally. Kurt Warner could throw the football into the 7th layer of hell and LFitz would catch it. Who can stop him? Ike Taylor?! WHO?!
• Todd Haley and Ken Whisenhunt. Both are intimate with the steelers (and probably each other!) and know how to attack it. The Cheezen practiced against Dirty Dick Lebeau's defense for 3 years. I'm sure he'll know what Lebeau likes to do. Cheezen also knows what BRoth likes to do. Uh oh.
  
• This Steelers defense isn't the 2000 Ravens or 2002 Bucs. Its a great defense but not an all-time great one. The Cardinals will put some points.
• Pittsburgh are 7 point favorites, but polls from ESPN, Fox and other outlets show that the public expects Arizona to win the game outright. If Who Wants to Be a Millionaire taught us anything is always go with the audience.
• Win one for Adrian is the rallying cry. All superbowl winning teams have a guy they sell out for. (Bettis, Manning, Strahan, etc.) Who on the Steelers deserves one that doesn't have one already?
• Unpredictable Cardinals. Both offensively and defensively, the Cards are all about mixing it up. The Cardinals will go with two backs, two wide receivers and a tight end; two backs and three wide receivers; one back and four wide receivers; one back, two tight ends and two wide receivers; and with two backs, two tight ends and one wide receiver.Defense shifts from a 3-4, 4-3, 5-2 whatever. Their personnel can do both effectively.
• Refs. They always screw with the Steelers especially with the 3 million dollar commercial business. Don't you think they'd love to have those advertisers keep spending their millions. Keeping it a close game will be their utmost concern...as order by Goondell.
• Key matchups. Critical matchups include Fitzgerald vs. Taylor/McFadden. Chike Okefor/Antonio Smith vs. Willie Colon. Adrian Wilson vs. Heath Miller. Santonio Holmes vs. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Winners of these 5 matchups will win the game.
• I normally detest the citation of single-game (or, worse, single-quarter) passer ratings, but in this case I’ll make an exception: Roethlisberger’s 22.6 rating was the lowest ever by a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. “I don’t know what [the exact rating] was,” Roethlisberger said Tuesday during his media day interview session. “But I know it wasn’t good.” Asked a follow-up question by a foreign reporter – Will you try to improve it this time? – Big Ben gave a sarcastic reply: “No, I was gonna see if I can get it lower and still win. That’s my goal.”

By all the stats, the Pittsburgh Steeler defense is the best in the league and for obvious reasons. Armed with two book end pass rushers, all world safety, deep cornerback pool and big run stuffers in the front. How on earth can Arizona beat them?

Well it's not really that difficult if you play it smart. There is not one specific thing the defense does poorly. With the rankings provided you know they are consistently very good. The things you have to hope for for the Cardinals is just those few momentary lapses of reason -- a slip here, miss read here, safety not in cover 2 there and Zona's got momentum.

On paper, the #1 defense does have some weaknesses.

First in 1st and 2nd down, the Steelers utilize cement footed (pun intended) Larry Foote. Foote is an average starter in the salary cap NFL. He does nothing really well but his problems come from a purely lack of skills. Foote can make all the plays necessary to succeed but he is quite slow for a MLB, doesn't really tackle well and is putrid in space and in coverage. Sure he'll make 6-7 tackles a game but he's prone to horrendous whiffs, bad angles and missed tackles. He also has shown an aversion to getting trucked.

Ditto his probowl running mate, James Farrior. This has not been his best season Farrior and he is noticeably slower than in previous years. He's still a captain and runs the defense but the physical limitations are beginning to creep up since last season. Last season, Maurice Jones Drew terrorized Farrior in space. The Cardinals have a similar weapon in JJ Arrington that has the speed to cause some van damage. Also Farrior with his speed dwindling has allowed some big games from the tight end position. Luckily for them, the Cardinal tight ends aren't anywhere near elite. Still i have nightmares of JJ Arrington taking a wheel route 65 yards like Darren Sproles did.

