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The Oakland Raiders (re)hired Art Shell, who coached the team for five years (1989-94) and during that time was 54-38 leading the team to three playoff appearences. He was named Coach of the Year in 1990. I'm not convinced, however, that this is the best move for the Raiders. But then again, no one else seemed to want the job.

When Lousiville coach Bobby Petrino (from the Big East, no less) turned them down, that spoke volumes about the current state of affairs in Raider Nation. Add to that insult the fact that Steelers' offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt also turned down the job, and it becomes quite clear that no coach in his right mind wants to work for Al Davis and inherit one of the most underachieving teams in recent football memory (13-35 over the past three seasons).

What worked for the Raiders in the past no longer works in today's NFL. The Raiders won (supposedly) with intimidation and toughness during their 1970s and early 1980s heyday. They seemed to latch on to renegade players and get the most out of them. But that approach is no longer sound. It's good drafting and effecient quarterbacking that wins in today's NFL, coupled with organizational stability from the top down and shrewd general management. The Raiders are lacking in all those areas, and I seriously doubt that Art Shell can turn around a franchise in serious decline.

Some observations as we leave behind one of the most controversial Super Bowls ever played. I direct my comments mostly toward the NFL, and their party planner, if they bothered to hire one:

Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, winners of 5 Super Bowl MVP awards between them, were notably absent during the pregame MVP walk. Memo to the NFL - next time you decide to parade your MVPs, make sure you have the most prominent ones locked in to show up.

The game was in Motown, so wouldn't it have been better to have a Motown act or two performing at halftime, rather than the Rolling Stones? And while we're at it, after consecutive years of old rockers (McCartney last year), it's time to think a bit younger, wouldn't you say?

Why couldn't one singer handle the national anthem? Did it have to be split between the horrendous Aaron Neville and Aretha Franklin, who sounded okay but looked ridiculous wearing a heavy fur coat in an indoor stadium?

Tom Brady became the first active player to do the opening coin toss. There are so many great players from the past who could have been chosen, many of them present for the MVP walk. Why not choose one of them, instead of a guy who, though a terrific player, has been in the league only six years? And why put him in front of a crowd of partisan Steelers fans who were booing him?

Speaking of Steelers fans, how did the fan mix become seemingly 90% to 10% in favor of the Steelers? I thought that each team received an equal allotment of tickets. It must be admitted that the Steelers do have a great national fan base as well as fans who are willing to travel (they showed in great numbers at Super Bowl XIV, played in California), but I was suprised to see so many Terrible Towels waving. Well, as John Madden implied, maybe the towels were simply passed out to everybody who wanted one, Steelers' fans or not.

The Super Bowl commercials were generally sub-par, and some were downright awful. Was this the best these companies, spending $2.5 million a 30-second pop, could do?

NFL, repeat after me...Full Time Refs...Full Time Refs....

Seattle coach Mike Holmgren ordered a punt with 6:32 remaining and his team down by 11. Sure, it was 4th and 13. But this is the Super Bowl, and there's no tomorrow in football terms. Plus, their punter couldn't place a punt inside the 20 yard-line all day. Go for it, Mike. 4th and 13 is daunting but not impossible. Go for it, and send a message to your team that you're going all-out for a win, not just trying to keep the final margin close.

Joey Porter and Jeremy Stevens both showed class after the game. Lucky for them, because Stevens stank and Porter was handled by Walter Jones. Next time, just shut up and play.

Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward smooches the Lombardi Trophy. His performance was one of the few good things about an otherwise forgettable day for the NFL, the referees, Seattle coaches, Jeremy Stevens, and Joey Porter, among others.

Okay, I picked the Steelers to win by 10, and they won by 11 (though I thought both teams would do more scoring). And two days before the game, I figured on Hines Ward having a big day and possibly winning the MVP award. But on January 17, after the Divisional Playoff round, I wrote the following:

" It seems to me that the playoffs each year are marred by some gaffe(s) on the part of the refs. The NFL had better start getting very concerned about it."

I consider that my most prescient comment on this year's Super Bowl. Sadly, for the Seahawks, the Steelers, and all fans of pro football, the officials once again wielded much more influence on a game than they should have.

Time and again, questionable calls marred what could have been a very compelling game. Instead, we got a game that will not rank with the better Super Bowls of all-time.

