Be careful what you wish for!
It is strange when posters care more about future draft picks that this year's Super Bowl. The steelers are the #3 team in the AFC right now. They certainly are a possible playoff contender.
First of all, it is strange when other posters are convinced that the Pats cannot beat the Steelers straight up, and pray for other teams to be weak because they think that is the only way the Pats can get into the playoffs.
I am not about to wish for a lousy draft pick in hopes that the Patriots can back into the playoffs. The Patriots can get into the playoffs by taking care of business and winning games.
I believe that to be World Champion, you must be the best team in the world. To that end, they should meet and defeat the next best teams in the playoffs.
The draft pick is next year, and I am rooting for the 49ers to lose as many games as possible so as to get a good pick.
Every December, some folks start praying for a weak playoff opponent. I still remember the fear some posters had in 2004 that the Pats couldn't beat a decent team in the playoffs. "I hope we don't have to play the Steelers in the playoffs. I hope we don't play the Colts."
Blech!
The crowning glory of 2004, besides the SB, was holding the Colts to 3 points and scoring 41 on the Steelers.
That was better than backing into the superbowl by beating the Bills and the Bengals.
Double Blech!
Be honest now. Remember our first SB? Isn't it a greater victory to have defeated the highly favored Rams? Would you really have preferred for the Pats to play a superbowl opponent who really had no business in the playoffs? We beat Kurt Warner and the Greatest Show on Turf!
I rooted for the Steelers last week. I'm rooting for Deion Branch this week, and I'm rooting for whoever plays the 49ers next week.
Second of all, you and Manny-whats-his-name do realize that my rooting for the Steelers will have no effect on whether they win or not, right? That teams will make the playoffs or not make the playoffs regardless of who I root for?
Normally I would hope for the Steelers to lose all their games. Not because I'm afraid the Pats can't beat them in the playoffs, but because I want them to be humiliated. But I would rather have them win one particular inter-conference game because it results in a better draft pick for us. So sue me.