11 vs 10. One of the games within the game, is what the Steelers are to do with NT, Casey Hampton. If the Cardinals come out in the spread formation, will Dick Lebeau keep big Casey in there in an attempt to neutralize the run? The issue is Hampton offers next to nothing when rushing the passer and will likely wear himself out if ask to move all that much. Moreover, in passing situations, he can be blocked with one man. This also complicates the matter when our typical dline on passing situations is Woodley, Smith, Kiesel and Harrison. If the Steelers match up this way, than the Cardinals can plunge away against a lighter defense without the big beef.

The team is also susceptible to the draw play. While much of the defense is focused on LFitz and Boldin, can they maintain their gap integrity and sniff out a draw? Casey Hampton has ate himself into last yr and the team is getting gashed on the same delays and draws. What’s the similarities of these guys? They are all (outside of Lewis) cut back runners and quick, elusive runners and the Cardinals tandem are more cut back runners.

Faulk (NE) 6 rush, 73 yards

Morris (NE) 10 rush, 45 yards

Choice (Dal) 23 rush, 88 yards

C. Johnson (Tenn) 16 rush, 69 yards

J. Lewis (Cleve) 23 rush, 94 yards

The Steelers squashed the rushing attack of the Chargers and Ravens but still. Seeing every play this season, you see recurring things stick in your mind. The Draw/Delay are one such concern for me especially with everyone focusing on the Cardinal passing attack.

While the Pittsburgh secondary is much better than the days of Burnt Alexander, there are still some leaks. The Cardinals will get their chances. The Ratbirds left a couple of plays on the field. The Cardinals will take advantage of those. The LFitz jump ball is unfair at times and even the best defense in the league can't stop that no matter how hard Clark/Polamalu hit them.

I'm scared.



As for what I think happens, well I'm going with history. This is game is playing to the T similar to the 1980 Superbowl of the Steelers vs. Rams. Check it out here:

In Jan 1980, the Steelers were returning to the SB for the 4th time in 6 years, their second back-to-back appearance. They were a 13-point, heavily favored powerhouse that nobody in their right mind even considered having a chance to lose the game. They were playing the 9-7 division winning Los Angeles Rams, a team not many people expected to be playing in the Sup Bowl, just like the Cards in 2009. Those ’79 Rams didn’t play the Steelers in the regular season that year. However, they did play the eventual Sup Bowl champion ’78 Steelers in the previous regular season. And that Ram team beat them, by a score of 10-7. This was one of two regular season losses that year in a 14-2 season for the Steelers. This fact was largely discounted going into the ’79 Sup Bowl (Sup Bowl 14). Much the same way that the ‘07 Cardinal team, under new head coach Whisenhunt, shut down the Steelers in a 21-14 regular season win last season. And, just like the Rams of ’79, the Cardinals did not play our Steelers in ’08. Yet, here they are, a 9-7 division winner that nobody expected to be there, playing for the Sup Bowl title. Of course, history tells us the Steelers won on that famous Sunday in January of 1980. But, it was a pucker game for us. Bradshaw had to overcome 3 INTs, and we were losing 19-17 two minutes into the 4th quarter. While Bradshaw won the MVP of that game, it was Larry Anderson returning a 140+ yards worth of kicks that made a huge impact, as well as 2 tremendous catches on long bombs by John Stallworth. Interestingly, there was a famous former Steelers coach on that Rams team that knew quite a bit about our team, by the name of Bud Carson. He was the Rams DC then. And his knowledge of the Stillers made quite a difference in that Super Bowl. These ’08 Cards have some coaches (Grimm, Whisenhunt) and players (Tuman, Morey) that are fairly familiar with our team as well. We should assume these fellows have a decent understanding of the Stillers’ weaknesses, and a keen interest in exploiting those weaknesses rather than blindly flogging themselves against the Stillers’ strengths.

Look this always happens. People don't expect the Cardinals to do anything and they dominate. Now everyone is on their jock. NOT ME. This team plays like dogshit when they are the talk of the town and if you tuned to ESPN, they are. They might be 7 point underdogs but I'd venture in saying the underdog role has gone full circle from the Cardinals last week to the Steelers on sunday. People have forgotten how bad the Cardinals have been at times this year and that they gave up nearly 500 yards last time they played at home. Now they will be on the "road" with a huge Steeler brigade already in Tampa.