The refs are not totally to blame for the Seattle's loss. The Seahawks played an 'okay' game, but not an excellent one. They made key errors, especially at the end of the half and the end of the game in terms of clock management, which reminded me of similar mistakes made by the Eagles at similar points in last year's Super Bowl. But the refs did wield unecessary influence, and all of the key calls went Pittsburgh's way. Keep in mind too that Seattle won every important statistical battle - yards gained, time of possession, and, most importantly, turnovers. It's very rare that a team wins all in those categories and still loses.

I'm not saying that the 'fix' was in. Nor will I go as far as saying that the NFL has some kind of agenda. But I've seen enough incompetent officiating this season to definitely shake my faith in the league. Plus, I will say this - everybody likes happy endings, and the happy ending is exactly what we saw yesterday. Jerome Bettis, a player whom everyone seems to like, got to retire after winning the Super Bowl in his home town. Bill Cowher got to hand the Vince Lombardi trophy to Dan Rooney, which he's waited 14 years to do. It all played out so nicely. And that's part of the problem. It all seemed to go according to script, in a sense. And that makes me wonder...

Okay, time now for my Super Bowl pick.

First of all, I didn't want to see either of these teams in this game. I was pulling for a Bengals vs Panthers Super Bowl - two teams with Cat names clawing at each other. Oh well.

I must say though that I love a road winner, and the Steelers showed that they are a tough, capable raod team, winning playoff games in three difficult venues for visitors - Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Denver. The latter two may well be the toughest road challenges in the NFL.

Given that, I'll pull for Pittsburgh, but the Steelers will never be a team that wins my affection. During their great 1970s run, I pulled for every team that played against them in the Super Bowl. I'm only swinging their way now because of what they've done on the road.

My pick: Pittsburgh 31, Seattle 21

The two Super Bowl contestants don't do much for me, and neither do their helmets or, for that matter, their uniforms. I'm just not very excited about this matchup.

Continuing my foray into all things Super Bowl, I now turn attention to listing the ten most historically significant Super Bowls in history. We should remember that since sports really aren't especially important, the historic signficance of these games is strictly in terms of sports history...it's not like they've changed things for the human race, although the stock market does tend to become bullish when the NFC team wins. Now on with the list:

1. Super Bowl III  NY Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7 - The most important phrase uttered in pro football history was "We'll win. I guarantee it". Joe Namath made good on his promise, and pro football was forever changed. The Super Bowl, up until that year not even a sellout, was transformed into what today has become the biggest event in sports and practically a national holiday. The game itself was good, though not great, but that didn't really matter. The Jets' win brought respect to the AFL and set the stage for the rapid growth still being experienced by pro football today. Since then, every underdog team in any sport can look to the game as proof that all sports contests are won on the field, and not beforehand by pundits and prognosticators.

2. Super Bowl I  Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10 - The first AFL-NFL World Championship Game wasn't a sellout (30,000 seats were empty), but this game, retro-designated Super Bowl I, is obviously historic since it was the first. The disparity of the two leagues was clear on this day, but the gap would close quickly.

3. Super Bowl IV  Kansas City 23, Minnesota 7 - Had the Vikings won, the NFL would have still been able to boast some superiority over the AFL, since they would have been 3-1 going into the merger. But the Chiefs dominated the NFL's best team much more thoroughly than even the Jets did a year earlier. While the Colts could look back on squandered opportunities in their loss to the Jets, the Vikings never had a chance against the Chiefs, and the AFL could claim true parity with the NFL.

4. Super Bowl II  Green Bay 33, Oakland 14 - Vince Lombardi's last game with the Packers, and the end of the Packers dynasty of the 1960s.

5. Super Bowl XIII  Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 - Up till this game, both teams had won two Super Bowls in the 1970s. Dallas was the defending champion. Had they won, they would have been considered the best team of the '70s. But the Steelers won and are considered the best team of that decade.

6. Super Bowl VII  Miami 14, Washinton 7 - The Dolphins capped their perfect season at 17-0 with this hard-fought win against a veteran Redskins team that was actually favored to win despite Miami's unbeaten status. It stands to this day as the culmination of the only perfect season in NFL history.

