The Superbowl, who to pick?

With all due deference to Michael Vick, who had paid for his offense, and PETA, who makes sure he doesn't forget it, I simply "have no dog in this fight." I don't know who to pick as a favorite in this match-up. I think however, it should be a very thrilling game.

Should I root for Green Bay whose last game season win eliminated my NY Giants or Pittsburgh who eliminated my other favorite team, the NY Jets two weeks ago? It is certainly hard to choose. Both teams are equally skilled. Both teams certainly belong in the Super Bowl. It would appear by the number of Steeler Nation fans amongst us that Pittsburgh might be the logical choice, but anybody who knows me knows that I run against the grain.

There are certainly some compelling stories. Aaron Rogers coming out of the Brett Favre shadow to establish his mark on the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFL with his stats. Mike Tomlin, an African-American coach who continues to be the trailblazer. Troy Polamalu, distinguished by his hair, is probably one of the greatest impact defensemen in the modern game and big Ben Rothlisberger, while notorious for his off-field antics which certainly does not endear him to me, a third Superbowl win will make him a certain Hall of Famer. The resurgent interest in Vince Lombardi, as a play on Broadway, soon to be a screenplay, the long-time coach of the Packers, and the man for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named, provides another side-note to the Super Bowl story

The guy I particularly like in this game is Clay Matthews. He comes from a certain amount of NFL lineage. His grandfather Clay, Sr., was a lineman for the San Francisco 49's in the '50's with his career interrupted by a stint as a paratrooper during the Korean War. His father, Clay, Jr., was a linebacker, played college ball at USC, a first round draft pick, played for the Browns and the Atlanta Falcons for 19 seasons - he's 17th on the list of number of games played, was a 4-time Pro Bowler, and at the age of 40 years, 282 days, holds the record for the oldest player to record a sack. Clay, Sr.'s younger brother Bruce, also played college ball at USC, also a first round draft pick, played for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. Among his honors are: 14-time Pro Bowler (9-time 1st Team selection), the NFL's 1990's All-Decade Team selection, all-time record for the number of games played by an offensive lineman. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2007, joining Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson, John Elway, and Jim Kelly from the 1983 draft; his jersey was retired by the Tennessee Titans.

Clay, III, also played college ball for USC, however, he was not recruited; he was a walk-on. This kid had to establish himself. Coaches Carroll, Holt and Norton decided after after the kid languished for 2 seasons to try him out as a hybrid defenseman, the "elephant," positioning him as a defensive end, having the speed of a linebacker. It was in this transition that Matthews flourished. In his next season, he was granted full scholarship status. He became a participant in the Senior Bowl and became a top draft prospect in the 2009 NFL draft. Drafted in the first round by Green Bay, he has decidedly proved himself as an impact player. With his speed and flowing locks, reminiscent of Polamalu, he looks like he should have been cast for the upcoming new movie, THOR, with Natalie Portman. I've provided a gratuitous link to the trailer for any of you Marvel comics or Natalie Portman fans. All-in-all, maybe I do "have a dog in this fight." In any event, I think this should prove a very exciting Super Bowl.

Gratuitous link:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi26843161/

13 DAYS TO COSTA RICA!!!