Sunday Night is Like a Kick in the Ass

Yes, the title of this post says it all. You have a new weeks staring right at you, with the next weekend as far away as possible. Not a good feeling. But we have to get through it, just like we always do. That doesn't mean we can't complain in the meantime...

- So it warrants mentioning that this was the first NFC Championship game since the 2000 season not to include the Philadelphia Eagles. So the hype of the game wasn't there for me, especially since the Birds went down this season in blaze that wasn't very glorious. Regardless, we'll see an intriguing match-up in Super Bowl XL between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks. A few initial comments on the Conference Championship games...

One thing that sports writers and analysts will always tell you during the playoffs is that it doesn't matter how good a team's record is, but rather what's more important is how they played toward the end of the season. That's the momentum that they'll bring with them to the playoff games. Not the performance of some blowout that occured in Week 5. Case in point, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Let me step aside for one moment. After living in Central Pennsylvania for 4 years during my time at the Penn State, I befriended many Steelers fans. And believe me, there were many arguments that ensued between the Philadelphia faithful and the Pittsburgh faithful during that time. It was a constant battle. Incessant bickering with a competition of who could put the other person's team down harder. I grew accustomed to this. In fact, I don't really care for the Steelers, but since I have many good friends who are Steeler fans, I've taken a neutral position on them these days. And since they had a great season, and the Eagles self-destructed, there isn't much of a battle that I could put up if I were to see these friends of mine on an everyday basis. (Good luck to those current PSU students who are Eagles fans....) Anyway, I figured this was a good set up before I made my comments.

The reason I give all of that background is because I will put into play the Ross Rule of Life #3: Always give credit where credit is due. The Steelers were like an unstoppable force in the playoffs and absolutely steamrolled their 3 opponents, all on the road no less. Great offense, great defense, great coaching, and almost mistake-free football. And when all of those things come together in the playoffs, you are going to be representing your conference in the Super Bowl. The Bengals, Colts, and Broncos all seemed like they had a tough time figuring out the Steelers gameplan, and and each of them let Pittsburgh dictate the pace of the game. And even though it might be a bland variety of football (except for the occasional trick play that Cowher comes up with), they play a solid game and get it done. How else can you put it?

With that being said, I will be tired of all the Steelers coverage for the next 2 weeks. I'll be nauseous of the fact that Duce Staley might actually get a Super Bowl ring. I'll be sick of that little smirk that never seems to come off of Hines Ward's face. Of course, Joey Porter will inevitably make some dumb comment during Media Day. I will be annoyed with the press beating the "Jerome Bettis going home to play the Big Game in his hometown of Detroit before he rides off into the sunset" story to death. And I'll have to endure 2 more weeks of that awful Ben Roethlisberger beard. But like I said before, I give credit where credit is due. And that team is damn good. I always think back to that time that Shaun Mason deemed me "The Classiest Eagles Fan" he's ever met. I have to live up to that status.

As for the Seattle Seahawks, don't think they'll just roll over and give up because they've had a pretty impressive season in their own right. Shaun Alexander is the league's MVP for a reason. Even Matt Hasselbeck's finally come around as a decent quarterback, finally. I bet you couldn't name 5 guys on the Seattle defense. Most people can't. But they shut down Steve Smith on Sunday, didn't they? I'll give them some credit too. Maybe they'll give Pittsburgh a run for their money in 2 weeks. They've had a history of crapping the bed in the playoffs, so maybe this is their season of destiny. We have 13 more days to ponder the matchup.

By the way, the early line in Vegas has the Steelers at a 4 point favorite.

- The Jessica and I didn't end up seeing any movies this weekend, simply because the options weren't overly enticing to us. So I'll have to wait until later to see Glory Road. By the way, doesn't that movie seem like a basketball version of Remember the Titans? If anyone saw it, let me know if this assumption stands true.

- Has anyone ever been to a Trader Joe's Supermarket? Went to one on Saturday and it's great. I'm usually not one for organic food. Personally, I enjoy preservatives because that often goes hand in hand with "good taste". However, I found a lot of good food at the Trader Joe's, and should help in my attempt to eat a little healthier. Let's be serious, if the food tastes basically the same, and could be a little cheaper, and it's organic, I'll give it a whirl. I'll check back later on this topic once I've had a chance to eat some of the items I purchased.

- Sunday was just a nutty day in the NBA. The 76ers were down a whole bunch of points for most of the game against Minnesota, and came back to win on a buzzer-beater by Andre Iguodala. Also, there was a game between Seattle and Phoenix that went into 2 OT's. Phoenix scored 149 points......and lost. Unbelievable. Also, as much as I dislike Kobe Bryant, he put his name in the record books, recording the second highest scoring performance in NBA history. He poured in 81 points on Sunday night, which makes Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game the only performance better than Kobe's.

With all of that being said, that's it for this evening. I'll check back in tomorrow.