Well gang, I promised to return on Monday, and well, in completing this posting I have in some ways fulfilled that. . .but without going into all the details (which have bombarded us this entire week), the last week did not go well at all - potentially the worst, for a variety of reasons, for us as an entire family (surgery, two ER visits for my wife, son got stomach bug, I got stomach bug, and to top it all off my wife has to go back to surgery to get the entire process redone).

As such my wife will be out another week. . .and for me, well, I make no apologies that my family is a top priority, as I have no doubt it is for all of you as well.  I won’t be returning this week, and I think if I do after this week, I won’t be posting daily.

Again, I’ve loved every minute of this, and I’m sure I’ll be putting up more posts, but for now, I have a duty to family, and I want to proudly fulfill that one.  Thanks for all your concerns and well-wishes. . .IgniteTheMind isn’t just me, its a personal philosophy, and greater yet, an open-minded, teachable spirited way of living.  IgnitheTheMind doesn’t start here, it goes on as for as long as you allow it to.

That’s enough of the philosophical concocting on my part. . .I’ll return when I am able to. Until then, keep doing all the wonderful blogging that all of you do! (I’m still reading lots of good stuff you guys are doing out there!).

P.S. I’m able to keep up with Entrecard for the time being. . .so keep dropping!

- IgniteTheMind

Hello Friends and Greatly Appreciated Readers,

Just wanted to let you know that IgniteTheMind will be taking a one week break from daily postings.  My wife will be undergoing surgery, and while it is a minor procedure, it is a procedure nonetheless.  I’ll be using this time to take care of her and my toddler son.  Thank you for your readership; you can expect more quality articles to resume on February 16, 2009.

To my dedicated Entrecard friends, I’ll be keeping up - no worries there.  And to all my dedicated readers, thank you again for your continued support! Its been a pleasure hearing all your thoughts! In the meantime, feel free to look back through the archives and enjoy previous articles.  Thanks again to all, and we’ll see you in a week!

- IgniteTheMind

Its no secret the world is in a recession. . . more so its a grave reality for many.

And its in times like these that we need to go the extra mile for each other to help share the burden, and that’s exactly what Peter Ilic has decided to do.

Ilic is a restaurateur who runs one of the Little Bay restaurants in London (Farringdon).

(Little Bay restaurant logo)

Known for high quality gourmet food, Peter Ilic and Little Bay restaurants have decided that its time the customer catches a break for once.   So now when you go out for a meal at Little Bay during the month of February you can expect to pay. . .nothing. That’s right, if you thought Denny’s recent free Grand Slam was nice (and no slight here - it sure was very generous), Little Bay is taking it to the next level - customers can pay whatever they wish to.  As Ilic puts it, “Anything between a penny and 50 pounds ($70) will make me happy, it’s entirely up to the customer to decide.”  The only thing customers have to pay for are their drinks, and that is of course if they pass on the free tap water.

And his reasoning behind this generous move? “It just seemed the right thing to do with everyone under the cash and feeling pretty miserable.”  Rock on, brother - Rock on!

Some will question the motives of the business owner, stating that it is more a bold business manuever and that many will pay well, if not more than regular price for the sake of looking “cheap”, as Ilic has already suggested is happening.  Yet say what you will but the possibility is still there for those who are hurting financially to be able to take their family out for an extravagant meal at a fraction of the cost (”Starters include crab tartelette, foie gras terrine and goat cheese souffle, while main courses range from duck breast to steamed butterfish and filet steak.”).  In times like these, this act of kindness can do a lot to lift the spirits of the financially strapped.

Forget the ulterior motives for a minute, we can all remember to look out for each other during these times.  Perhaps even, we will all learn to continue to do so after them as well.

Finally, hope is a tremendous thing. . .this time around it just so happens to come in the form of a roasted breast of duck (or grilled vegetable tian if you’re looking for the non-carnivorous option).

- IgniteTheMind

If you should find yourself in enjoying the beaches and you decide to do one of these. . .

. . .be sure you don’t end up needing a   because you may find yourself getting .

This was the unfortunate case for an elderly Japanese man recently, who after receiving head injuries from being struck by a motorcycle died because 14 hospitals denied him treatment!  No, you are reading that right - Not 1 or 4 but 1 4 hospitals!