The love for Fitzgerald, Edge, Boldin, and Warner is so much right now that the Steelers are no longer the favorite to win the game. It's just asanine to hear about the Cardinals being the under dog. Steelers need to play with that chip and all will be good.

During the Cowboy/Steeler game, I felt which team won that game would win the Superbowl. The team that won that game is now playing in the superbowl. I'm not right about a lot of things but I'll ride this wave.

Pittsburgh - 34
Arizona - 21


Superbowl MVP:

The Brooklyn Hillbilly Tells You, For The Last Time, Why The Steelers Are Going Home With #6

Right after Troy Polamalu's taint in the AFC Championship Game, my uncle, an accomplished(at least experienced) sporting handicapper, predicted the Steelers would be favored by 9 points in Super Bowl XXXIII. He wasn't far off. The opening line, as we all know, was 7pts. It briefly dipped to 6.5, but has stabilized again at 7 over the last 11 days. Now, what does this stability tell you? That the people who actually put their money on the line with their football opinions, despite all the media hype of the last two weeks, are fairly confident that the Steelers will win this game. I, friends, am one of them.

I hope we see a lot of you Sunday Matt.

But lets look at whats come about in the last week and a half in the opinionsphere/asshatville world of sports analysts. Evidently, the Cardinals have turned into the 1999 St. Louis Rams and the Steelers have become a team with deep defensive flaws. Two weeks ago, there was a fight over who was the best receiver in football, Larry Fitzgerald or Andre Johnson. Now, Fitz is the G.O.A.T. Where two weeks ago, Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed vied for the title of best safety in the league, Adrian Wilson has now emerged as the best since Jack Tatum. Kurt Warner went from being a nice comeback story to having what John Clayton called "an MVP type season" and a Hall of Fame debate swirling around him. The Steelers went from going 12-4 against the hardest schedule in 30 years to being a team that barely scraped by the regular season and only advanced this far due to luck, referees and a defense that will eventually fall apart. And the Cardinals went from being a 9-7 team that finished the season 2-4, won the worst division in football and had the 28th ranked scoring defense to an unstoppable offensive force coupled with the fastest defense seen in the last 10 years. In the words of my country cousins: HOGWASH. Don't believe the hype! Here's why Dan Rooney is flying home with some new hardware:

When the Steelers have the ball

Ladies Love Cool Willie

1---Willie needs to put on his grinding shoes for this game, because Arizona is going to do everything they can to stop him and put the game on Ben's shoulders. Because of that, I hope Bruce Arians hasn't forgotten about Mewelde Moore. Moore is arguably the Steelers most explosive offensive player- IF HE IS USED. I don't know what member of Arians' family Mewelde impregnated, but he has gotten shelved in a hurry after only saving our asses in a number of games this year. Further, in today's NFL, you HAVE to have a back who can catch passes. Willie is not that guy, neither is Gary Russell, but Mewelde does it brilliantly. He needs to be utilized on screens and used as a release valve on blitzes. Now is not the time to hold anything back BA. Regardless, Willie will have a good-great game. He always seems to come up big in big spots and a repeat of his record breaking 75yd TD run in XL is not out of the question.


NO HOOKERS BEN!

2---If the Steelers can survive the first quarter without a Big Ben interception, they will win this game. This has been said ad naseum over the last two weeks, but Ben cant have as bad a game as he did in Super Bowl XL. Actually, I think there are ways for him to do just as badly but have the D pull his ass out of the fire. We will know if they have to by the beginning of the second quarter. If nerves get to Ben again, hes gonna fuck up in the first and its gonna be a long game. If not, I see him being solid for the game. He might still throw a pick, but it will be one of those fluky plays that no one can do much about. Frankly, watching Ben develop over the past 5 years, hes pretty solidly in the cool as a cucumber gunslinger category now. Situations that would have lesser QBs turtling and flinching waiting for hits put Ben into playmaker mode. To be honest, hes unlike any other QB since Elway: the moments he leaves the pocket are full of anticipation(and admittedly a lil bit of terror) for what kind of amazing play he will pull off. Id love to see if someone has done a breakdown of Ben's stats inside vs. outside the pocket, cuz I cant really remember(caution I'm drunk and probably wrong about this) him making any major fuckups when hes on the move.

