It's ESPN columnist Skip Bayliss, who is bizarrely bitter about the matchup in Super Bowl XL. So much so that he embarasses himself bending over backwards to try to "prove" the Steelers don't deserve to be in the big game.

The article is so dumb, it's hardly worth responding to. But hey, I've got time.

"The Steelers...barely made the playoffs thanks to a fairly easy closing schedule.

One could also say the Steelers would have won the division if Ben had stayed healthy. Ifs are generally pointless in sports.

"But would they have won their first playoff game, in Cincinnati, if Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer hadn't been hurt on his second play? Doubtful.

Again, ifs. A fair hypothetical. But the question could be asked in countless NFL games in which injuries occur.

"Would they have finished off the season's most shocking upset, in Indianapolis, if Colts cornerback Nick Harper hadn't weaved back into a sprawling ankle tackle by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger? No."

Anyone who knows their head from their bunghole could see that the Steelers beat the Colts soundly, and it was the two bad calls that kept the Colts anywhere close. And maybe when a quarterback can trick a DB into moving to a spot where he can tackle him, the quarterback is just cooler.

"Would the Steelers have been able to win in Foxborough if the Broncos hadn't upset the Patriots the week before in Denver? Highly doubtful."

The Patriots turned the ball over five times against the Broncos. They aren't the Patriots of 2003 and 2004. So first of all, I question the "highly doubtful" to begin with. Second, it's clear from the rest of the article that he enjoys the Patriots. He also likes hypotheticals. So how 'bout this one: if Brady & Co. hadn't gotten that "tuck rule" call against the Raiders a few years ago, would there have been a Pats dynasty? Eh, Skippy?

"Would the Steelers have won in Denver if an early poor pass by Roethlisberger had been picked off in the flat by Champ Bailey and returned for a stadium-rocking touchdown? Probably not."

Champ didn't catch the ball. If Champ and the Broncos were the better team, Champ woulda caught the damn ball. And even if he had caught it, who's to say what might've happened?

Bottom line: There aren't many better ways to prove you're the best team in your conference than beating the 1, 2, and 3 teams on the road. I don't read all that many sports columnists. But this guy really seems crappy. I'm sure some of you (Gobo? Sean?) are familiar with his work and could tell me more about him.
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