He died 90 minutes after sustaining the injuries, so its not like there wasn’t time to get him somewhere, but “14 hospitals refused to admit the 69-year-old citing a lack of specialists, equipment and staff, according to Mitsuhisa Ikemoto, a fire department official.“

Uh. . .those are pathetic excuses considering this: according to the CIA , Japan’s economy ranks 3rd largest in the world and is the 2nd most technologically powerful economy in the world (and last was checked, the CIA was still a pretty reputable source).  Sure, we’re all hurt by a world recession, but this seems pretty inexcusable.

But maybe you thought this was a rare case. . .if only that were true.  Here are some other shocking items of note :  One hospital agreed to treat him when they were called a second time within an hour (why the change?), this man’s case is only the latest of a recent string of rejections by Japanese hospitals, one woman in her 70s was rejected 49 times in Tokyo for her breathing problems, another was rejected 19 times and died eight days later after becoming unconscious after giving birth, and the real kicker is that in 2007 alone, government statistics showed that 14,000 emergency patients were denied treatment at least 3 times before receiving treatment.

Apparently, “[Japanese] hospitals cannot be punished for turning away patients if they are full” but as “Ikemoto said, ‘I wish hospitals are more willing to take patients, but they have their own reasons, too’.”

Have their own reasons? No, actually, you really don’t, or at least not any good ones, because the entire premise of starting a hospital is to treat people, not choose to play evil dictator over the fate of someone’s life.  And to say you don’t have specialists or the right equipment is complete idiocy.  Sure, not all medicinal knowledge translates, but don’t say that there was nothing that could have been done.  How about taking his pulse and making sure he’s alive for starters?  Or do you need equipment for that?  Oh wait, you must have been fresh out of clocks and watches so you couldn’t keep track of his pulse?

Yes its true, American hospitals probably have and will reject their own share of patients too for various valid reasons - as has probably been the fair case for some Japanese hospitals too - and while its not fair to pin all the blame when media only likes to hand out certain details, its also hard not to pin all the blame when its not one, or two hospitals, but fourteen!  That doesn’t sound like a problem with the patient, that sounds like a problem with the entire system!

When you hit the bottom of the barrel, apparently you find new ways to be thankful you still have one.  So even though America’s economy is downright shaky at this point, at least you can still walk into a hospital and be surely confident of receiving treatment.

- IgniteTheMind

Let us pause for a moment, shall we?  Today’s hottest news bite will be tomorrow’s old news; there will be plenty of knuckleheads out there giving us something to rant about (maybe we will even be that knucklehead!); there will be plenty of things wrong with this world that deserve our attention and dialogue.

And in a peculiar sense, these things are exactly why a pause is justified. . .

There is a quote, one that has found root in many different circles, some religious, others philosophical, others yet just of a common sensical nature.  The origins have been awarded to Frank Outlaw, though that has been highly debated.  Regardless, its words echo a great deal of truth:

“Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

With newly elected United States President Barack Obama hailed as America’s personified bailout plan himself (up to the writing of this particular posting) to Michael Phelps’ buddha-bong blunder to whoever this guy was. . .

 . . .the point is that everyone leaves a legacy.  For those of us who still have life, we are still continually shaping that legacy - some of us for the better, other for worse - some mindful of it and others mindless.

While some of us are dealt a bad hand, others got lucky, and probably most of us have just tried to make the best of what we’ve got - whatever that may be.

The above quote is not a fool proof plan - there are all sorts of variables that get mixed in, but its a very wise place to start.  The mind is an incredibly powerful and influential thing, far more than we already take it for granted for, and far more than any of us can probably even comprehend (especially when you add the social element). Hence the reasoning behind “Ignite The Mind” as not some winsome phrase, but an attempt at a penetrating insight.

Regardless, perhaps another quote from Obama’s inauguration speech makes a great deal of sense here too: your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. In others words, your legacy will not only live beyond you but it will live above you as well. . . My friends, none of us are perfect and this is not a naive belief that we can be nor that enough mental energy can conquer anything, but at the same time, legacies, though conceptually intangible, do leave tangible marks after we are gone.

What meaning will you give the legacy that will live on after you?

- IgniteTheMind

Have you ever heard of Los Zetas?

 Maybe you are asking, “Should I have heard of Los Zetas?” And the answer is a resounding, “YES!”

 But perhaps the real question is, “Why haven’t I heard of Los Zetas?”  And while that’s a dangerous question to ask a cynic, its a valid one that demands an answer.

 First, you need to know what Los Zetas is. Los Zetas is potentially the most powerful gang in all of. . .nope, not just central Mexico, not just all of Mexico, but all of North America.