Bring it Jesus. Harrison will put a hurt on you.

3--- My nemeses, the offensive line, have stepped it up in the last 1/4 of the season and the playoffs. My season long contention has been that units get better the more they play with each other.(that sounded kinda dirty, sorry) The thing I always noticed with the great o-lines of the last decade (colts, pats, etc) has been the amazing continuity. They can handle pretty much anything thrown at them because they are a tight group, they all eat together, go on trips together and end up knowing each other really well. And really, that's a unique thing in sports. Sure, shortstops and second basemen need to get comfortable with each other to turn consistent great double plays, but you have 162 games to do it in. Plus, theres 5 of them. Just think of the last time you were out with 3-4 of your really close friends and you had to bring along a couple new guys that no one really knows. Its sorta awkward, right? You're wondering if you should tell that Puerto Rican joke you heard at work and everyone sorta gets into a dick measuring contest about drinking/women/whatever. Well, imagine your paycheck is riding on knowing what the new guys reaction to that joke will be or knowing if he really can handle another double shot of bourbon. The point is, the Steelers line has been like Swiss cheese the last 3 years because they were starting a different 5 every week for two seasons. It was only this year that there was anything resembling stability on the line. And what do you know, after a few weeks working together in the same spots, they started getting better. Look, Ill guarantee Ben is going to the ground at least 2 times Sunday, because this o-line could know each other like Abbot and Costello but that wont make up for a lack of talent, only mask it for a few hours a week. But I am pretty confident that Ben will get some time to make plays in the pocket and Willie will get enough room to run. And really, that's what I like about this team, they don't need a lot to win, they just need enough.

When the Cards have the ball

1--- Arizona will have no ground game. That is all.

"Men of steel, men of steel..."

2---None of Fitzgerald's TD catches last week were great plays. If you leave a hole in coverage in the middle of the field the size of a McMansion, yes, a great receiver will burn you for a short TD inside the 10. Run a trick play and have the cornerback fall down, yes, that bodes well for success. Get a questionable PI call then throw a lob to your 6'-3" over a 5'-10" corner, YES, that will score you a TD. I think the Cards will get ONE of these things to happen Sunday, two if God really hates me, but those plays just cant be made consistently against the Steeler D.


Ill have the Kurt Warner Lunch Special.

3--- Kurt Warner only threw the ball more than 20 yards 6 times this offseason. 3 of those were on trick plays. These guys cant throw long, especially with a senior citizen as QB. Look for Polamalu and Clark to cheat up and pop Fitz and Boldin on those short to medium routes. That will make them a little wary to go across the middle and will make Kurt Warners conscience start telling him to throw to the outside, right into the arms of the Steeler cornerbacks.(Warner actually almost retired over this a few years ago. He felt bad about putting receivers in the position to get creamed. Pansy.) Fitz made a good day great by running across the middle against the Eagles, I don't think Dick LeBeau or Ryan Clark will let that happen. A short, quick passing game will net some yards and first downs, but it leaves you susceptible to batted balls at the line and picks on jumped routes. Every time you throw against this Steelers D, there is a 7% chance of a pick(scientifically calculated by our crack team of SUS mathematicians, of course), so if Warner throws 50 times, expect a couple picks.


For the last time this year, your ferocious mascot for the ferocious D.

Look, the Cardinals have gotten the bounces the last few weeks and are seemingly the team of destiny. Theres no doubting that. But a good (rare) point was made in an SI article this week, defense doesn't win championships, you can beat it with a better offense. GREAT defenses are what win championships. And that's exactly what they've got in Pittsburgh. Ill be drinking a six-pack to celebrate this six-pack. Steelers win a shiny new trophy, 27-13.

Birds of a feather...

You can have your Super Bowl, Pittsburgh...

