To prove to you that I am indeed human and not some programmed robot from China or  the U.S.S.R Russia, I will up front say that you won't be seeing much of me today. Yesterday was outrageous - 9500 words, about 10 posts, 55 images captured and altered. Was fun but not really sure what the hell just happened this past 30 hours or so since the Steelers kicked off and began their 2008 playoff charge. That game Sunday was so fun I didn't want to let it go and I don't think y'all did either. We'd been waiting too patiently and supportively through an often maddeningly frustrating season for the offense.  We finally broke through for nearly a complete game and it came in the playoffs. Of course I wanted to spend hours and hours capturing it step by step!

Anyway, I'm beat like Baltimore at Heinz this coming Sunday as Baltimore both times this year vs. PIT  I've been in awhile and needing to play major catch up with school, grumpy clients/employers, basic human vitals, etc. So hold down the fort por favor and I'll check y'all a bit later as we approach the hump day of the week in anticipation for Sunday's penultimate showdown.

Arizona-Philadelphia in the NFC? You serious? I mean, it could be a good game just like any game could be. But it ain't Pittsburgh-Baltimore. Not even close.

Imagine for a second how you're going to be feeling as you watch Ray Lewis fornicate with the air around him, all while yapping endlessly to whomever in the Black & Gold will listen. Or how you'll feel when that first whistle sounds and Matt Stover or Jeff Reed approaches the football for the opening kick off. What about when Ben makes his first big throw due to good pass protection? Or when Hines stays in bounds and picks up an extra four yards after stiff arming a Ravens defender while smiling?  Oh, be sure you get a glimpse of Terrell Suggs acting tough in the middle of the football field when Hines is around during the pre-game festivities. He'll cower when the game gets going much like last time we met and Hines was heading his way.

Wow, so much for my unifying tone here for us....I got off track sorry.

Back to my point after the break...

Was going to say this to all y'all Steelers and Ravens fans out there: we all have something in common, something more precious at the moment than you might realize.

What's that?

We both still have football left for our favorite teams.

As I look around the internet and my circle of friends and hear them get into full-on off season gear I can only help but think one thing: I'm not ready for that yet. Period.

And I know you aren't either. But for one of the fan bases, it comes to an end this coming Sunday. That's one to three weeks later than 87.5% of the league's fanbases so hey, we got that going for us. But like all things in life, there must be an end, and that time is rapidly approaching, be it this week or in a few weeks in Tampa.

C'est la vie (Such is life). But what it means, at least to me, is that this week should be fun. Figure out what your favorite routine or place to watch a game is; who you most like to spend a few hours with; what your most steadfast and time proven superstitions are if that's the way you are - whatever it is, make sure all is in order so that you can settle in this Sunday to watch what just as well should be considered both teams and their fan bases' Super Bowls.

I think the Steelers will win, I really do. I think that just as confidently as I thought the Eagles and Ravens would win this past weekend. But of course who knows. None of us 'wants' the team to win more than any of the rest of us do, but hey, if there's someone who can make that claim, I will humbly say that it can be me.

Not at all just for selfish reasons either. I also want it badly for all of y'all who have joined me over the weeks, months and years to fill a part of our busy and complicated lives with something as uncomplicated and inconsequential as football. We all know those truths but we all know the emotions are real and unique when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers. We're not ashamed of that either. It'd be badass to watch y'all share a little bit of that joy with each other throughout our country and the world. As always I'd be right there in the middle of it all, amazed at the franchises' ability to bridge divides and bring out a pure and tolerant side of people that so often gets understandably consumed by the intense 'me first' pressures of social and economic survival.

But whatever happens, when Opening Day 2009 finally gets here after a looooong spring and summer, we'll all return enthusiastically to the same place where we left off to end the 2008 season: following the team with whatever Steelers diehards are along for the ride.

So anyway, though I'd care to not share much in common with Baltimore Ravens fans - at least in terms of our places within this arbitrary sphere of football - I am happy to share at least one thing with y'all Dirty Birds denizens: the right to say all week that we still got football left to play in 2008.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

You're dismissed to continue hating on each other tastefully now! I'm stepping away so keep up the pristine record we have as rival fan bases self-policing ourselves and each other and keeping things in bounds as we chirp away at each other. Thanks.

Happy Tuesday to all us still lucky enough to have an anticipation filled work week and a festively ritualistic game day on Sunday still ahead of us.

P.S. Go Steelers! I'm not ready to see y'all lose to the grotty, quarterwit, and most nastily of all, quantang resembling Ravens (surely you don't forget this do you?). I'm just not. Let's keep it going for another three weeks now!