 Los Zetas is thought to head the Gulf Cartel, which also controls the distribution of cocaine and other drugs and black market items through much of the region.

But these are not just a bunch organized crooks - they are scarily much more than that. “The Zetas were originally members of the Mexican Army’s elite Airborne Special Forces Group (GAFE), trained in locating and apprehending drug cartel members. It is believed that they were originally trained at the military School of the Americas in the United States. Also, they were trained by foreign specialists, including Americans, French, and Israelis, in rapid deployment, aerial assaults, marksmanship, ambushes, small-group tactics, intelligence collection, counter-surveillance techniques, prisoner rescues and sophisticated communications.“

But it gets worse, much worse.

“Los Zetas have set up camps in which to train recruits as well as ex-federal, state, and local police officers. In addition, they have invited into their ranks ex-troops from Guatemala known as Kaibiles.

 The group is extremely well armed, they wear body armor and some wear Kevlar ballistic helmets; their arsenal includes AR-15 and AK-47 assault rifles, MP5 submachine guns, 50 cal. machine guns, grenade launchers, ground-to-air missiles, dynamite and helicopters. They are known to operate with modern wiretapping equipment and purchase the cellular phone codes of their intended targets directly from the phone companies and providers. 

Los Zetas is known to operate with a higher tactical degree than the local authorities. During one shootout against law enforcement the group employed grenade launchers and 50 cal. machine guns.” And in case you didn’t know, 50 cal. machine guns load bullets that are nearly 6 inches long prior to firing!  It makes complete sense that with these tactics and weapons they are also one of the most brutal killing organizations around, known for gruesomely torturing their victims.

(If you want to see the rest, here is Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , and Part 5.  The entire documentary is 45 minutes long.)

 Whether you watched the opening segment or not, this disturbing phrase from one of the speakers should sound some serious “alarmage”: “The Zetas have more capability than Al Qaeda does today to operate inside the United States.”

More capability than Al Qaeda. . .and so the question should come back to the forefront of your mind: Why haven’t I heard of Los Zetas?  After all, for all the talk of Middle Eastern and Islamic terrorism, the United States has been virtually mum on this entire issue or at least in comparison to all the coverage of the Middle East. And yet, the documentary will later state that Los Zetas has the ability to carry out contract killings in nearly any major city within the United States in less than 72 hours.

Al Qaeda? Shouldn’t Los Zetas be top priority?

This article from June 2005 discusses how Los Zetas were already starting to become a serious threat in the Southwestern United States.  Ironic how four years after 9/11 and just two years after the start of the Iraq War we were still fighting a virtually unknown enemy thousands of miles away, when we had a known one inside our own borders.  Now their network has run full-course having penetrated well within the continental U.S having been paid far less attention during these last several years, even though some officials thought they wouldn’t be a factor in the U.S.  Guess again. . .

So the next time someone talks about terrorism in the Middle East, ask them about terrorism in Texas, and when they raise their eyebrows with a puzzled look, don’t be surprised. . .

- IgniteTheMind

 From 8 gold medals to 8 minutes of idiocy, this recent photo of Michael Phelps toking up a bong at the University of South Carolina in November 2008 says it all.

The 23 year old mega-star vaulted himself to elite stardom this past year when he won a record 8 gold medals and became the most winningest gold medal winner thus far in Olympic history.

And he tainted all that which he earned in a matter of minutes, making parents have to make an awkward explanation to their children when they heard their child ask about their hero, “Why does Michael Phelps have his lips all funny on that glass, mommy?”

It is true, however, that we all make mistakes.  We’ve all done things that we’ve looked back on and said, “Yeah, that was really stupid.”  Some may be “worse” than others, but in our own minds it all feels the same because of the weight of regret that lingers.

And in all fairness as well, Phelps did issue a formal apology: “I engaged in behaviour which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment,” Phelps said. “I am 23 years old and, despite the successes I have had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner that people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”

And this is probably one of the better more sincere apologies that a celebrity has made in some time.  Phelps has at least acknowledged his failure or at least he’s had to because it became public.

 There is a conundrum with being a celebrity.  On the one sense you receive fame which you may not necessarily have wished for. On the other hand, you do receive fame regardless, and you surely must know that going into the business (whichever business that might be: sports, television, movies, etc.).  Unfortunately Charles Barkley was wrong - he is a role model, just as is everyone else who is in the limelight.