BUT YOU JUST GOT LANGENBRUNNERED

White Boy picks the Superbowl he will only see 1/2 of

The steelers boast one of the top 5 defenses of all time. It features the best safety I have ever seen play, a rising superstar lineman and the best defensive coordinator in the league. Pittsburgh's 4 losses this year came against 3 very physical teams and the Colts. There is no way that Arizona's offense can man up against the hardest hitting defense since many moons ago when Ray Lewis actually backed up his trash talking. Arizona has a pretty team. It's offense is explosive and it has made fine adjustments in the playoffs running the ball more than 50% of the time up from a paltry 32% of Cheezinhunt's play calls in the regular season. I know that said coach knows the Steelers well but no coaching can counteract this defense. The Cards will finally be exposed as one of the physically weakest teams to ever represent the National Football Conference in the big game.
THE PICK: STEELERS (35-19.4999)

P.S. Pittsburgh will score 2 defensive touchdowns.

A Super Bowl Pick

Jamie Dixons (-7) over Shane Doans



vs.


Look, pretty much every Steeler game has looked something like this:

1. Steelers are clearly the better team, get an early touchdown, but their offense lets the other team hang around for a while.

2. The Steelers D lets up very little, possibly a big play here or there, but definitely never enough to make you think that they're going to lose the game.

3. Every time the opposing team is driving, they will be held to a field goal. At most.

4. The opposing team will get about 3 chances to win the game down 4-8 points in the 4th quarter. The first two times they will be stopped, usually in 3 and outs. The second time, someone on the Pitt D, usually Polamalu, will either pick off a pass or pick up a fumble and return it for a touchdown. Steelers win by 11-15.

So as for this game: Steelers will control the game in such a way that no one thinks that Arizona is really going to win the game. But thanks to an early big play by Warner and bend-but-don't break defense of the Cards, they will only be down 16-10. And then, as is standard, Super Bowl MVP Troy Polamalu picks off his second pass of the game and returns it for a touchdown.

Final Score: 23-10 Pitt.

SUS Reviews Steeler Fan Song Videos

BH: Gotta love the accent. They got great shooting locations too. Even the trashy cheerleader fits right in. Props all around. ****

Mahatma: Yinzerific and yet perfect. Myron Cope in between is like music to my ears. This song is going be in my head all day and the video gives me chills. ****




BH: Devo, I know what you are thinking, and shes probably not legal, so back off. That said, these guys are a better cover band than the rockstar karaoke I go to. Lyrics well done also. ***1/2

Mahatma: Love her and the lyrics. This is what I want from a karaoke band and they rock. I prefer this more than the original. ***




BH: This years edit of possibly the most annoying song of all time. Still sticks in your head tho. Decent job on the slideshow, but nothing special. *

Mahatma: HATE THIS SONG. Everything bad about the Steeler fanbase is epitomized in this song. AYRE WE GOOOOOOW. UGH. DUD




BH: Chill song, even if the singer sounded like he was a little too stoned to keep up with the drum machine(ahem!). I liked that the slideshow focused on the fans and history instead of just showing pics of the players. Not an elite prospect, but a solid role player. ***

Mahatma: Barry White wannabe is alright. I don't mind the beat and the pictures give me a nostalgic feeling. **1/2




BH: This one is from '05, but its one of the best Ive ever seen. Its got everything you could ever hope for in a fan video: embarassing moments for young children to regret in later years, a guy in a foam cowboy hat playing the accordion and a guy singing in Chinese. "He runs a three point one minute mile. Do the MATH!". This gets an A++ in every category even if it is a remake of the Polka. *****

Mahatma: The Polka is my favorite and this production is just outstanding all around. Sure it's a remake but this is what should be played in every Steeler bar in the country. The creepy guy and awful family singing was a turn off at first but crescendo'd into kielbasa like awesomeness. Next year, I'm convincing BH to get an accordion. *****




BH: Another one from '05. Its a little outdated, but come on, it the "manamanah" guy. *****

Mahatma: Love it! A classic. *****




BH: Best song of the bunch, reminds me of my Allman Bros/Phish days. You could actually dance to this. Fat guy at 1:32 saves the video portion. ***1/2

Mahatma: This makes me feel like I'm back in my neighborhood Pittsburgh watering hole where everyone is 45, single / divorced and a lush. Feel good music at least. *




BH: Every fan base needs a shitty 80s band. **

Mahatma: A yinzer version of white snake combined with the beat that sounds like "and we pretend that we're dead" L7 song. **




