ben roethlisberger

The good news: I delivered on my Super Bowl pick and almost nailed the final score exactly (28-21 vs. 27-23). The bad news: I lost $50 cause I took the Steelers and gave my friend six points (actually, I ended up losing $75 total between that bet and the money I dropped on “squares”). So, how did Sunday rate overall?

3-4. That’s my official NFL playoff picks record. After getting crushed in the Divisional Round (1-4), I made a Jason Voorhees-like return from the dead and swept the Conference Championships. Not bad, but now it’s time for the big one. Time to, as they say, “Finish our breakfast.” Time to take it home. Time to stop saying “time,” get over the heartache that the season ends on Sunday, and pick the winner for Super Bowl XLIII.

In the words of the Sugarhill Gang, “I don’t mean to brag, I don’t mean to boast, but I’m like hot butter on your breakfast toast.” I did it. I redeemed myself from last week’s 1-4 debacle and nailed the Championship games. Is this a great accomplishment? Does it rank up there with the moon landing or even Esteban Loaiza bagging Jenni Rivera? No, but we all know it feels good to be right some times.

Time for some redemption. Time to be like Mariah Carey after Glitter. I need to pick myself up after starring in a movie that made Beverly Hills Chihuahua look like The Godfather, check into rehab for a little bit, then go out and make a great pop album (OK, maybe that wasn’t the best analogy, but you get the idea). I went 1-3 in the Divisional Playoffs and even though I still stand behind my picks—especially the Titans, they win that game if Chris Johnson stays healthy—I need to redeem myself in the Conference Championships.

0-4. That’s how well I would've done if I had made picks for last week’s Wildcard games. Atlanta’s offense looked more balanced than Arizona’s; betting against Peyton Manning seemed about as smart as asking Lindsay Lohan to baby sit your kids; the Eagles were due to get run over by Adrian Peterson; and Miami over Baltimore…well, I’m a Dolphins fan, so let’s chalk that one up to blind, foolish love.

So, what would any sensible human do after putting up a fat donut over Wildcard Weekend? Make picks for the Divisional round and post them publicly, of course.