 As for the Michael Phelps issue, he screwed up big time, but only received a small slap on the wrist from USA Swimming (a 3 month suspension) .  The bigger picture though, is this incident is like putting your hands in the fresh cement of your own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and then coming back and messing with it before its dry.  You keep meddling enough and your going to screw it up.  And eventually, if you don’t leave it alone, that cement is going to dry and your mistakes will be cemented for all to see.

 Its not fair to be overly harsh on celebrities in one sense because the media is always following them, and its surely tiresome to never be able to live one’s own life in their own privacy.  Likewise, celebrities are human and imperfect like all of us.  They will make mistakes; most of us are just lucky enough they don’t get published in the paper.

 In the end however, as Phelps even eludes to himself, it takes a level of maturity to be able to handle the fame and pressures of stardom.  There is no denying the obvious privileges of such a place in society; celebrities never seem to hate that part of it.

This posting isn’t to necessarily harp on Michael Phelps alone however, but simply to make a statement of maturity that must be maintained for any person in a position of influence.  And while we may all have different amounts of influence, we all have influence within the many spheres of our lives; and may we remember that with influence comes responsibility.

 - IgniteTheMind

(Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Arlington National Cemetery)

No matter what nation you come from, nearly all of us are proud of our soldiers.  Granted, there are those out there who abuse or neglect and are thus not deserving of the honor that comes with serving one’s country.  For the most though, we may not support the war/conflict, we may not support the reasoning behind it, we may not support the moral ramifications, but most of us still support and respect the actual soldiers themselves.

They are putting their lives on the line and sometimes for a purpose which they may not even agree with.  Yet out of dedication and protection for their country and its people they put themselves in harm’s way.

But as has been discussed before , war is not for humankind.  Sure, war exists and obviously humankind is the one that initiates it, but its one of those things that is truly beyond control.  A war may end, but the scars never heal. . .

And so it is still today, as the U.S. Army recently acknowledge that suicide rates among its soldiers were as high as they were three decades ago (And guess what was happening then? . . .Vietnam).

And yet Defense Officials are so smart.  Their reasoning of cause was said to be that “. . . troops are under tremendous and unprecedented stress because of repeated and long tours of duty in the simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”  Wow, that’s a brilliant observation - you mean the cause of higher suicides might be the fact that the soldiers are at war?

And you mean to tell us that “. . .the most common factors for suicides were soldiers suffering problems with their personal relationships, legal or financial issues and problems on the job.”  Wonder why that might be?  Oh wait, its the fact that these men and women are diligently carrying out your agenda while their entire life collapses back home?

But wait, you mean to say that military physicians may have found the root cause as well? Boy, its a good thing we had more people on this thing. . .Apparently, physicians don’t think that the chronic health problems that veterans suffer from when they return home are necessarily mild brain trauma/concussions caused by explosions or the extreme physical demands of war that sometimes result in collisions.  No, it seems that the chronic conditions might be caused by post-traumatic stress disorder!

Go figure!  So it seems when you have to spend every waking minute watching your back and your buddies’, sleeping “with one eye open,” living in a foreign country with no connections to home, patrolling the area on either foot or vehicle with threats possible by any moving object, all while removed from your family and friends for months at end you might be stressed?  Now only if those same Defense Officials had spent a few months out in the sandbox then they would really know. . .

At least if nothing else, they are planning on spending some $300 million now to better understand post-traumatic brain disorder and traumatic brain injury. . .Sympathy certainly goes out to all soldiers, especially those in countries who do not receive any sort of treatment.

And while it is beyond easy to sit back and be cynical, which this particular post is guilty of, its not easy to sit back, however, and watch others take their lives because of circumstances plagued upon them by corrupt motivations of those in power (though it is realized not all in power are corrupt).

In the end, we should never stop trying to bandage the effects of war, but even more so, may we never stop trying to prevent war.

. . .In honor of all those who have served their country with integrity, honor, and valor, we salute you.

- IgniteTheMind

If you watched either of yesterday’s monster match-ups, you were far from disappointed!

Super Bowl XLIII (43) between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals was an absolute nail-biter down to the wire. . .

Here’s a quick recap for those of you who missed it.

1st Quarter:

The Steelers took quick control marching down the field on their first possession of the game.  The drive was capped by a Ben Roethlisberger scramble into the endzone. . .almost.  Ken Whisenhunt, the Cardinals, challenged the third down play as it appeared Roethlisberger’s knee was down right before the goal line and the challenge was upheld. The Steelers had to settle for a field goal.

Steelers leads: 3-0

2nd Quarter:

The Steelers was once again worked the field and capped their drive with a Gary Russell 1-yard TD plunge.

