NFL: Conference Championships

Ah man, what a week. Had two days off from school for MLK Day and the "white death" that hit Cincinnati Thursday, studied for my accounting exam for days and still probably failed. Somehow drove to school Friday on snow and ice, in which I couldn't see out of my windshield because my wipers more than suck. I was bored out of my mind at work Wednesday and am still extremely pissed off that I have to work Sunday and will miss the football games. Not to complain, but "C'mon Man."

Sorry to go on a rant, but I had to get that off my chest. Life is so stressful and one of the few things that relieves my stress is watching sports, especially football, and this weekend I can't even do that. I'm getting a headache just thinking about it, so let's move on to the Conference Championship games this weekend because no one really wants to see me complain about life.

Conference Championships
Green Bay over Chicago: Did FOX luck out or what? What could be better than the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears battling it out for a chance to go to the Super Bowl? Packers vs. Bears is one of the great rivalries in the history of the NFL and football fans everywhere are excited for this one. It will be cold, the field conditions will suck, but who cares. This is the way football is suppose to be played, division rivals, fighting it out in the cold, for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

The Packers and Bears spilt the season series, but I see the Packers winning the third meeting this Sunday. Chicago has home-field advantage, but it's not like the Packers aren't use to playing in the cold. Soldier Field is a nice stadium, but one of the worst playing surfaces in the NFL and that might favor the Bears, but both teams have to deal with the field conditions.

The Packers have looked really good the past two weeks on offense and defense. The defense has shut down Michael Vick and the Eagles and then beat Matt Ryan and the Falcons at home, something that doesn't happen very often. QB Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback remaining in the playoffs and the Green Bay offense have shown they can run or throw the ball and be successful. Green Bay has the best receiving core in the NFL and although the Bears defense is one of the top five in the league, I like the Packers to prevail.

Green Bay will find a way to throw and/or the ball effectively against the Bears defense and Clay Matthews and Charles Woodsen will force QB Jay Cutler and the Bears offense to make mistakes. To win in the NFL you need good coaching, a good quarterback, ability to run the ball and a solid defense. Mike McCarthy has done maybe the best job in the NFL this season, Aaron Rodgers is playing better than anyone, Green Bay has discovered the run with RB James Starks and the defense is playing better now than it has all season. With that being said, Packers win and will be playing in Super Bowl XLV.

NY Jets over Pittsburgh: My mind tells me the Steelers will win, but my heart just won't allow me to pick them to go to the Super Bowl. I've never been a fan of the Steelers, and never will be, and I'm not a Jets fan, but both teams drive me crazy. New York has a loudmouth coach, who could afford to lose a few pounds, and players who follow in his footsteps when talking to the media.

However, Rex Ryan may shoot his mouth off and has the tendency to put his foot in his mouth, but he sure makes press conferences entertaining. There's a Marvin Lewis or Bill Belichick press conference, where it's monotone and you get no useful information and then there's a Rex Ryan press conference. A night and day difference. You can bet one of his press conferences will be used in a Coors Light commercials. But I have to give Rex Ryan a lot of credit. Ryan is a good coach, an excellent defensive mind, but he moved closer to becoming a great coach this postseason.

Rex Ryan has his Jets one win away from the Super Bowl.

Beating Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in back-to-back weeks on the road, is no easy task. His team is physical and arrogant, but also pretty damn good. Ryan's players will do anything for their coach and that says a lot about him not only as a coach, but as a person. I don't like the Jets by any means, but I respect the way they play. The Steelers on the other hand, not so much.

I've said it once and I will say it again and will continue to say it the rest of my life, there is nothing in life that I hate more than the Pittsburgh Steelers. I will say that the Steelers are probably the best run team in the NFL, have a very classy owner in Art Rooney, and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is one of the best ever. Other than that, I hate everything about them. Their fans and those "Terrible Towels," their players like Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward with that stupid smile of his, and the overall nature and play of the team.

Just ask Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers about how the Steelers play football, Hines Ward broke his jaw on a dirty block, and Carson Palmer had his career forever changed when Kimo Von "Axe Murder" tore up his knee in the 2005 playoffs. Look at the game last week against the Ravens, there were so many penalties and cheap shots, some that were and were not called. Watching the Steelers play football make me sick and with every play I wish the Bengals were as good as they are. They're a good team I'll give them that, but I have no respect for them as a team and no respect for the way they play the game.

Anyway, Jets win on the worst field in the world, Heniz Field is just awful, and clinch a spot in the Super Bowl. I hope Bart Scott and the Jets knock that smile off Hines Ward's face and send those arrogant and obnoxious Steelers fans home disappointed. As Bart Scott said, in one of the best post game interviews of all-time, "Can't wait."

Different uniform, but same result. Bart Scott and the
Jets defense are going to make it a long day for the Steelers.