7. Super Bowl XXII  Washington 42, Denver 10 - The Redskins' Doug Williams became the first African-American quarterback to direct a team in the Super Bowl, and he played brilliantly, sparking a record 35-point second quarter explosion. Fortunately, skin color is no longer a factor in judging quarterbacks, but it still was at that time, and Williams' performance on such a grand stage shattered any remaining myths about the competence of black athletes at the quarterback position.

8. Super Bowl XII  Dallas 27, Denver 10 - The first Super Bowl to go into primetime. Until then, all the games had starting times in the early afternoon. Super Bowl XII started later (around 5 PM, if my memory serves) and thus ran into the primetime viewing hours. To underscore the point, that week's issue of TV Guide featured a cartoon warewolf wearing a Cowboys uniform on the cover. Since then, all Super Bowls have had later afternoon or early evening starting times.

9. Super Bowl XXV  NY Giants 20, Buffalo 19 - Played in the midst of U.S. involvement in the Gulf War, security was extra tight. The game was also the first of four straight losing efforts by the Bills, and featured perhaps the most replayed kick in football history - Scott Norwood's attempt that went wide right.

10. Super Bowl V  Baltimore 16, Dallas 13 - The first post-merger Super Bowl winner was an NFL team that had agreed to transfer to the AFC, along with Pittsburgh and Cleveland. This was the first Super Bowl to be decided on the final play, a 32-yard field goal by Jim O'Brien. The game would not be decided on the final play for another 20 years (SB XXV, number 9 above). It also meant that the Colts could gain some measure of satisfaction after their bitter defeat at the hands of the Jets two years before, though most Colts players, fans, and coaches would gladly trade this win for a win in Super Bowl III.

As we approach Super Bowl XL, here's another list (see my entry just below for a list of all-time worst Super Bowls), this time it's my choices for best Super Bowls of all-time.

Picking the best games is much more difficult than choosing the worst. What makes a game truly compelling? Excitement, to be sure. But consider that Super Bowl V went down to a last-second field goal and yet is seldom mentioned as a great game, because the quality of play left much to be desired, with the Colts and Cowboys combining for 13 turnovers.

I'm choosing games based on exciting finish, quality of play, and also a few less tangible factors such as whether an underdog was able to trade blows with their favored opponent and perhaps even score that knockout blow, to use a boxing analogy. Now on with the list:

1. Super Bowl XXXVIII  New England 32, Carolina 29 - This game would make most top five or top ten lists, but I seldom see it as number one. It's my choice as the best ever based on several factors. First, the the teams swapped the lead several times. Quality of play was generally very good. There were several outstanding perfomances individually on both teams. There were big plays galore - Carolina scored TDs on plays of 39, 33, and 85 yards. New England had pass plays of 52, 33, ans 25 yards. The teams combined for a record 37 points in the final quarter, and yet both defenses had good moments too - the game was scoreless for the first 26 minutes, another record.

2. Super Bowl XXXIV  St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16 - This game featured a compelling comeback by Tennessee, with a truly gritty performance by QB Steve McNair. The game ended on the famous one-yard-short reception by Kevin Dyson, who appeared to be going in for the tying score before Rams linebacker Mike Jones made one of the best clutch defensive plays ever, tackling Dyson just short of the goal line. This game left us with a 'what-if?' type feeling - what if Dyson would have scored and the game had went into overtime? But the fact that it didn't happen doesn't diminish the greatness of this game.

3. Super Bowl XXV  N.Y. Giants 20, Buffalo 19  - The Bills came into this game fresh off a 51-3 demolition of the Raiders in the AFC Championship Game and looked unstoppable. But the Giants used a masterful game plan executed to near perfection - eating up the clock with a record 40:33 time of possession to just 19:27 for the Bills. On defense, the Giants hit the Bills receivers hard whenever passes were thrown their way, a tactic that Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick would again use 11 years later as head coach of New England in Super Bowl XXXVI to slow an explosive Rams' offense. This game is remembered most for Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood's  attempt which went wide left on what would have been the winning field goal.

4. Super Bowl XXIII  San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16 - This game is most remembered for the 49ers' 92 yard game winning drive in the waning moments, directed by Joe Montana and featuring clutch receptions by game MVP Jerry Rice, who finished with 11 catches for 215 yards. John Taylor caught the winning pass, though it's easy to forget that Bengals safety David Fulcher dropped what could have been a drive-ending interception in the end zone just two plays before.

