Cannon Firing Line
Finding A Rooting Interest
By Ellis G. Cannon
PSR Publisher

It's almost hard to believe the NFL playoffs are here, let alone being conducted without the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Last month in this space, we wrote of Steelers' fans witnessing a world championship and a missed postseason - all in the same calendar year. The latter, of course, had been discussed for months, yet it did not fully prepare most for the finality of it all.

Perhaps more than anything else, that turn of events should provide all the notice necessary that what lay ahead this month will likely border on the insane. After all, with a league as unpredictable as the NFL, we can't suddenly expect the world to return to it's rightly orbit.

So while we appreciate the playoff preview and insight offered in these pages, we're probably just as impressed with how brazen Tony and our writers must be to even endeavor such a thing.

Let's face it, without the Steelers playing, the playoffs take on a different twist for most fans. The reality is a lot of people rooting for the Steelers on Sundays are doing so only because of their love for the local franchise. A lot of people complaining about the Steelers' play on Sundays (and Thursdays, Mondays and a couple other days this season) are doing so because of their frustration with that same club. To those folks, not much time is spent developing knowledge, let alone connection or emotion, of the teams still playing.

Unless it's Baltimore, of course, in which case that's not a problem.

To the rest, the NFL postseason tournament is gripping enough to not just hold our interest, but ultimately to find a rooting interest, whether for or against. Something will happen this month that will cause you to find it: a play, a player, a coach, a team, a human interest story - something. And if this past season has taught us anything, expect the unexpected. Expect to be surprised.

Of course, don't expect much out of the NFC. When the standard-bearer for that conference clinches with a month to go as its quarterback is compiling 1.3 passer ratings, well, just follow along enough to find out who's going to make the final game.

Beyond that, there's just been too much bumbling over there to feign interest.

One possible exception is Philadelphia, which was buried with a losing record after 11 games and without its franchise quarterback. And speaking of storylines, along came Jeff Garcia, who can now add his play in the final month as a retort-along with that string of outlandish girlfriends he's had-to anything Terrell Owens says about him.

And while what Garcia and the Eagles have done will be considered remarkable, it actually is a reminder of something much more fundamental, that being what can happen when the right player finds himself in the right system.

Ditto with the major storyline out of the NFC - Drew Brees and New Orleans, which put a couple of routs on Dallas and the Giants down the stretch just in case anyone thought they were phony. Indeed, watching what Sean Payton comes up with on offense, and Brees orchestrates, is straight-up legit.

But most of us will watch the playoffs from the AFC perspective. San Diego, Baltimore, Indianapolis, New England and the others. They're the ones most here have followed; they're the ones the Steelers have played and the fans have seen. They're the ones you rooted against, but now will likely find a connection with this month.

While probably playing the dreaded "what-if" game the entire time.

Ellis Cannon's SportsLine Pittsburgh" airs weeknights, 6-8 p.m., on FM NewsTalk 104.7. Ellis is also a regular contributor on the "#1 Cochran Sports Showdown" aired Sundays at 11:35 on KDKA-TV.