If you're one of those types, perhaps you're proud that the Pittsburgh Steelers won. The way you see it is that if the Cincinnati Bengals can't win, then you'd at least like to see the division represented in the Super Bowl, being the dominate force in the American Football Conference. It's like you respect the Big Ten enough that you root for the conference during the Bowl season. Actually, you root for the Big Ten so they'll stop being on lists on how many games they lost.
And Michigan. We can't root for Michigan no matter the circumstances. Or Pittsburgh, really.
Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts? Please. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots? As if. Well, the New York Jets actually beat both teams, but it was an AFC North team that beat the team that beat those teams with two no doubt Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Pittsburgh. Well, they beat the Ravens. Even the 4-12 Bengals beat the Ravens. And then they beat a team that played three straight road games against three quarterbacks with a combined six Super Bowl titles.
So the question to you. Do you root for division opponents when they have nothing do with the Bengals -- such as the Ravens or Steelers and the playoffs? Go ahead and say no and be done with it.
+ After the Steelers won the Super Bowl, Behind the Steel Curtain takes a look at Sunday's win and the big game two weeks from now.
+ The Baltimore Ravens extended place kicker Billy Cundiff to a five-year deal worth $15 million. Cundiff converted 89.7% (26 of 29) of his field goals and, more impressively, of his 79 kickoffs, 40 went into the endzone for touchbacks, tying an NFL record.
+ Dawgs by Nature took a statistical look at their wide receivers, charting the percentage of receptions by their players against how many times they were targeted. We charged the same thing in mid-December, finding that Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens caught a combined 52% of his passes.