5. Super Bowl XXXVI  New England 20, St. Louis 17 - This game can easily be listed in a higher spot. The Patriots got ahead early, then the Rams staged a comeback. Then, instead of playing for overtime, a terrific drive from the deep inside their own territory set the Patriots up for Adam Vinatieri's last second 48 yard figgie, and the underdog Patriots pulled off one of the great upsets of Super Bowl history.

6 through 10: Super Bowl XIV  Pittsburgh 31, Los Angeles Rams 19 - Closer than the final score indicated, the underdog Rams gave the Steelers all they could handle. Super Bowl XXXII  Denver 31, Green Bay 24 - The Packers had a chance to tie on their final possession but the drive ended at the Denver 37.  Super Bowl XIII  Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 - Would be higher ranked, but Pittsburgh opened up a 35-17 lead. Super Bowl X Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17 - Once again, would be higher ranked, but the Steelers lead 21-10 before Dallas narrowed the margin.  Super Bowl XXXIX  New England 24, Philadelphia 21 - Tied going into the 4th Quarter, but then the Patriots opened up a 10 point lead before a late TD by the Eagles made it closer.

Honorable Mention: Super Bowl XVI  San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 21; Super Bowl XXX  Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 17; Super Bowl XVII  Washington 27, Miami 17; Super Bowl III   NY Jets 16, Baltimore 7.

Since we're in the two-week the run-up to that obscure, barely noticeable game called the Super Bowl, and since this is the XLth year of that game, I thought it appropriate to make some personal lists pertaining to it. Over the next few days, I intend to post my list of all-time best, all-time worst, and most historically significant Super Bowls. I may come up with some other lists too.

First off, here's my list of the ten worst Super Bowls of all-time. Yes, sometimes (quite often in fact) the game fails to live up to the hype:

1. Super Bowl XX  Chicago 46, New England 10 - This was not actually the widest margin of victory in Super Bowl history, but it was the worst game. New England, a run-oriented team with Tony Eason playing Quarterback, had absolutely no chance against one of the great defenses ever to take the field. If New England would have had a John Elway-type guy, at least they might have been able to do something on offense. But with Eason, falling behind was not an option, and yet that's exactly what happened, to the tune of 23-3 by halftime. Telling Statistic -  Total Net Yards: Bears 408, Patriots 123.

2. Super Bowl XXIV  San Francisco 55, Denver 10 - Denver did have John Elway, and yet this was the most lopsided score. The Niners went up 27-3 at halftime. The only reason this wasn't the worst game is that with Elway, I thought that Denver could at least hope to score a few points. Things turned out otherwise. Telling Statistic -  Total Net Yards: 49ers 461, Broncos 167

3. Super Bowl XXXV  Baltimore 34, NY Giants 7 - The Giants came into this game as one of the hottest teams to ever enter a Super Bowl, and fresh off a 41-0 pasting of the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game. But this game was awful, with 21 punts between the two teams, and the Giants stood no chance against the Ravens defense.

4. Super Bowl XVIII  Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington 9 - The Redskins entered the game as defending champions and had set an NFL record by scoring 541 points that season. Redskins running back John Riggins donned a flight suit during the week. Then the Raiders crushed them, outgaining Riggins and the 'Skins 231-90 on the ground.

5. Super Bowl XXIX  San Francisco 49, San Diego 26 - The 49ers jumped all over the plodding Chargers, whose offense was not geared toward big comebacks.

Rounding out the Top Ten: Super Bowl XXVII  Dallas 52, Buffalo 17; Super Bowl XXXVII  Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21;  Super Bowl XV Oakland 27, Philadelphia 10; Super Bowl VI  Dallas 24, Miami 3; Super Bowl XXII Washington 42, Denver 10

Dishonorable Mention: Super Bowl XXVI  Washington 37, Buffalo 24; Super Bowl XII  Dallas 27, Denver 10; Super Bowl VIII  Miami 24, Minnesota 7; Super Bowl XI Oakland 32, Minnesota 14; Super Bowl II Green Bay 33, Oakland 14; Super Bowl I  Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10; Super Bowl IV  Kansas City 23, Minnesota 7.

All told, that's 17 Super Bowls that definitely failed to live up to the hype, though it should be noted that the games played in the earlier era were not all that hyped to begin with....oh for a return to the past!