Steelers lead: 10-0

The Cardinals starting to feel the pressure a bit, having struggled offensively up to this point, made it down field and topped the drive off by an amazing grab by Ben Patrick in the end zone.  A perfectly thrown ball, Patrick leaped high (as high as a tight end can leap that is), and snatched the ball up over his head.

Steelers lead: 10-7

After the Cardinals defense halted the Steelers offensive, they received the ball with enough time left to go up before halftime.  With less than 5 yards to go and only 18 seconds left in the half, the Cardinals were looking for blood.  Kurt Warner threw the ball looking for a pass on a short route, but Steeler James Harrison intercepted it in the endzone. . .what happened next was Super Bowl history.  Harrison bumbled, rumbled, and stumbled 100 yards coast to coast and scored on the other end with no time left on the clock.  Not only was it the longest play in Super Bowl history, but it stopped the Cardinals from taking the lead and secured the Steelers the lead and momentum going into halftime.

Steelers lead: 17-7

3rd Quarter:

The Cardinals, for all their struggles and penalties in the first half, had at least realized they could pick at the middle of the field and move the ball at 6-12 yards a pop.  If they were to make it, this strategy would have to continue, but it didn’t.  They found some room, but again, penalties killed them.  The only real scoring action was another Steeler field goal.

Steelers lead: 20-7

4th Quarter:

Backed into a corner, Kurt Warner knew it was time to mount a serious attack.  If anyone could do it, he’d be one of them.  The Cardinals with only one quarter left drove nearly the length of the field in less than 3 minutes, and topped the drive off with a Larry Fitzgerald acrobatic, leaping catch.  Fitzgerald straight up owned Ike Taylor on this play simply jumping over him and grabbing the ball with seemingly little effort even though Taylor was in his grill.  The Cardinals were back in it.

Steelers: 20-14

What started to happen next was the makings of a tension filled game - perfect Super Bowl drama.  After a tremendous Cardinal punt down to the Steeler the one-yard line, they had the Steelers pinned with 3 and 20 or so to go.  Roethlisberger, who had been slipping away from the Cardinals D-line all game, did it yet again and threw down field to Santonio Holmes for a critical first down, crushing the Cardinals’ hopes. . .except - FLAG!  Turns out a Steeler offensive lineman was called for holding in the endzone, which automatically resulted in a safety.  The Cardinals got 2 points plus the ball back!

Steelers lead: 20-16

Once again, the Cardinals under Warner’s composure maintained a steady attack, until finally, Larry Fitzgerald, who truly had seen little action up to this point barring the TD catch minutes earlier, broke free on a slant for a 64 yard rumble.  Fitzgerald simply blazzed past defenders and the Cardinals were poised for the greatest Super Bowl comeback in a very long time.

Cardinals lead:  20-23

The only problem was there was still enough time on the clock for Ben Roethlisberger to mount a comeback drive, which he had done 6 times during the regular season.  Sure enough the Steelers moved the ball steadily, and Santonio Holmes caught two critical passes: one was a forty yard gainer to put them on the Cardinals six yard line, and the other, after having missed a catchable touchdown in the back of the endzone, made a tremendous leaping grab and managed to keep his toes in while falling in the opposite corner of the endzone as the previous play.  It was an incredible grab, and shattered the Cardinals comeback. . .but there was still 35 seconds left or so on the clock.  Enough for a deadly Cardinal passing attack to make a final shot.

Steelers lead: 27-23

The final drive was crucial.  Warner and company made several more quick first downs.  With about 18 seconds left, Warner scrambled around in the pocket to throw a deep pass.  As he cocked back, a Steeler defender knocked the ball lose and the Steelers recovered.  There was no review of the play, which could have gone either way.  The play stood and the Steelers ended Super Bowl 43 with a kneel down.  The Steelers then became the franchise with the most Super Bowl championships in NFL history. . .

Complete Super Bowl highlights can be seen here

Here are some key points:

1. Roethlisberger proved his slipperiness and his ability to make big plays and comebacks when they count.  Two Super Bowls already - he only has to maintain a solid career from on out and he has a great shot at the Hall of Fame.

2. The game was not lost because of the Arizona defensive live.  They didn’t have a lot of sacks but the pressure was constantly on the Roethlisberger, including two crucial goal line stands.  Cardinals secondary gave this game up.

