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Bill Watters, on Q107 this morning, joined the hordes that have picked the Arizona Cardinals to win the Superbowl outright. I listened attentively for the reasoning behind his selection and was rewarded with two pieces of information 1) Watters had picked the longshot New York Giants in 2008 and was hoping to repeat last years glory and 2) Watters admitted to having watched the Cardinals one time this year, last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Seems to me people had a tremendous rush with the dramatics of last years match, the best Superbowl I’ve watched, and are lining up to experience a similar high this year. Does not work that way. The Steelers are a superior team, a manifestly deeper organization, and the clear choice to win in a romp on Sunday. You want magic, or another helmet catch, pop on that DVD, like I intend to, and enjoy last year’s improbable epic. But do not wager on an inferior team against a highly motivated juggernaut…unless you meet me, then, please, wager away on the Cardinals!…my take on last year vs. this year; the New York Giants went into Tampa and humiliated the Bucs, into Dallas to scorch the Cowboys and, finally, bested the Packers on a cold snowy afternoon in Wisconsin. They took hold of their destiny and demolished a series of solid NFC teams in circumstances that seemed inimical to their success. They were red hot and hungry. The road of the Arizona Cardinals is wildly different. A rookie QB wavered on the road when the Atlanta Falcons came to town, an utterly brutal performance by Jake Delhomme scuttled the chances of the Carolina Panthers and, finally, a visit by the vomiting, choking QB of the Philadelphia Eagles resulted in stark incompetence during critical moments in the fourth quarter. Two Superbowl runs, both improbable, yes. But, critically, one run features a team taking control of its destiny and proving its worth by outplaying good teams on the road. The journey that has brought the Cardinals to the brink of Champion status features a series of ruptures and inconsistencies on the part of their opponents. The Cardinals deserve credit for being professional and taking what was handed to them. But, like George Foreman meeting Muhammad Ali in Zaire, they are now thrown in against the elite opponent, the battle hardened, gruesome, savvy mesh of blood and bone that will not implode when faced with an inferior challenger…ESPN reports that Ben Roethlisberger had his ribs x-rayed on Wednesday. The Steelers are downplaying the story and confirming that Big Ben “is well enough to play”. The Black & Gold have the best back-up in the NFL, so let’s stay calm…Andrew Raycroft allowed a goal on the first shot he faced last night and then his play declined. Providing a reminder of the worst goaltending performances in Leaf history, with apologies to Allan Bester, Raycroft was his usual limited self during a 7-4 loss to Toronto last night…TSN is reporting that Peter Forsberg has given up on playing in the NHL this year. Thankfully this will put an end to the tedious series of speculative stories…Ray Emery, exiled from the Ottawa Senators for his poor attitude, apparently pushed a trainer after being pulled in a Kontinental Hockey League game Wednesday. Didn’t wonderful Ray promise he would reform and behave?…Outfielder Manny Ramirez apparently told friend Albert Pujols, “No one wants to sign me”…we are blessed, absolutely blessed, to have another Roger Federer - Rafael Nadal showdown highlight the Australian Open. Open that bottle of Jagger about 3am Sunday morning and ride the wave of great tennis right through to the evening’s Superbowl festivities. Federer can tie Pete Sampras’s record of 14 Grand Slams with a win this weekend. Here’s predicting he gets the win after Nadal’s gruelling semi final slugfest with dead game Fernando Verdasco…Bob Arum, on The Fan yesterday with The Bobcat, was hilarious while dismissing the MMA stuff. He claimed the practitioners of the sport “cannot throw a punch” and that, when things go to the ground, “it’s like a porno movie”. Arum joins many of the old timers who simply abhor the UFC et al, and sometimes go over the top in expressing their revulsion…now, I must admit to watching last Saturday’s big UFC, or whatever, match between a bearded guy and a Russian known as “The Gay Emperor”. The performances were pathetic, the contest ending with a sissy right hand, thrown while the Russian’s back foot was in the air (!), his eyes closed, yet dropping Grizzly Adams like a sack of horse dung. The athletic level of performance was abysmal and this spectacle cannot be the refuge of a serious sports fan. I think its interest level has topped out and when the jostling for more money and freedom begins to develop among the participants, the sport will endure the same fractures and stagnation that can pervade boxing…Mickey Rourke, enjoying a career renaissance, has announced he will participate in this spring’s Wrestlemania. Didn’t Rourke sabotage the fruits of his earlier success with an inane foray into boxing? Is he about to make the same mistake again? Will you actually watch? Will you? Yes, I am talking to you - will you watch Wrestlemania if Rourke takes part?              Yep, thought so          I’ll see you at the pub for that one…