On Monday, while talking with a co-worker who is a Steelers fan, I mentioned that the Steelers would do well to choose to wear their white jerseys in the Super Bowl, since the Steelers have won all three of their playoff games on the road, wearing white (the AFC champion gets the choice of jersey color this year). It's that "road mentality" I told him, and the Steelers might benefit from keeping that state of mind.

Well, the Steelers have decided to wear their white jerseys for that obscure, little-known, barely promoted affair known as the Super Bowl (you may have heard of it). Thus, my first "prediction" concerning the Super Bowl has already been fulfilled!

By the way, it wasn't always the case that teams had a choice on jersey color. Earlier in the Super Bowl era, the "home" team had to wear their dark jersey. Hence, in Super Bowl V, the Cowboys, who always wore white at home, were forced to wear their blue jerseys, which they didn't like to wear. Perhaps that contributed to their 16-13 loss to the Colts. For Super Bowl XIII, the Cowboys were again the "home" team, but the NFL allowed them to choose to wear white. They lost anyway, 35-31 to the Steelers.

Hines Ward (right), wearing white, enjoys a moment during the Steelers' win over Denver Sunday. The Steelers have decided to wear white for the Super Bowl, and I get to relish my first I-Told-You-So for the big game.

I went 2-0 picking the winners of yesterday's NFL Conference Championship Games, with Pittsburgh and Seattle now moving on to that obscure, little-hyped game called the Super Bowl. Maybe you've heard of it. I take a 5-6 playoff prediction record into Super Bowl XL, and I'll have my pick made sometime next week. For now, some thoughts on yesterday's tilts:

Steelers 34, Broncos 17 - You may have noticed that Pittsburgh did not blitz much at all. That was smart, since Jake Plummer, unlike Peyton Manning, can move well. I can just picture Denver's braintrust pouring over films all week, trying to figure out ways to get Plummer away from the blitz. But the Steelers wisely committed most of their defenders to coverage, since they knew Plummer was mobile and could avoid blitzers and possibly connect for big plays if fewer defensive players were left back in coverage. Shrewd move, Steelers. I also noticed that even though Pittsburgh didn't score much in the second half, they sliced a good chunk of time off the clock when they did have the ball. There's no better team in the NFL (save for perhaps New England) at using the clock to its advantage.

Seahawks 34, Panthers 14 - Quite simply, the Panthers had no weapons. The only one they did have, Steve Smith, was effectively handled by Seattle by double-teaming. With no one else to go to, Jake Delhomme looked less than ordinary. This game was a classic demonstration of why injuries and turnovers are the two biggest factors in football. Seattle is a healthy team and won the turnover battle 4-0. A team with those advantages simply will not lose.

The Steelers celebrate a score en route to a 34-17 AFC Championship win in Denver, while the Seahawks earned their first Super Bowl trip after dismantling Jake Delhomme and the Carolina Panthers 34-14. Techincal note: Both teams that had QBs named Jake lost.

Normally, I have a 'gut feeling' when it comes to predicting football results. I don't pour over stats, matchups, or injury reports. I simply trust my intincts, honed by 35 years of watching football on TV. That's why I'm 2-6 in the NFL playoff so far.

But I was 174-82 for the regular season - a gaudy .680 wining percentage. I've just bombed the playoffs so far, and one reason is that I failed to 'go with my gut' several times over the past two weeks. For example, my feeling was that Carolina would beat Chicago, but I entered the Bears as my pick. Bad move.

So what does my gut tell me to do this Sunday? Oddly for me, I have no real solid 'feel' for the two games. But, I am leaning toward a Pittsburgh vs Seattle Super Bowl, so I'll enter as follows:

AFC Championship Game: Pittsburgh 31, Denver 28

NFC Championship Game: Seattle 20, Carolina 17

I'd like to see Carolina win, but I think injuries have finally caught up with them (didn't I just say I don't check injury reports?). I'd like to see the Steelers win, and I think that being on the road may actually work to their advantage, since they seem to be better on the road than at home. Even though Denver's a tough place to play, I think the Steelers can handle the crowd noise (they did so indoors against the Colts), so I'm picking them to win a tight game with a good amount of scoring. Come Sunday, we shall see.