BH: The house music version of Steeler pride. Pretty pathetic. *1/2

Mahatma: Dude no way. I could totally hear this at a lounge and be cool with it. Anyone got some glowsticks? ****




BH: Country music pretty much sums up my Steeler fan relationship. It is often depressing and makes me want to drink. ****

Mahatma: I can respect this though it isn't my cup of tea. I'd listen to this if I was going to a tractor pull but this won't be appearing on my ipod anytime soon. **




BH: Dude I hate this song. Kanye is usually the best of shit radio, but this is his worst song. And this pretty much lives up to the original. *

Mahatma: Poseurific but it's tolerable. Lyrics are solid. I hate Akon though.[BH note: Mahatma evidently doesn't keep up with what the kids are listening to. Cant say I blame him] **1/2




BH: Whats with the rocker chick remakes? Whatever it is, it works. ***

Mahatma: Isn't this the same band as above? Video is solid but I prefer the live version. **

Espn.com are you fucking serious? Jeez!! How hard is it to get this right.....

I just don't get it. This is question 7 from Espn.com's Super Bowl Trivia. The Steelers is a #2 seeds you incompetent fucks. How do I know this without any research yet you professionals mess this up?? ugh! 7) The last time the Super Bowl was held in Tampa, a No. 4 seed (which the Steelers are this year) was the winning team. Which team was the winner of that game?
	Buccaneers
	Giants
	Ravens
	Steelers

Are you ready for the Boss!!!

He's saying what we're all thinking!


1. The Rising

For his first song, Bruce is going to need to play a song that is a) more popular than good and b) has a catchy and familiar intro. The Rising is both of these. This criteria is why when The Who play four songs, they open with Who Are You, and not Baba.

2. Glory Days

Another song that is more popular/thematic than it is good, though not a bad song in its own right. Look, Born in the USA was too popular of an album for Bruce to ignore in this 4 song opus of a performance. So which song gets played? Dancing in the Dark is cheesy and my mom's favorite song (not a compliment to Bruce) and probably comes off lousy in concert. If Bruce plays My Hometown, there's going to be Bruce cardboard cutouts draped in Mahatma's Warren Sapp jersey being burned at the stake. The choice comes down to Glory Days and Born in the USA. And while there may not be a more American event than the Super Bowl, I hope that Bruce, unlike Ronnie Reagan remembers that Born in the U.S.A. is a protest song. Glory Days, on the other hand, certainly seems like a good song to play during at a time in our lives when the scoreboard will read Pitt 14, Arizona 7. One last pretenious side note: the best songs on Born in the U.S.A. are Bobby Jean and No Surrender.

For the record, if Bruce plays 3 songs instead of 4, Rising gets taken out.

3. Working on A Dream

The man and his band have a new album coming out. They're going to play a song off of it. Deal with it. Go take a leak and be back in 3 minutes. Because then it will be time for...

4. Born To Run

You always end these things with your signature songs. For example, the Who generally ends with Won't Get Fooled Again. Oh, and Bruce ends a good amount of his shows with this song. My question: how many bad puns will Al Michaels make if Edge or FWP have either negative yards or more than 80 by the end of the first half?

Some people would say that there's only 76 hours until the game begins. And that may be true, but everyone in the great state of New Jersey knows that there's only 78 hours until the REAL performance begins. Personally, I hope Bruce does a four song set or Rosalita/Jungleland/Tenth Avenue Freezeout/Growing up if only because that guarantees us a 45 minute halftime show. Speaking of which, Rosie...COME OUT TONITE!

Why Noone Cares About Your Super Bowl

The future Mrs. Devo. Aka: Kate Mara, the one thing that everyone on this site can give props to. Even MissMet.

What a difference a year makes in the Tri-State Area. While 3/7 of this site are more pumped than White Boy or myself going on a date with Kate Mara, I've found that most of my non-Steelers people in the area aren't looking forward to the game. Sure, they'll go out if something's happening, but they'd go out if anything is even thinking of happening, sports-related or not. By this time last year, most of my people had their plans. (Mostly due to having them promise me that they would go exactly where they went the last 3 playoff games to watch the SB. I'd be shocked if less than 90% lied to me about sticking with the same locale.)

