The Sports Monitor

Steelers linebacker James Harrison is now former Steelers linebacker James Harrison. Harrison tweeted his goodbye to fans Saturday. I have plenty of memories of Steelers' Super Bowls, including Lynn Swann's catches, John Stallworth in Super Bowl XIV and Santonio Holmes' game-winner against the Cardinals. Harrison's interception return is probably my favorite. His slam of a Browns fan running on the field was a classic. Any hit of a Cleveland player ranks up there, too. Thanks for all the memories and living up to the Steelers' hard-hitting tradition at linebacker.

It was all there for the Pittsburgh Steelers to take. The inside track for the top seed in the AFC playoffs, a game up on the Ravens for the division title, a chance for a bye week. Instead, the Steelers short-circuited Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers. Ben Roethlisberger didn't have the magic this time, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble. It was a heroic effort by Roethlisberger to take the field, but the performance wasn't there. The usually strong defense gave up 20 points to a team that's struggled scoring touchdowns. One night earlier, the Ravens lost on their trip cross country to face the San Diego Chargers. You would think the Steelers would have taken notice. Instead, the Steelers flopped on Monday Night, a game that was delayed 35 minutes by two power outages at Candlestick Park. The power certainly was missing from the offense. Now the Steelers will need a Christmas miracle to gain the division title. It looks like any...

Ready or not, Steelers fans, you could be looking at a 13-win season and a wild-card berth. It's not the end of the world, especially when it's not impossible to win the Super Bowl as a wild-card team. But what do you do when your first-round opponent is Tim Tebow -- I mean the Denver Broncos? The Broncos, winners of six straight, have a one-game lead over the Oakland Raiders. It looks like a lock that the AFC West division winner will be the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. That means the top wild-card team, and unless the Ravens lose it looks like the Steelers, would get the Broncos. I keep waiting and waiting for Tebow to fail, and he just keeps winning and winning. He'll play the ugliest three quarters of football and somehow spur his team to victory. I'm sure the league will catch up to him, just like the league caught up to the Miami Dolphins' Wildcat offense. But for now, it looks like Steelers Nation will square off against the mystic powers of Tebow....

Random thoughts from Super Bowl XLIV: Give Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams some credit. He was masterful with his adjustments. After giving up 10 first-quarter points, the Saints outscored the Colts 31-7. Drew Brees is a logical choice for MVP. I couldn't argue with Tracy Porter being picked, too, after his game-clinching interception. Heck, coach Sean Payton deserved consideration if a coach could get the award. What about Thomas Morstead? He's the kicker who had the best onside kick ever. It doesn't get much better than that. My memory's fuzzy, but I recall Santonio Holmes having a touchdown overturned in last year's AFC Championship Game against the Ravens. He fumbled after diving into the end zone after getting two feet down to make the catch. I'm still not sure how that was ruled incomplete and the Saints' Lance Moore got credited for a catch on the 2-point conversion. That said, Payton made a great call to challenge the catch.  Porter ...

Peyton Manning had a chance to cement his legacy Sunday night. The Colts were trailing the Saints 24-17 with less than 6 minutes left in Super Bowl XLIV. The Colts needed a touchdown. Manning needed to lead his team. Neither happened. Manning's pass was intercepted by Tracy Porter and returned 74 yards for a touchdown. It wasn't James Harrison rumbling 100 yards for a score, but it was the nail in the coffin for the Colts. Game over. A year ago, a quarterback with something to prove needed to lead his team down the field at the end of the game to win the Super Bowl. Ben Roethlisberger did it. Manning didn't. Manning can have the statistics and MVP awards. Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl rings to Manning's one. I'll take the titles. Whatever he does the rest of his career, Manning will never be able to join Joe Montana or Terry Bradshaw as having a perfect record in the big game. Roethisberger still has that chance. And Manning still had a lit...

We knew it a year ago when it happened, but ESPN confirmed it today: James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown is the greatest play in Super Bowl history. I guess when ESPN says it, it must be true. Check out ESPN's page on the play, Inside a Moment in Time . It's a pretty cool page. There are quotes from players involved and a photo gallery of Harrison's game-changing play.

Brett Favre just loves to gamble. With a trip to the Super Bowl, a shot at redemption and a chance to rub it in the faces of Green Bay Packers fans, Brett Favre couldn't help himself and be Brett Favre. He tried to make a play with the game tied at 28 in the NFC championship game. The grizzled veteran who was supposed to lead the Minnesota Vikings to the Super Bowl instead made a rookie mistake. Favre threw the football back across the field and the New Orleans Saints' Tracy Porter picked it off. So much for a chance to win the game at the end. Favre could have thrown it away, leaving a long 56-yard field goal. He should have run the ball, which would have picked up at least 5 yards, maybe more. Nope. Favre wanted to be the hero. Now, he's the goat. In a game marred by turnovers, Favre's was the costliest. But we shouldn't be surprised. If Favre throws enough, he'll get burned. Just like he did Sunday night. He should have known better than...