3. The Pittsburgh offensive line deserves credit too - giving Big Ben just enough time to make the needed throws.

4. Kurt Warner, sorry you didn’t win it all bud, but you now have the top three best passing games in Super Bowl history.  Also, you’ve been to 3 Super Bowls. You beat the Titans yourself with great passing, you lost to the Patriots but that was not your fault (Patriots made a comeback so charge the St. Louis Rams defense), and you lost to the Steelers but no fault of your own, again, it was the Cardinals defense.  So, say what you will, but Kurt Warner still has a very respectable chance at the Hall of Fame, and he deserves to get in.

5. Its rare that a wide receiver gets the Super Bowl MVP as it usually goes to the quarterback, but Santonio Holmes deserves it.  His four catches on the winning drive were incredible. Though James Harrison may feel a little short-changed for his incredible play, which could have also granted him MVP status.

In the end, the Steelers prevailed.  You can say they played great, but you can also say they played poorly (even though a win is a win).  Regardless, they are now a titan of franchises, and on the flipside, the Cardinals have plenty to hold their head up high about.

2009 Australian Open - Nadal vs Federer

Those who watched Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer play in the Australian Open finale weren’t disappointed either. . .

Already the best match-up currently in tennis, these two duked it out once again, going the distance in their slug match of 4 hours, 22 minutes.

Ultimately though, it was Nadal who prevailed: 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2

“Nadal has now won five of the seven Grand Slam finals he’s played against Federer and is 13-6 overall against the Swiss star.”

But, make no mistakes. . .Nadal and Federer are quickly becoming a phrase of rivalry in tennis like Sampras and Agassi. . .And considering Federer is only 27 and Nadal is even younger at 22, these two have several good years competition left for the world to witness.

Here are some of the highlights from this one - an emotional match all around.

So whatever match you watched, perhaps both, hopefully at least one, you once again witnessed the awe of the human body at work.  Its an incredible thing, which has created incredible memories in sports history. . .These two match ups proved the same.

- IgniteTheMind

This Sunday is a dream match-up. . .two giants in professional sports going head to head slugging it out to claim themselves the rightful champion. . .

The only problem is which match-up do you tune into?

Oh sure, there is the obvious (that’s 43 in Arabic numerals).  The Arizona Cardinals  face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers  .

Old-man wonder Kurt Warner is back in the Super Bowl since his years on “The Greatest Show on Turf” (a.k.a. his days with the St. Louis Rams).  His story was already quite incredible, and now it has the sports world buzzing with “feel-good” written all-over it.  If he wins this Super Bowl, his career may very well go down as legendary for all the obstacles and unexpected success. Though let it be said that while Warner has certainly led the team to where it is, he couldn’t have gotten there by himself.  Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald , two amazing wide receivers dripping with talent, and fellow breakout player Steve Breaston aided the aerial attack, while other players made their contributions throughout the season as well (Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle, Adrian Wilson, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Darnell Dockett and Bertrand Berry to name just a few).

On the other side you have the legendary Steelers, still tough as nails as the days of the “Steel Curtain.”  Fan favorite Troy Polamalu, known for his flowing hair and explosive defense, has certainly helped pave the way.  There is also Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker and unsung hero Mewelde Moore offensively, but its the defense that seems to really shine in James Farrior, James Harrison, Lamar Woodley, Aaron Smith and Lawrence Timmons who strike fear in their opponents (well, basically its the whole defense that does!).

On the one side is the offensively outstanding Arizona and on the other the defensively destructive Pittsburgh.  Arizona has underdog motivations and riding-high spirits going into this, along with their proven leader in Warner.  Pittsburgh has a legacy of domination, the ability to adjust to their opponent, and if you’ll remember, it was only 3 years ago that the Steelers won it all, which means they’re still really stinkin’ good!  This match-up will prove watch-worthy for sure!

BUT. . .

You would be mistaken if you thought that Super Bowl XLIII was the only thing worth watching on Sunday. . .

Say what you will but Sunday’s Australian Open between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will be another titanic clash.

If you missed Wimbeldon 2008, you missed potentially the greatest tennis match in history.  Sunday may prove to be just as amazing. Here is a quick overview of Wimbeldon 2008:

Remember, around the world tennis is ranked 4th as the world’s most popular sport (around 1 billion fans) with American football at 9th (around 400 million fans) .  This isn’t to say which sport is better, but simply to say that both events will be heavily anticipated.

And so it is, whatever you do on Sunday, make sure you don’t miss out on both of these events. . .and if you can, watch both!

- IgniteTheMind