This year? Not at all. Even my dad's crew, which usually runs at least 4 or 5 couples deep on Super Sunday has just been delegated to him and a buddy of his. And I think his buddy is only coming over because he has two daughters and doesn't want to go through the shame of trying to beg to flip to the game during Gossip Girl commercials. So these are some theories why no one in the area cares about Super Bowl XLIII

1. No Giants. The simple answer is that there is no local team playing in the Super Bowl, so why should New York care with such alternatives as the Knicks and Islanders to occupy our time? But last year was the 5th time a New York team was in the Super Bowl in its 43 year history. I'm 26, vaguely remember doing the Ickey shuffle, and I've only seen 3 Giants appearances in a 21 year span.

But this answer is two-fold:

a) Last year was a great story. The Giants are not the only team to rise from regular season punching bags to Super Bowl Champions. (Looking your way, Cowher.) But let's remember last year's run one more time. (TO AVOID A POTENTIALLY BORING RECAP OF THE LAST 4 GAMES OF THE '07-'08 GIANTS' SEASON SKIP THE NEXT 3 PARAGRAPHS)

First, you had the Giants, doing everything in their power to derail the Patriots juggernaut in week 17. Despite the valiant effort, the Patriots held on thanks to Randy Moss serving James Butler, the play that put Moss and Brady specifically, and the Patriots team as a whole, in the record books at 16-0. Everyone thought that it was the best the Giants could do. Then, the Tampa game, where they played efficiently enough to win, much to my chagrin. I was hoping they could lose so that the front office could burn this village down in order to save it. But then you had the Dallas game, which was probably better than the following week because the Giants ended the 'inevitable' Dallas/Patriots matchup, and sent T.O. crying to the media. That game was the only time I saw the Cowboys lose with Jerry Jones on the sidelines.

And at this point, it was a successful season. I was ready to fold it up and call it a night. But what the hell, might as well see if they could beat the Packers in the bitter cold, right? And a strange thing happened: the Giants dominated the Packers. Oh, it took an OT field goal to win, but consider the following: 7 of the Packers 17 points came on one short pass where Butler and Webster tackled each other; the Giants had two opportunities to win the game on field goals and failed; Ahmad Bradshaw had a roughly 40 yard td run late in the 4th that was called back because of a phantom hold call; Favre had a few chances to rock a game winning drive and much to Madden and Peter King's shock, he failed. And just like that the Giants, Eli Manning and the whole crew, were going to the Super Bowl. We all knew they wouldn't beat the Patriots, but it was a good run by all, and if nothing else, I was fully prepared for another 2-3 years of Coughlin and Eli. Pretty much every NFC East fan said they would root for the Giants in the Super Bowl, no small feat.

And then a weird thing happened: the Giants not only had a helluva opening drive against the vaunted Pats D, they stopped Brady during the final two minutes of the half. And they didn't just stop him, Tuck and Osi forced a fumble with a hit that practically cracked my own ribs. As I texted to BH and roughly all 3 of my other friends, 'The Russian's been cut!' The Giants were down, but they hadn't led at the half of any of their playoff games, so no big deal. The Super Bowl was New York's to lose. And then the second half happened: Tyree, Plax, Alford's sack, and the Giants, were Champions. I always knew I'd eventually see a Giants Super Bowl win in my lifetime. But my dad's? I couldn't believe it. People were calling congratulations and I let it go. I didn't want to take my eyes off the TV, knowing how rare it could be.

Still with me? All of this is to say that last year was unbelievable. The Giants were America's Team and New York loved it. It was an unbelievable story, and everyone south and west of Hartford was buying what Eli was selling. People who never followed football suddenly became diehard Giants fans. Hell, even my mom watched. Even Jets fans were thrilled that Brady was proven human. But no one's kidding themselves. Nothing that exciting can possibly happen again this year. So they'll flip on the game during Simpsons commercial breaks.

b) Giant fans feel that the Eagles robbed them of a repeat. Most Giant fans, deep down, are smart enough to know that more than the Eagles stood in the way of a Giants repeat. Giant fans will acknowledge that the team was lousy for all of December. But this team was so great for the first three months that there's no way most fans accept that the same team that manhandled the Ravens, and went on the road to beat both Super Bowl teams. Winning the Super Bowl last year was fun. But repeating would've been real nice too. After all, where's Kenny Phillips' ring?

