This is for all of us who have had our championship dreams crushed even before the playoffs start.  With the field finally set for the NFL playoffs I've been trying to figure out who I'd like to see emerge out of the AFC and NFC and matchup in the Super Bowl.  

Last year I wanted to see the Cardinals go all the way and they came damn close, but Big Ben and Santonio Holmes ended that hope.  This year I've got options, but in the end there are only a couple of teams I'll be rooting for.

The AFC picture is a bit easier for me to choose who I'd like to see win out. I won't be rooting for the Jets partially due to their division rivalry with Bills, but mostly because I find Rex Ryan to be obnoxious.  We can thank one team specifically for letting the Jets into the playoffs and that's the Indianpolis Colts.  

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Bill Polian for choosing to sit Peyton Manning up 15-10 in the second half with the opportunity of an undefeated season still alive and kicking.  Now we have to listen Rex Ryan bullshit for another week with the media and for that reason alone I can't root for the Colts.

The Patriots have defeated the Bills 17 out of the last 18 times they've played, but more importantly they won 3 Super Bowls in the last decade, so we can spread the wealth a little bit.  Bonus points are rewarded though for Tom Brady being a Michigan alum.  

Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens scare me.

That leaves me with the San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals.  In any other year this would be a tough decision, but the Bengals have had to deal with the passing of teammate Chris Henry and Vikki Zimmer, the wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.  Things don't look great after getting abused by the Jets 37-0 yesterday, but I'm hoping the Bengals can finally have things break their way and make a Super Bowl run.

In the NFC I'd love to see the Cardinals catch fire twice in a row and I know how much it would mean to New Orleans for the Saints to capitalize on their home-field advantage and make it to the promised land.  I've got to say though, as great a story either of those teams winning it all would be, my allegiance is squarely behind Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.  

I've got no love for the Eagles or Cowboys and as much as I like Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice, it would just be wrong for Brett Favre to win a Super Bowl after the shit he's pulled the past two summers.  Brett Favre is a great quarterback and it's amazing to see what he's doing at the age of 40, but I can't root for a guy who has shown no care at all in the world for the Packers fans that showered him with adulation even through some truly horrific regular-season performances.

Aaron Rodgers has been nothing short of classy since he took over the reins as quarterback of the Packers.  From Favre's first attempted comeback to the Packers all the way to his renaissance this season with the Vikings Rodgers has had to live in his shadow.  Through that Rodgers has elevated himself to elite QB status and if he can lead his team to a matchup with the Vikings there would be no greater justice than for him to oust Favre and the Vikings from the playoffs.  

If both of my wishes came true and the Bengals and Packers faced each other in the Super Bowl the decision wouldn't be too hard for me.  Who would I choose?  Child please, I'm picking Ochocinco and the Bengals.