Obligatory Super Bowl Preview

Since this is primarily a hockey blog, I figured I should mention how happy I was to see Ryan Miller and our depleted defense shutout Phoenix last night.

Shutouts have a way of making me recognize just how great Ryan really is when he's on his game, but, as all of you know, I admire him even more for how great he is in the community. That is why I was ecstatic to see this article in The Buffalo News this morning. If I have time tomorrow, I'll discuss it even more, but for now I'll just say that sometimes I feel too old to look up to professional athletes anymore, but I truly do admire Ryan Miller as a generous and good human being.

My Unsung Hero of the Game goes to Derek Roy for the amazing play he made on Danny Paille's goal.

Now that hockey talk is over, it's time to discuss what I'm sure is on all of your minds today as sports fans, the Super Bowl.

Some of my earliest memories are of Super Bowl Sundays in my grandparents' basement, getting dressed up in my Bills cheerleader outfit with pom-poms, only to stand there confused and a little afraid as the grown-ups yelled bad words at the TV.

When I was around five or six, I remember not understanding why the Bills weren't in the Big Game that year; I honestly thought that it was just another Sunday game that they would always be in. Boy was I wrong (but that's another rant for another day...).

Big football games always make me think of my grandfather, the biggest Bills fan I knew. He passed away four years ago but not before travelling to see his team play in all of their Super Bowl appearances. My dad loves to tell the story about Super Bowl XXV, when my grandfather thought, for only a few seconds, that Norwood's kick was good. My dad always said that he was jealous because, even if only for a moment, my grandfather knew what it felt like to think that his team won it all.

Super Bowls without the Bills are both nostalgic and depressing for me. Not depressing because I remember, but depressing because I honestly don't know what it feels like to see your team in the Super Bowl - I was too young to appreciate the fact that things like that didn't happen every year, too young to remember the "Glory Years."

Last year's Super Bowl was everything I could have hoped for. All of my family was gathered in my grandmother's house once again with a common rooting interest, to see Tom Brady knocked down all game long. This year, we're divided between Steelers fans and Cardinals supporters, which always makes for a strained watching experience.

As for which of the above groups I fall into; I'm rooting for those perennial powerhouses from Pittsburgh. The Steelers play football the way I love to watch it; hard-hitting, gritty, and in-your-face. I have unending respect for Mike Tomlin as a coach, and I think Troy Polamalu is the most electrifying defensive player out there right now.

I have no real prediction for tonight's game, but I hope it's a good one. And if all else fails, there's a new episode of The Office on after it's done.