2. No Patriots. There's not even any team for New Yorkers to rally against. As touched upon above, most fans across the country did not rally around the Giants because they got lost in Eli's Manning crossed eyes. No, they loved it because the Drago-esque Patriots were shown to possess flaws. And this year, there just aren't any asshole teams to root against. Sure Giant fans don't want to see Ben with more hardware than Eli. And those of us who like to separate church and football don't want to hear about how god took time off from his Africa business trip to help Warner complete a post pattern to Fitzgerald. But other than the Patriots, Cowboys, and Eagles, I'm relatively indifferent to the rest of the league winning a Super Bowl.

3. Obama. Look, America has room for exactly one late January/early February celebration, and Barack beat the NFL to the punch. Obama was wrong, there are precisely two Americas. One America is lazily enjoying change by keeping pace of every activity that Obama does, while the other America is too busy protecting their property with their six newly-acquired automatic weapons. Whether you're drunk on change and tequila or keeping a close lookout for a roving band of Rev. Wrights, you really don't care about a stupid game. You have life to worry about.

4. Are you kidding me? It's hockey season! (Or maybe it's the economy.)

Next up: the most in depth prediction of Springsteen's halftime setlist allowed by the Koran.

What Really Grinds my Gears

(1) I am not bitter about this year's Superbowl at all. Okay, maybe I am a little bit. However, I am kind of disappointed with how disinterested I am in this game. I wouldn't compare this to the "why can't both these teams lose" Superbowl 39 where I was hoping a bomb would kill every player on both the Eagles and the Pats. However, I just can't get into this game. Maybe this is what happens the year after your team wins it and said team is not a participant in the following years big game. However, it seems more like I just find this match up entirely unappealing. The Steelers winning another bowl does not chap me nor does it stimulate me. The cards winning a bowl?? Eh, who cares. It aleady made history just by getting to a Bowl. Do I need to see Jesus Statue get another title? Not really. Oh well, heres to the Steeelers winning 35 to 19.4999999 (more on that later)

(2) Can White Boy Senior please stop telling me how "Blago" is somehow a good guy who is just being made an example of by everyone. The guy not only clearly was selling the Senate seat to the highest bidder but he is lying about it through his teeth to every talk show in America. Just because he, like you loves all Black people, doesn't mean he's not a creep.

(3) Can the School District on long Island that Mrs. White Boy Senior works at please get a freakin clue and close school today. The School District I am interning at was wise enough to not let all of its employees drive on icy and snow filled roads. My poor mother was up since 630 reading the scroll on News 12 Long Island only to have her dreams of a morning watching AL Roker and Tiki on NBC quashed. Oh well.

(4) Screw the Knicks for scheduling their big home games next week against LA and Cleveland on nights I can't make it. Sure, I am going with White Girl to the Celts game Friday but that's not the point. I am White Boy, I should have the opportunity to go to all of these games. How else is this site going to get comprehensive Knicks Coverage??!!

(5) Finally, screw me! What an idiot. I took a 2 beer -15.5 bet on the Steelers with Devo. I actually think that I can win this bet but it was not a wise one to make. I voluntarily gave Devo 7.5 extra points to work with. I just hope I am buying him 1 dollar bud's and not beers at a local watering hole on "9 Dollar Beer Night!". Thank you "Knocked Up" for that one.

The Manatee has spoken....

Super Fish Bowl: Manatees Pick Steelers Over Cards At Mote

It's 3 to 1 Steelers.

At least in the Marine world.

Today a pair of manatees and sea turtles made their Super Bowl predictions at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. Buffett the Manatee appeared to head for the Cardinals logo when he made a last second decision to swing to the Steelers.

The crowd, made up of media, tourists and volunteers, went wild. Either way Buffett came away happy with a carrot. His tank mate, Hugh, agreed, giving the Steelers unanimous support from manatees.

Uhhh one thing though. Isn't the Manatee a mammal? Regardless, the manatee is probably better than 98% of ESPN writers and you should all pour your money into Vegas.