Now it’s official: If you want to get to the Super Bowl out of the AFC, you better play really, really good defense. And you’ll have to do it by playing in chilly Pittsburgh next week, after the Steelers’ 35-24 win over San Diego.

(LaMarr Woodley’s Riverdance celebration.)

With a chance to host the AFC Championship Game on the line, Pittsburgh’s defense dominated when it needed to, its offense controlled possession — San Diego only got off one play in the third quarter — and the Steelers looked, at times, an awful lot like the teams that dominated football with a future failed GOP governor’s candidate (Lynn Swann) and a surprisingly telegenic TV pitchman (Mean Joe Greene).

In the process, Pittsburgh also proved that the Chargers really may need a healthy LaDanian Tomlinson to make a serious playoff push for a title. Sure, they can get by perennial chokers Indianapolis with a super-human effort from Might Mouse Darren Sproles, but without Tomlinson’s transcendent versatility — and without his health — they looked like just another team overwhelmed by hard hits in the cold.

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The MIAMI HERALD has the story about five members of the Cuban national under-23-year-old team that took part in in a qualifying tournament for the Olympics in Tampa and decided they liked the place so much that they’d settle down and seek political asylum.

”We’re fine, calm, feeling hopeful about our new lives,” (team captain Yenier) Bermudez told The Miami Herald by phone Wednesday night. “Of course, we’re nervous because we’re young, have no family here, and we don’t yet know the way of life here, but we hope the Cuban and American communities will help us get started.”

And, uhhhh, if they don’t help us, we’ll always be able to do headers on the streets for spare change and Chex Mix! Read more…