What's Up for the Title Games?

Award season is alive and well in Hollywood. If you ever want to make a sure-fire critically acclaimed movie it needs to revolve around somebody who is either hideously ugly (Monster), retarded (My Name is Sam), or gay (Brokeback Mountain). You'll have a real winner if you subject is ugly, retarded and gay.

Hey, that sounds like Peyton Manning�s life story.

It's a shame that we won't have Manning to kick around anymore�other than their insipid commercial appearances. This weekends games seem to lack a villain to root for. As we wrote about a long, long time ago, villains are everything.

Nevertheless here is what's up for Championship Weekend.

WHO DO YOU ROOT FOR?

Tough question when there is nobody to root against. But we're pulling for Denver because of one person who has never even put on a Broncos uniform�Pat Tillman. The immense media scrutiny will force this story back to the surface, thanks to Tillman's friendship with Jake Plummer. And rightly so. Tillman's story, along with the military's cover-up, should not be buried. Peole need to be reminded.

There is also a rooting interest for the Panthers seeing that they were the Hater Nation's (and everybody's) pick to win the Super Bowl. Of course, we also picked a break out year for the Houston Texans and look how well that turned out. And don't forget about the Seahawks uniform factor.

STEELERS vs. BRONCOS

This game would not be close if this was played in Pittsburgh�the Broncos would obviously win. It's just still hard to imagine that Bill Cowher is going to have his team prepared for three consecutive playoff games. The Steelers Super Bowl was last week. They will not have enough left in the tank. It won't be close. Jake Plummer is going to the Super Bowl. The pick: Denver.

PANTHERS vs. SEAHAWKS

You wouldn�t be the first to doubt Jake Delhomme. Mel Kiper Jr. said that the Panthers should take Aaron Rodgers in last year's draft. Remember that when Kiper projects USC's LenDale White to fall all they way down to No. 17 in this year's draft. Jake is the reason that the Panthers are going to their second Super Bowl in three years. Delhomme comes up big in the playoffs. He's like the anti-Manning. Delhomme shredded the Bears defense and holds a 5-1 all-time playoff mark. That one loss, of course, came in the Super Bowl to the Patriots. That won�t happen again. The pick: Carolina.

Pick 'em pal in the Hater Nation Forums.